-News/PST's 2004 Fall Commencement Ceremony Held in Honolulu-BABEL UNIVERSITY Professional School Of Translation

News updated May 2005

2005 Spring Professional School of Translation Commencement Ceremony

The 2005 Spring Commencement Ceremony was held on April 29th (Friday) in Ichigaya.

The day was blessed with good weather without a cloud in the sky. The ceremony was a festive occasion, and many concerned parties were in attendance. In addition to professors who are currently providing guidance to students, other concerned parties who attended came from publishing companies, translation companies, and staffing agencies. Current Babel University students, as well as students who are thinking of studying at the Professional School in the future, were also in attendance.

The first part of the ceremony started with an address from Chancellor Yuasa. This semester produced a total of 8 new Master’s Degree holders, who included 4 students from the Literary Arts and Film Translation Major, 2 students from the Technical and Scientific Translation Major, and 2 students from the International Paralegal Translation Major. Using an increasingly globalized world as their stage, hopes are high that these graduates will make full use of their skills and engage in productive work in the future.

Following this, the 6 MST holders were presented with their diplomas at the commencement ceremony. The MST holders, who were wearing gowns and hoods, had caps placed in their heads by the Dean, and at the end they all formed a line and moved their tassels to the left side of their caps to the ringing applause of the audience. Since ours is an American graduate school, the ceremony was done American-style, and it was a festive occasion.

Following the commencement ceremony, a celebration party was held in which the graduates gave presentations. The presentations covered topics such as how the students first came to enroll in the school, what they learned in Professional School, an introduction of the final projects they were involved in, and their ambitions for the future. The presenters had but a short 7 minutes to give their talks, but all of them talked passionately about their school memories. Many of the graduates have ambition to have their graduate project published, and we hope that they are successful. Expectations also run high for the degree holders of our first International Paralegal Major.

Commencement Address

BABEL UNIVERSITY Professional School of Translation
Chancellor Miyoko Yuasa

　BAI would like to say a few words on this occasion of the commencement ceremony of the Babel University Professional School of Translation.
First, I would like to congratulate all of the MST degree holders who received their diplomas today.

The Babel University Professional School of Translation was opened in the state of Hawaii (USA) in 2000 as a graduate school for translation specialists. As a full-fledged education system that utilizes the Internet, our school is at the forefront of world education in that it employs a revolutionary system whereby students can acquire a Master’s Degree solely through online lessons.

In addition, in 2002 our translation school received accreditation from the American DETC, which gave us an excellent evaluation for the quality of our education. We were officially recognized as an American graduate school, serving as proof that real translation skills could be attained at our school, and this led to the establishment and conferment of the Master of Science in Translation degree. Last year, we have already sent 6 MST degree holders out into the working world. 　

In the spring semester this year, our school has produced another 8 MST degree holders. I have no doubt that these MST degree holders (Master’s Degree graduates) will head out into the business world, and will work to develop more and more international exchanges through their contributions to business. Simply put, the efforts of our degree earners will continue to broaden the importance of communication in the world, and to increase its value.

The world now is facing a great period of transition. Up to now, Japan developed from the Meiji Period by translating and incorporating advance technology from Europe and the United States. However, the Japanese system that supported its high level of economic growth until now is at a major turning point. What will become more and more important from now on will be to have a viewpoint that encompasses world cultural exchange, the transmission of information, and friendly business exchanges. Let’s just say that the time is now when Japan must fully realize the importance of global communication.

Here at the Babel University Professional School of Translation, we have established translation system research of cultural formation and mutual understanding that has been cultivated throughout the history of translation in Japan. We want to fulfill our role of expanding throughout the world, and contribute to the dawning of a new era. The birth of our new MST degree holders to assume this responsibility is a source of great pride and joy to our entire community of all faculty members. This is also a time when the “aspirations” of the founding of our school will bear fruit. I eagerly look forward to all of your considerable future accomplishments.

April 29, 2005