Happy New Year.

I am truly pleased to welcome the start of another year together with all of you in a calm and hopeful spirit. At a time when the environment surrounding universities remains challenging, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to every member of our faculty and staff for your dedicated efforts throughout the past year. Thank you very much for all that you have done.

In December, the Diet approved the supplementary budget for FY2025, which includes approximately ¥42 billion allocated as management expense grants—the core funding for national universities. In addition, about ¥34.9 billion is expected to be provided for the University Hospital Function Enhancement Program, which supports university-affiliated hospitals. As campuses and departments continue to make great efforts to sustain education and research under tight financial constraints, we intend to distribute additional funds derived from this supplementary budget as widely as possible.

The outcome of this supplementary budget reflects a growing public awareness of the critical situation facing national universities. That said, public support for national universities has not yet reached the level we had hoped for. We will therefore continue to proactively communicate, with concrete examples, how national universities contribute to society and to call for broader understanding and support. I ask for your continued cooperation in these efforts.

While university management remains under significant pressure, there is encouraging news on the educational front. Recently, we have been hearing more students say that they are glad they chose Yamagata university and that they are enjoying a fulfilling student life here. In research as well, following our selection under the J-PEAKS initiative, we have launched a major research capacity enhancement program aimed at further elevating our university as a research institution that leads the advancement of science and technology in Japan and around the world.

In terms of engagement with society, regional national universities are expected to play a vital role in regional revitalization, and our university is no exception. In this sense, we are currently benefiting from a number of favorable tailwinds that support our next stage of growth. From April, under the leadership of the next president, Dr. Takeshi Deguchi, we will renew our organizational structure and begin a new chapter toward further developing our university as an institution that thrives both locally and globally.

Although the results of our daily work are not always immediately visible, I firmly believe that what we do serves as a driving force for society to function soundly and continue to progress. Let us take pride in our work as we embark on the new year together. I very much look forward to working with you to make 2026 a productive and rewarding year for us all.

Thank you for your continued support and cooperation in the year ahead.

 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　                         President TAMATE Hidetoshi,
                                                                                                                             January 6, 2026