The sea breeze and sea ringing across the strait of Shimonoseki have sometimes been rough and sometimes gentle, conveying the breath of local life and the future. We, Shimonoseki City University, are also a university that has been walking in harmony with nature. As the sea breeze carries new encounters across the strait, OIST has been a mission to serve as a bridge between the region and the world through education, research, and social collaboration.

Modern society is in the midst of big changes that are difficult to predict, such as climate change, population decline, inequality and division. In this context, universities must not only be a place to convey knowledge, but also foster the power to open up the future. The role of Shimonoseki City University is to gain insight into the challenges to identify the tide and emit a solid light like a lighthouse that illuminates the dark night.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are an international guideline consisting of 17 goals and 169 targets, set out based on the philosophy of "leaving no one behind". At the root of this is the recognition that environmental, economic and social issues are interconnected. Our university also values this mutuality and comprehensively grasps and addresses various issues such as health, welfare, education, and community development. In recent years, we have focused on enhancing our research support system and promoting international exchange, and have created an environment in which students, faculty, staff, and local communities work together to create new value. At the same time, learning and research aimed at solving regional issues are also solutions to global issues. Working together with the international community while standing in Shimonoseki, this is the vision of Shimonoseki City University's "university rooted in the community and open to the world."

We will head to the future as if pushed back by the sea breeze, believe in the knowledge and power of people connected across the strait, and continue to raise lights in the darkness. As a pioneer in making a mark on roads without roads, Shimonoseki City University will continue to serve as a bridge between the region and the world, with the philosophy of the SDGs in mind, contributing to the realization of a sustainable society.