Dear President Itoh,

Dear Vice-President Matsuura,

Dear Dean Takashio,

Dear Vice-Presidents,

Faculty, and Staff,

Dear students,

Ambassadors,

Excellencies,

It is a great honour to receive this honorary doctorate from Keio University. Looking at the list of previous recipients of this accolade – from Delors to Adenauer, Sakharov to Nehru – makes this all the more special. And it also reflects the status and the convening power of Keio — the oldest academic institution in the country. This is not only a storied university, but a global one in nature. Your founder, Fukuzawa Yukuchi, served on Japans first diplomatic missions to Europe and the United States. He created this university as a bridge between East and West, as a way to spread both language and knowledge. And this has remained part of this Universitys great mission and great tradition to this very day.

But I start with the story of Fukuzawa Yukuchi not only because he is the founder of this great institution, or one of the thinkers and architects that shaped Japan over the last centuries. But also because of what his story and his writings can tell us about the world in which todays students will graduate in. Cutting through all of his work – whether on civilisation, education or political systems – is a core theme which was central to his thinking. The pursuit of independence. Both personal and national. He believed that this freedom, this independence, was the foundation of any modern society. The making of a resilient and strong nation and continent. As you know, this was one of the central ideas in one of his most important works, called: “An Outline of a Theory of Civilisation”. In just a month we will mark the 150^th anniversary of that book being published.

And like all anniversaries, this presents us with an opportunity to reflect on the similarities between these two periods. The late 19^th century saw a spark of regional conflicts and the start of the new era of imperialism. Wars and spheres of influence – which would lead the world to the brink only a few decades later, but this was also the start of a huge transformation in society in some parts of the world. The beginnings of the industrial revolution saw everything from manufacturing to transport and communications change the way society worked. New innovations and new technologies that would shape and change the course of humanity. The point I am making is that the parallels with today are clear to see. From the return of spheres of influence to the rise in humanity-defining technologies. From the threats which are as acute as 150 years ago to the opportunities that are as plentiful. So the question in front of us – and in particularly in front of the students in these lecture theatres – is how do we navigate this moment in history. As I look around the unstable world around us, I believe that for Europe – as for Japan – the answer lies in the work of Fukuzawa Yukuchi. And that is the pursuit of freedom and independence.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Freedom and independence. I know for some these are words that belong to previous generations. But I use these words advisedly. Because the starting point here is to face the world as it really is – not as we may remember it from generations past. We need to be clear-eyed about the challenges we are facing at this moment in history. I am of the view that the period we are in now – and the way we handle it – will define the rest of this century. And that means that we simply cannot accept to be shaken around by the seismic change that we are facing. Or yet again fall for the fallacy that the storm will pass. That things will go back to before – if only a war in one region ends, or a tariff deal is struck or an election goes a different way next time. Because the geopolitical crosscurrents are simply too strong. And the very foundations of our security and prosperity are simply too shaky.

This is why I believe that it is time to build a new form of freedom and independence for the 21^st century. One that focuses on taking care of our own defence and security. One that focuses on creating a new economic and industrial model on which our prosperity can be built on. And one that focuses on protecting our democracy and the values on which our freedoms rely on. And on each of those points – security, prosperity and democracy – Europe is stepping up. In the last weeks and months, we have made proposals to invest in our own defence at levels which would have been unthinkable even a year or two ago. We have put forward a plan – with investment to match – to put industry and innovation, technology and science at the heart of our economy. And we are working every day to protect our democracy from the growing threats it faces – whether from the rise of illiberalism at home or the targeted efforts to destabilise us coming from our adversaries. But I want to be clear about what independence is – and what it means for Europe and our partnerships with our close friends like Japan. At its core, independence is about having the freedom and the ability to choose our own future, about cutting our dependencies and shoring up our vulnerabilities. And I want to dispel the myth that independence is an inward-looking strategy. Or that it is a retreat within our borders. In fact, the opposite is true. And our relationship and partnership is a case in point. We may be in different regions with our own challenges, but the threats we face are many and are shared. Both Europe and Japan see a world around us where protectionist instincts grow, weaknesses get weaponised, and every dependency exploited. So it is normal that two like-minded partners come together to make each other stronger. Not only to build our own independence. But to strengthen each others.

In the face of unfair competition, for instance, we are collaborating on economic security to make our supply chains more resilient, so we are never short of critical materials – together, we are creating an alliance of competitiveness – and to diversify our suppliers, so that no single actor can force our hand. We are investing in each others security, so that deterrence is credible, and stability endures. And we are coordinating on initiatives like clean tech and digital innovation, so that the future will be built by partners who share our values and interests. The point is that we must resist this instinct to turn inwards when the future is uncertain. We must resist to keep our walls up and our minds closed. This is the wrong choice. Working with others is a sign of strength. It is how we build our own independence. On trade, for instance, we are of course working to reset our trading partnership with the US on a stronger footing. But we also know that 87% of global trade is with other countries – many of them looking for stability and opportunity. That is why I am here for this visit to Japan to deepen our ties. And that is why we have countries from around the world coming to us to do business – from India to Indonesia, South America to South Korea, Canada to New Zealand. And the list goes on. The point is that we are all trying to forge our own strength and our independence. But it is only by working together that we can make strength and independence happen.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Dear students,

This brings me to this prestigious institution and even more importantly the students who come through these doors. And if there is one message I want to leave with you today, it is one that the founder of this institution set out all those years ago. And that is that your responsibilities extend far beyond your doorstep. 30 years ago, I went back to school to earn a master in public health. As a medical doctor, I was trained to focus on the individual in front of me, their symptoms, their treatments, their needs. But public health asked me to zoom out. To see not just the patient, but the broader patterns. To move from ‘how can I help this person? to ‘how can I help everyone? I still remember one of the first lessons I learnt: your health depends on mine, and mine depends on yours. At the time, I understood it in theory. I had no idea that three decades later, that lesson would become real, urgent, and personal. Or that I would be standing here in front of you today receiving this award because of how Europe came together to overcome a global pandemic.

When the pandemic hit Europe, millions of Europeans rolled up their sleeves to help a neighbour. Europeans protected their communities. And so, too, did Europe. In the first two years of the pandemic, we delivered 1 billion vaccine doses to Europeans. In that same period, we shipped 1.4 billion doses from Europe to 150 other countries. We became the biggest donor of COVID-19 vaccines to the world. At the time, many derided this approach. But this was our responsibility.

And so my final message is to all the students from Keio university: at a university like this one, surrounded by people from every corner of the world, you already understand that your actions reach far beyond your inner circle. That your research on climate change may protect coastal towns you will never visit. That a biomedical discovery can affect patients a continent away. That is what it means to be part of a global community. Because when you take responsibility for others, others will take responsibility for you. This is the story of Europe and Japan. It is the story that Fukuzawa Yukuchi left to the world. And it is the story that each and every student in this university should take with them as they move into the next chapter of their lives.

Thank you very much for this honour – long live Keio University, long live the Europe-Japan partnership and friendship.