download graspp user website pdf tell external home arrow_down arrow_left arrow_right arrow_up language mail map search tag train downloads

東京大学公共政策大学院 | GraSPP / Graduate School of Public Policy | The university of Tokyo

GraSPPers Voice GraSPPers Voice

Developing next-generation leaders who will shine on the global stage

Prof. Yoshihiro Kawai (from Japan) Visiting Professor

I specialize in global financial regulation and the governance, structure and management of international organizations. During the course of the last 20 years, I have taken responsibility for international financial regulatory standards, having participated in the creation of the International Association of Insurance Supervisors and later served as its Secretary General, and also having served as a member of the Financial Stability Board. I aim to leverage my practical experience to develop young people who will shine on the global stage in the future. In my courses, based on case studies and actual examples, I provide opportunities for students to deepen their understanding and gain useful practical insights about how to exercise leadership in international organizations where multiple national interests must be considered, how to advance decision-making, compromise and negotiation processes, and how to form rules and reach conclusions.

I specialize in global financial regulation and the governance, structure and management of international organizations. During the course of the last 20 years, I have taken responsibility for international financial regulatory standards, having participated in the creation of the International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS) and later served as its Secretary General, and also having served as a member of the Financial Stability Board. Based on this experience, I mainly research and advise on how best to develop international financial regulatory standards, how to apply them, what their role should be, and how to organize and lead international organizations.

 After moving from a private insurance company to an international organization, where I gained experience in contributing to international financial policy discussions, I joined colleagues from various national regulatory authorities to establish the IAIS. I worked in Europe for 28 rewarding years, contributing to the development of international financial regulatory standards and policy discussions. In 2018, I returned to Japan to teach at GraSPP out of a desire to be involved in the development of young people who want to be active on the international stage in the future.

 In my courses, in addition to international financial regulatory standards, I also teach the knowledge and skills necessary for leadership in international organizations. Using case studies and actual examples, students learn about the processes of decision-making, compromise and negotiation, and ways of ensuring these processes function smoothly, including how to exercise leadership in situations where multiple national interests must be considered, how international rules are formed, and how conclusions are ultimately reached. I have compiled the courses in this way because I want students to acquire practical and impactful knowledge that they can use upon graduation from GraSPP. I believe it would be a great shame for any person with specialist skills to find their opportunities limited due to a lack of practical knowledge, and therefore I provide learning opportunities by sharing fully the knowledge and experience I have gained through my own professional experience.

 Some GraSPP students already have professional experience in government and other sectors, so they will be able to deepen their discussions with a clear picture of real-life examples. At the same time, for students who have yet to join the workforce, the courses will provide a solid understanding of theories and opportunities to experience real-life examples, both of which will be of value. Also, since students come from a variety of countries, my feeling is that we can learn from each other while appreciating each other’s differences, just like an international organization in microcosm.

 What makes GraSPP so attractive is its diverse teaching staff, which includes not only preeminent experts in their respective fields of study, but also those with practical experience. GraSPP is one of the world’s leading institutions for learning about public policy, enabling students to learn not just the theory, but also to consider practice at close quarters. GraSPP also offers a rich variety of systems for international exchange and degree acquisition, including the double degree program in conjunction with global leading universities and the CAMPUS Asia Program.

 It is my hope that, through time spent at GraSPP, students will become people who shine on the global stage. I hope that students who are filled with the desire and sense of mission to contribute to the future of humanity and society, as symbolized by the Sustainable Development Goals, will utilize GraSPP as a place to acquire the skills they need. I also hope that the students who come to GraSPP will work together with international colleagues with various specialties and backgrounds and serve as leaders to make the world of tomorrow a better place.