SIPA-GraSPP Day 2012
Conference Report
Last year, as a dual degree applicant, I asked to attend the upcoming 2011 SIPA-GraSPP event so that I could garner a sense of what the students and academic atmospheres at both schools were like. I felt that the new joint program was a tailored fit for me, and was excited to get to know students from both schools.
Two days before the scheduled event, Japan faced a quake that left the Northeast devastated, transportation intermittent, water and power scarce, and emotions on high. I was very moved by students from both New York and Tokyo, who decided to attend at such an uncertain time. I can clearly remember our schools sitting together side by side for Professor Tanaka's special lecture on crisis management while our building swayed from strong aftershocks. Everyone's attendance undoubtedly strengthened the relationship between schools, and I knew then there was no other place for me to explore the policy lessons that were sure to come in the next months and years.
Because last year's conference left such an inspiring impression, I jumped at the opportunity to help oraganize the 2012 SIPA-GraSPP event. Due to efforts made by Naoyuki, Thuy, Nuri, Yuki, Ronald, Tomoyuki, Midori, Ida, Josh, and Mariko, this year's event was just as memorable.
Our morning began at the Bank of Japan (BOJ), where students from both schools attended a special lecture from Assistant BOJ Govenor Hiroshi Nakaso. Mr. Nakaso provided us with specifics of Japanese monetary policy, explained the increasing interconnectedness of the world's central banking system, and gave his insights on the short and long term outlooks for the overall Japanese economy. After being afforded an extensive questioning period, we toured the Bank's old vault and inner conference rooms together and gained a historical context of Japan's central bank.
After the tour we caught the subway together to Hongo, where GraSPP hosted SIPA for a sushi lunch at The University of Tokyo. In the afternoon, we held a student conference in which we exchanged ideas on pressing policy issues in areas of security, economics, development, social policy, energy and the environment. Students from GraSPP created the topics for and moderated group discussions in each of these areas, while our colleagues from SIPA insightfully summarized their respective group's ideas and conclusions for all conference attendees. The topics were serious, but the atmosphere was lively and the participants were candid.
This event helped me make meaningful connections with students from two of the best policy institutions in the world. Just by participating in this conference, I now have friends waiting for me in New York, and found and built relationships with classmates here at Todai who will join me at Columbia next year. I'm looking forward to participating in this event next year and highly recommend that you do too!