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

GPPN Conference 2023 summary by Prof. Roberto Orsi March 14, 2023

I regard GPC and our participation as GraSPP in GPPN as one of the most impactful activities that our School can offer. GPC allows the students to work on several levels: the design of a public policy initiative, communication skills, teamwork, and competition, but also constructive confrontation, cooperation, empathy, and friendship. As travel has always been the most transformative experience that humans can have in our formative years, I am always delighted to see how students are positively changed by joining the annual GPPN conference. The thought that I am making my own contribution, however small, to the intellectual development of young men and women, fills me with joy. They have all the qualities to have a decisive impact on the betterment of the world in their respective communities.

This year’s GPPN conference was organised by our colleagues at FGV in Sao Paulo (Brazil). Although I could not attend in person, I think it was an important conference, opening the transition towards a series of new initiatives after the long break forced upon us by the Covid-19 pandemic. I wish to thank our Brazilian colleagues for their organizational efforts, and for their warm hospitality. This year I am particularly happy to see that one of our teams won the best prize in the policy challenge.

This is a great achievement not only for the students but for us faculty, and I believe for the School in general. It shows that, even if GraSPP is relatively small and cannot compare with the resources of other GPPN members, it can be very competitive in terms of quality. Indeed the winning team’s project and presentation were absolutely flawless. While I was watching them, although I saw countless presentations in the course of my academic career, I knew this was of a very high level. Their project was solid, concrete, and to the point, well-thought in every detail, and superbly presented. Their handling of Q&A demonstrated an in-depth knowledge of the issue in all its facets, and the great deal of work and commitment which they put into the project. One cannot be but very impressed. Congratulations to Kavin, Moe, Emily, and Hiroki! You made all of us proud.

I also wish to thank all professors who directly contributed to GPC this year as well, especially our Dean Iida and vice-Dean Kawaguchi, but also Arima sensei and Hanai sensei, who supervised the winning group. A very special thank you to the administrative staff Ohno san and Aoshima san, who make GPC possible every year in its most fundamental organizational dimension, always with a warm heart and great enthusiasm. I am sure we are on the right path and we will try our best again for Paris 2024!