What was your purpose in enrolling in GraSPP?
At the famous arch on the first day of campus
Currently, I work at the Central Bank of Kyrgyzstan, and overall, I have 15 years of experience in the private, public, and finance sectors. The further development of my professional career as a central banker motivated me to study abroad and enhance my professional skills. The long-term academic program at my workplace, supported by the Japan-IMF Scholarship program, allowed me to fulfill my dream at the University of Tokyo/GraSPP.
GraSPP was my top priority from the very beginning because it perfectly matched my needs and offered a very broad range of courses to explore, therefore providing a unique sense of flexibility.
As a future policymaker, I felt the need to improve my policy analysis skills and to obtain a global perspective on modern transitional challenges like climate change, global health, and international energy governance. As a team leader, I also needed to upgrade my leadership, communication, and crisis management skills.
What is attractive about GraSPP is the variety of options to enhance data and research skills using modern analytical software, and the diverse international academic community, which provides a great opportunity for productive networking. The prestige and international reputation of the university also contributed to my choice.
Please share your memorable experiences/courses in GraSPP.
Visit to the Tokyo Stock Exchange
Studying at GraSPP gives many opportunities for students to attend and engage in the organization of lectures and open discussion events with many high-ranking officials.
Participation in the Sovereign Debt Course Facilitated by Professor Toshiro Nishizawa, I was lucky to meet personally and engage in organizing the lecture by Dr. Perry Warjiyo, the Governor of the Bank of Indonesia. Thanks to GraSPP, I was fortunate to attend the lecture and personally meet Ms. Odile Renaud-Basso, the President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), when she visited Tokyo to attend the Central Asia Investment Forum.
Moreover, there are a lot of great courses that provide exciting opportunities to learn and explore. Visiting the Tokyo Stock Exchange and the Tokyo office of Bloomberg are some of the memorable moments of my first year at GraSPP.
I look forward to obtaining more exciting memories during my second year.
What is the advantage of studying in Japan?
Climbing Mt. Fuji
Studying in Japan is a great opportunity to combine academia with great family time. A safe environment and high-level public services allowed me to fully utilize my free time with my family. Together, my wife and children are having great experiences interacting with Japanese culture and people.
The perfect transportation system and tourist infrastructure in Japan offer an immense number of fascinating destinations to explore. Meeting the sunrise on the top of Fuji-san(Mt. Fuji) is something unbelievable until you come to Japan and challenge yourself to conquer new summits in your life. Studying in Japan is a great opportunity to gain remarkable lifetime experience!
What has GraSPP meant to your life?
GraSPP will forever remain in my heart as my second home and a place where I met many great friends and future leaders—a place where I obtained valuable theoretical and practical knowledge that significantly broadened my career perspective. I will be happy if someday my children will be able to study at GraSPP and have the same enriching experience!
Any advice or comments for the latent students?
My advice for those who are wondering where to go is this: Do not hesitate and start your academic journey with GraSPP at UTokyo! Challenge yourself to new adventures and enjoy the process!