I am currently an Associate at the Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI), where I am responsible for researching, designing, and delivering development-related high-level events for ministry officials across the Asia-Pacific region. At present, I am preparing to transition into a new role at a mergers and acquisitions (M&A) advisory firm in Tokyo. I also serve as the President of the GraSPP Alumni Association (Tatsuoka-kai), a role I have held since 2024. In this capacity, I engage with GraSPP alumni around the world, as well as current students, professors, and faculty staff to organize events and foster community.
My journey at GraSPP began after a year of working at MUFG Bank’s Jakarta branch. Prior to entering the workforce, I earned my bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, which included a one-year exchange program at the University of Tokyo’s Komaba campus from 2017 to 2018.
Returning to the University of Tokyo as a graduate student felt like a “revenge” for the exchange program that ended too soon. I left Japan with a vision and a promise to myself: “I will definitely come back.” To fulfill that promise, I spent my first year working at the Bank during the day while studying and preparing at night for GraSPP entrance exam and Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) full-ride scholarship.
During that preparation, I became convinced that GraSPP was the right graduate school for me. It uniquely combines politics and economics—two subjects that perfectly align with my interests and aspirations. I was right because later throughout my studies, I was able to explore public administration, central banking, finance, and international development simultaneously, which I believe sets GraSPP apart from other graduate schools worldwide.
Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic began shortly after I received my acceptance letter from GraSPP and the MEXT scholarship. It was a challenging time as I nearly couldn’t enter Japan; in fact, I arrived after months of delay during a brief two-week Japan border opening, followed by a year-long border shutdown. Even then, most classes were held online, and I missed out on the full campus experience with friends and faculty. This is one of the reasons I applied to be President of the Alumni Association—to make up for the lost time and missed connections.
Despite the difficulties of the pandemic, I made the most of my time at GraSPP by actively participating in competitions, internships, seminars, and teaching roles. I joined the Global Policy Challenge (GPC) and the Global Public Policy Network (GPPN) SDG Professional Certificate Program, represented GraSPP as a Student Representative in two ADBI online seminars, and served as a Teaching Fellow for Professor Kiichi Fujiwara and a Teaching Assistant for Professor Toshiro Nishizawa. My internship at Music Securities, Inc., an impact investment company affiliated with GraSPP, led to my first job in Japan.
Right after graduating from GraSPP in 2022, I started as Music Securities’ first non-Japanese employee and was later promoted to Global Business Manager in my second year. Music Securities provides investment opportunities in impactful businesses in Japan and the developing world, and I oversaw the full-life cycle of investments in those companies; from sourcing projects to distributing dividends. I cherished my time interacting with business owners and ministry officials, as well as learning about how for-profit financial service companies in Japan work. I also honed my business Japanese language skills rapidly during that time.
In truly countless ways, GraSPP has transformed my life. It has opened doors to incredible opportunities and connected me with a cohort that has helped shape who I am today—a passionate international finance practitioner capable of bridging the private and public sectors. GraSPP is a pioneer in interdisciplinary education, allowing students to pursue multiple interests without compromise. If anything, it empowers them to thrive at the intersection of disciplines. If you think you cannot choose just one discipline, GraSPP might be just the perfect school for you.
