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

The United Nations University renews its invitation to students at the University of Tokyo interested in the internship programme at the Office of the Rector, located at the United Nations University Headquarters. Term: 23 January to 16 June 2023 Applications close: 4 December 2022 A direct link to the application can be found here.

My experience with GraSPP’s Double Degree program with LKYSPP National University of Singapore (July 2021 - May 2022) in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic began with a three-week self-isolation at a five-star hotel upon my landing at Changi airport. My first impressions of Singapore, naturally, were somewhat off-kilter, having faced stringency and luxury intertwined in a strange, dystopian sort of way. But, my final evaluation of my year in Singapore lies close to that of my first three weeks in the country. My experience, despite the academic rigor and stringent COVID restrictions, was immensely rewarding and gratifying, peppered with special highlights of friendship and travel. At GraSPP, I centered most of my studies around economics, driven by a continued interest in energy economics from my undergraduate studies in environmental sciences. But, I quickly realized that I was missing a crucial perspective on geopolitics and the broader international context that plays into the policymaking of environmental and energy policy. In equal measure, I felt that I had little to no exposure to the international context in Asia, including the political and historical perspectives that continue to play into the policy dynamics of the ASEAN and East Asian region. LKYSPP offered an exceptional environment to explore my interests further – and a chance to explore Singapore in the fullest measure. [caption id="attachment_38241" align="alignright" width="300"] With my team at the PAE Conference[/caption] LKYSPP exceeded my expectations in every measure. As expected, the course workload and commitments were tough, but the learnings and growth have been equally immense – not to mention the friendships and special comradery gained with classmates. The capstone project, another aspect of my initial motivations to attend LKYSPP, also proved to be a challenging, but invaluable experience. Working with a diverse group of students and a real-life client was an unparalleled chance to understand the applications of the skills and learnings gleaned within the classroom. The experience has really come to define my time at LKYSPP and I am blessed to have had some of the best teammates to work with. Apart from academics, living in Singapore was incredibly fun. Situated beneath the equator, Singapore experiences temperatures exceeding 30 degrees Celsius and short bursts of thunderous rain on a daily. It made for some of the most humid days I have ever lived through, but the sun offered nice company for moving about. The transportation system, too, clean and efficient, providing quick and easy access to almost all areas of the country. It helped that I stayed at College Green, the student dormitory located only a 15-minute walk away from the Bukit Timah Campus and near the Botanic Gardens, the heart of central Singapore, allowing for among other benefits, a few extra, precious minutes of shut-eye before those early-morning classes. [caption id="attachment_38238" align="alignleft" width="300"] The dormitory where I stayed[/caption] I believe the dormitory deserves a special mention of its own, as it has, also, come to define my time in Singapore. College Green consists of roughly 60 or so individual houses, shared by up to four residents, who each have their own private room and shared living space, kitchen, and bathrooms. It is, by no means, a five-star stay – but it is what you make of it. The rooms are spacious, the scenery full of lush greenery, and the residents welcoming and friendly. The occasional gecko and cockroach had to be dealt with and the junglefowl would begin its morning calls without fail. Showers were cold and kitchen appliances were in constant need of repair. But, I look back and I am left only with the fondest of memories. And, that remains true for all aspects of my Singapore experience. I look forward to the day I return as a more experienced professional, but for the time being, I take my next step at Seoul National University as part of my ongoing journey through the Campus Asia Plus program.

GraSPP Policy Challenge 2022 - Information Session We will hold an information session on the GraSPP Policy Challenge 2022. GraSPP Policy Challenge (GPC) offers a unique opportunity to students from diverse background to collaborate and seek to improve their teambuilding and policy-making skills. Participants are tasked with responding to pressing real-world policy challenges as a group, and with designing policies and proposals in response to those challenges. All Master‘s students at GraSPP and/or STIG are strongly encouraged to apply. Finalist groups will be ultimately invited to present at the GPPN Annual Conference 2023 hosted by FGV-EAESP in São Paulo in March 2023.   If you are interested, please feel free to join the session! *This programme is available to Master‘s students who are currently enrolled in GraSPP and/or STIG only.   Date: Friday, 18 November, 2022 Time: 12:20–12:50 Place: Online   Please register from the below link: Registration Form   GPC 2022 Course Syllabus   Inquiries: ppsupport.j<at>gs.mail.u-tokyo.ac.jp (replace <at> with @) Programme Coordinator: Aoi Ohno  

   Decided to deepen my monetary policy understanding

Before going to Japan to study public policy at GraSPP, I did my bachelor's and master's degree in Economics. Having majored in Economics, I gained some knowledge of public policy processes, which encouraged me to further explore this field and ultimately led me to work for the central Bangladesh Bank. While working at Bangladesh Bank, I got to know more about its role in the creation and implementation of monetary policy and had the privilege of issuing some of the routine monetary policy statements of Bangladesh Bank. From this, I decided I wanted to gather a deep understanding of public policy so that I could contribute more directly and effectively towards monetary policy creation, which is considered one of the main roles of a central bank. While applying for the Japan-IMF Scholarship Program for Asia (JISPA), I chose the GraSPP at the University of Tokyo (UTokyo) because of my interest in public policy but, also because UTokyo is one of the highest-ranked and prestigious universities in the world.

Sharing knowledge with international students from various backgrounds

The most attractive aspect of GraSPP, in my view, is that it offers courses with a strategic combination of economics, law, politics, case studies, etc. Although I have knowledge of economic theories, here at GraSSP, I learned their practical applications which have helped me to apply those theories in practice. At GraSPP, students also enjoy the flexibility to choose subjects from other faculties in addition to those offered by GraSPP. The case studies, which are taught by renowned practitioners with extensive experience in relevant fields, helped me to develop an in-depth understanding of the policy formulation and implementation processes. This includes considering additional aspects of policy, such as identifying the stakeholders involved, understating the pressing contemporary economic issues, anticipating and learning from various banking and financial crises affecting different economies, as well as the key role of international agencies and development partners in policy development and outcomes. GraSPP places an important emphasis on developing students’ communication and leadership skills by designing courses in such a way that encourages them to share their ideas with practitioners and fellow classmates. Here, I got the opportunity to learn not only about the Japanese economy and its success story but also to expand my knowledge base by engaging in knowledge sharing with international students working in various policy fields.

Many advantages to pursuing higher education in Japan

Japan is a very beautiful country with a rich and unique culture. The Japanese are known for their honesty, discipline, hard work, kindness, and helpful nature. Apart from studying, international students can learn a great deal from Japanese culture and its people, which can help shape their character and encourage them to bring this good nature home with them upon their return. There are many scholarships available for international students, such as the Japanese Government Scholarship, funding offered by the university, and grants and scholarships offered by various private foundations and companies. Many universities in Japan are now offering high-quality education in English, offering even more opportunities for international students to study in Japan. The Japanese government has introduced measures to attract qualified talent from abroad due to the challenges posed by the highly aging population. As such, international students with Japanese degrees are highly valued in Japan. For these reasons, I believe Japan is a great country for those who want to pursue higher education, as well as those who want to work and live in Japan in the long term.

GraSPP helped me develop theoretical knowledge of public policy as well as self-confidence

My master’s program at GraSPP has not only enriched my theoretical knowledge of public policy and its practical application but has also helped me to improve my organizational and communication skills. I believe that I am now better equipped to contribute towards the formulation and implementation of policy, as well as more confident in my ability to present my work with Bangladesh Bank to various actors and stakeholders. Presently, I am working with the Bangladesh Bank’s supervision department. As part of my responsibilities, I have to deal with various risks that banks face and come up with recommendations on how to mitigate those problems to present to my supervisors at the bank. My knowledge about various banking and global financial crises that I gathered during my masters at GraSPP is helping me to come up with innovative ideas and think more dynamically in the professional world. Being a shy person by nature, I struggled a lot to speak publicly but now, I am more self-assured and outspoken. For this, I am greatly indebted to GraSPP for helping me develop self-confidence as it has contributed immensely to my present career and taught me how to prepare for tackling future challenges.

I would like to invite international students to explore the educational opportunities at GraSPP and UTokyo more broadly, and to experience the unique Japanese culture and exceptionally kind Japanese people. I would like to advise them to take full advantage of every learning opportunity that GraSPP has to offer because its degree and status are widely recognized and respected all over the world and will provide you with an education that will help shape and influence your future career development.

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参議院法制局ホームページにて、年内開催予定のオンライン業務説明会の案内が掲載されました。 今回の説明会は、いずれも対面とオンラインを併用したハイブリッド形式での開催が予定されています。 議員立法の実例の解説をはじめ、さまざまなコンテンツが含まれます。 ご興味のある学生はご参加ください。 詳細につきましては、添付のＰＤＦファイル及び以下参議院法制局のホームページをご覧ください。 https://houseikyoku.sangiin.go.jp/adoption/type/information/explanation.htm#1  

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参議院事務局でのインターンシップを希望する者は、参議院事務局のWebサイトをよく読み、以下「学生申込書」、「志望動機書」、「小論文」の3点を 11月21日（月）正午までに公共政策学務チーム宛にメールで提出してください。 提出先：ppin.j””gs.mail.u-tokyo.ac.jp （””を@に置き換えてください） ○留意事項 （１）本学インターンシップの採用に 影響がありますので、申請にあたっては十分な確認をお願いします。 （２）技術部門への応募は工学系学科・研究科に在籍している学生に限ります。    

Application for AY2023 Exchange and Double Degree Program is open! Don't miss it!! Application Due: Monday November 14 Please read the application guideline carefully and file your complete application by the deadline. The application guideline can be downloaded from the "Related Resources" below. *For those who missed the info session live, you can access the recorded video upon request via email. Contact: exchange.j"@"gs.mail.u-tokyo.ac.jp https://www.pp.u-tokyo.ac.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2023-Application-info-rev.pdf https://www.pp.u-tokyo.ac.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/ExDD-Summary-AY2023.pdf  

The IMF Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific will hold the 16th Macroeconomist Training Program, mainly targeting graduate students studying in Japan as well as overseas Japanese graduate students. The program is conducted as a five-day online workshop which provides an opportunity to explore economic surveillance of countries after learning how the IMF analyzes its member countries through financial programming and policy assessment and makes policy recommendations. Date: Tuesday, January 10 through Monday, January 16, 2023 (excl. Sat and Sun) Please see the detais here    

National Theatre 【Foreigners Only】November Kabuki Performance WELCOME! KABUKI TICKET If you are interested in this performance, please access to the link below. https://www.confetti-web.com/en/detail.php?tid=69602&　　(英語ウェブサイト)