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

Studying abroad for half a year made me deepen the thoughts about my future career and widen my academic interest. In this report, I will share my experience at the School of Global Policy and Strategy (GPS) at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) as an exchange student from the following aspects. Academic Experiences Quarter system at UCSD was pretty fast paced and only lasted ten weeks. Also, one class at UCSD only has 80 minutes while at U-Tokyo it has 105, which is a big relief for me because 80 minutes perfectly matches my mind concentration time. However, though the class time is somehow concentrated, the contents certainly are not. Assigned readings for each class is challenging and also quite a lot. If you can’t finish those readings before you show up at the class, you will definitely get lost during the class. Grade evaluation methods are quite diverse: there are classes that are graded on assignments and tests throughout the quarter, and there are also classes that are based on a group project or a presentation and a final paper. One thing in common is that the finals are pretty intense and stressful, usually closed book & closed notes. Logistics Regarding meals, San Diego is famous for Mexican food, so Tacos, Britos and Wraps are easy to find there. They have all kinds of food you can think of, but the taste is not that good, and the price is not that low. But overall, In-N-Out is my favorite place for cheeseburgers and chips. The transportation system in Lyon is not so convenient compared to Tokyo. There is no metro/subway in California, transportation pretty much means bus or car. Culture At GPS, a global policy graduate school, people from all over the world gather here to learn knowledge. Try as much as possible to hang out with people with different cultural backgrounds, and that is definitely beneficial to you. Other My biggest recommendation would be to just go with the flow as much as possible. Some of the quirks of being abroad can get frustrating at times, but you just have to accept them for what they are and learn to appreciate the differences. Some of the things that irritated me the most are now things that I look back on and miss.  

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Scholarship: 公益財団法人竹中育英会2021年度派遣海外留学奨学金の募集について 本部国際交流課より「公益財団法人竹中育英会 2021年度派遣海外留学奨学金の募集」について通知がありました。 希望者は東京大学海外留学・国際交流情報及び財団法人ウェブサイト内の「募集要項」等をよく読み、以下の期限までに必要書類を揃えて、公共政策大学院チーム（留学奨学金担当）へ提出してください。 提出期限： 2019年8月28日（金）正午 提出先： 公共政策大学院チーム留学奨学金担当 exchange.j [at] gs.mail.u-tokyo.ac.jp

I would like to share why I applied to GraSPP and what I learned and felt after enrolling in GraSPP as a Japanese student belongs to MPP/IP. 

Firstly, when I graduated from undergraduate school, I wanted to work in the public sector in the future. Therefore, I was attracted to GraSPP, which offers a comprehensive study of law, economics, politics, and public policy. After entering the school, I took classes related to development economics and diplomacy. I took a seminar on diplomacy with a former Vice Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In other classes, I was able to take classes with professors who were well known in academia and practitioners who have work experience in different ministries and international organizations. I was very impressed to hear about actual negotiations in the real world in addition to theory. 

[caption id="attachment_25979" align="alignright" width="300"] Dean Talk session in Peking University with Campus Asia Family[/caption]

Secondly, I wanted to participate in the Campus Asia Program. I was part of Japan, China, ROK youth forum organized by the United Nations Association of China, Japan, and Korea during my senior year of undergraduate school. Due to my background living in China when I was young, I struggled with my identity as a representative of Japan in discussing global issues. It was my first time returning to China after about ten years, and I was surprised by the country's remarkable development, which was completely different from what I had known about China. During the discussion with Chinese and Korean students, I felt my lack of understanding and knowledge of East Asia. Therefore, I decided to apply for the Campus Asia Program, which allowed me to study at three top graduate schools in Japan, China, and Korea. Through studying and living in all three countries, I could deepen my knowledge and gain different perspectives by understanding culture and history. 

[caption id="attachment_25980" align="alignleft" width="300"] Farewell with MPP/IP seniors[/caption]

Next, I would like to share why I chose MPP/IP among the various courses offered at GraSPP. I originally planned to study at a graduate school in the UK during my senior year of undergraduate school. However, in order to apply to the Campus Asia program, I deferred my offer of the graduate school in the UK that I initially intended to go and instead applied to GraSPP. Since I originally decided to apply to a master’s degree program taught in English, I was looking for a program that would enable me to study in English while staying in Japan. MPP/IP was what I wanted to study, and it was the best program I could find. The learning environment was even better than I had imagined. It was literally "studying abroad in Japan." In MPP/IP, there are many students who have work experience from different countries and sectors and students who have received government scholarships to study abroad. It is a great honor to study with many talented colleagues and seniors in life every day. However, I realized that I had to study even harder than others, especially to learn an entirely new field of study that I have never learned before. I am very grateful to my seniors in the same program who helped me through a hard time. Although we are all very diverse in age, background, and experience, I feel that the best thing about MPP/IP is that we all get along, discuss constructively, and help each other rather than compete. And I think school's atmosphere is excellent because the students, the professors, and staff always help us when we ask for advice. 

Since I had heard that there are many students with work experience before I enrolled in the school, I took a gap year to do a half-year internship in Cambodia in city development and education to find out how to apply theory to reality. If there is anything that I can advise for students who have been accepted already, I recommend studying mathematics and economics before entering GraSPP. Of course, it is unnecessary to study in advance, but I recommend studying the basic parts as preparation if you have never studied the subject before. 

I hope you will be interested in the School of Public Policy and MPP/IP and find your interests and careers through studying at GraSPP. 

Notes during summer vacation period

【Prevention of COVID 19 Infection Spread 】 ○Do not go out if it is not necessary or urgent.

※Information on COVID 19 Health Service Center website: http://www.hc.u tokyo.ac.jp/en/covid 19 information/

【Prevention of alcohol related accidents 】 ○Do not drink alcohol while you are minor ○Do not force others to d rink alcohol

【Compliance with laws and regulations 】 ○Do not post inappropriate messages on the internet. ○Do not use or posses s of illegal drugs such as cannabis, marijuana, or other synthetic variants ○Do not commit criminal acts such as sexual assault and fraud.

Everyone is responsible for actions but sometimes things may end with unexpected consequences. Please spend your daily life responsibly and with decency as a student of the University of Tokyo.

In addition, we have student counseling service . If you have any worries or concerns during your campus life, feel free to consult with the office.

※For details of the Student Counseling Service, refer to the following Center for Research on Counseling and Support Services website: http://dcs.adm.u tokyo.ac.jp/en/

The University of Tokyo considers it important to continue educational and research activities even during this period of coexistence with the novel coronavirus (“with corona” time), while strengthening infection prevention measures, and relaxing the university’s activity restrictions to level 0.5. 　Since the number of asymptomatic and mild cases of infection have been rising, and in order to keep the educational and research environment safe, it is essential that all members of the University of Tokyo have access to accurate knowledge on the novel coronavirus. Therefore, we require all members of the University of Tokyo to study these e-learning teaching materials. Thank you for your cooperation. Please take the e-learning below and complete it by August 31. https://www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/ja/general/COVID-19-elearning.html

To students and researchers

 Chair of the Online Class Committee Tatsuya Okubo

Request for cooperation to "Questionnaire on Online Classes and Research at Home".

With the summer semester soon to end, we will be conducting a survey to get feedback on your experiences. We ask for your cooperation in the future of our education and research activities. Survey form: https://tinyurl.com/y2wfcqeb Eligibility: Students and researchers (except faculty) Deadline: August 20th (Thursday) 23:59 Note: This questionnaire will be conducted anonymously.

Call for application | ADBI-Stanford LAD online course-based training “The Role of Public Policy in Infrastructure Development” July 31, 2020 Deadline　August 6, 2020 Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI) is asking for the nomination of up to SEVEN middle-level government officials enrolled in GraSPP to participate in an online course-based training program entitled “The Role of Public Policy in Infrastructure Development” jointly organized by ADBI and Leadership Academy for Development at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford University (Stanford LAD). This virtual training program will run for four weeks period from August 17 to September 11, Monday through Wednesday, three hours each day. Nominees will be preferably, but not limited to, those who meet the following qualifications. Has relevant policy experiences in infrastructure development projects Available and commits to participate for three hours each day Monday through Wednesday from August 17 to September 11, 2020 Able to speak and communicate in English fluently Willing to serve as a group coordinator If you are interested in this training program, please take the following steps Read the attached letter carefully to check if you are eligible (citizens from ADB developing member countries) If eligible, fill out the nominee form (disregard items not relevant this time) Submit the form and a full CV with your student ID by e-mail with the subject line “ADBI-Stanford” addressed to Graduate School Office <ppin.j“at”gs.mail.u-tokyo.ac.jp> with cc to Prof. Toshiro Nishizawa <tnishizawa“at”pp.u-tokyo.ac.jp> by 5:00pm on Thursday, August 6. Please replace "at" with @. The result of internal screening of the nominees will be informed by Monday, August 10. Please download the document files from the following link. https://drive.google.com/drive/u/1/folders/0AC6gspfEimcVUk9PVA

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本部国際交流課より「公益財団法人吉田育英会 2021年度＜日本人派遣留学プログラム＞奨学生の募集」について通知がありました。 希望者は東京大学海外留学・国際交流情報及び財団法人ウェブサイト内の「募集要項」等をよく読み、以下の期限までに必要書類を揃えて、公共政策大学院チーム留学奨学金担当へ提出してください。 提出期限： 2020年8月18日（火）正午 提出先： 公共政策大学院チーム留学奨学金担当 exchange.j [at]gs.mail.u-tokyo.ac.jp

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国立科学博物館より、「科博オンライン・セミナ―～サイエンスコミュニケーション編～」の募集案内がありましたのでお知らせします。 受講希望者は以下のウェブサイトを確認の上、8月24日(月)までに国立科学博物館に直接申し込んでください。 本学は大学パートナーシップに加盟しているため、本学学生については優先的に受講が認められ、かつ受講料が割引になります。  

As the world continues to deal with the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, we find ourselves in the middle of a paradigm shift that could upend the global order and rewrite human history for the foreseeable future. In these uncertain times, I can’t think of a more important moment to pursue an education that can equip the next generation of analysts and practitioners with the tools necessary to seek proactive policy solutions and to strengthen cooperation across countries and continents in the face of unprecedented challenges. As I reflect on my time at GraSPP and the ways my experience has informed my career, I believe that the classes and learning environment provided by the program offer the ideal atmosphere for this kind of development. After several years working as a news producer covering U.S. politics, I decided to pursue a graduate degree in order to deepen my understanding of international relations and public policy with a focus on Asia, making the program at GraSPP a natural fit. The coursework pushed me to sharpen my analytic skills and pursue new areas of study covering the breadth of topics relevant to public policy, from fundamental economic principles and policy negotiation tactics to the complexities of the social, diplomatic, and security challenges facing international society. GraSPP also brings together students from across Asia and around the world, giving me the opportunity to build a personal and professional network that spans the globe. I can confidently say that my studies at GraSPP provided the platform for me to take the next step in my career. Since graduating in 2018, I have worked as Chief Editor of the English website at the Sasakawa Peace Foundation (SPF), a public interest foundation in Tokyo dedicated to confronting global challenges through research and collaborative projects with international partners. Many of the topics featured by specialists in the foundation directly mirror my studies at GraSPP, including efforts to bolster Japan-U.S. relations and people-to-people connections, analysis of emerging security challenges in Japan and around the world, as well as conflict resolution and peacebuilding, just to name a few. As a member of the public relations team, I coordinate with specialists across the different departments to report on the projects and events organized by SPF as well as conduct interviews with many of the academics, activists, and politicians that work with the foundation. These tasks require me to call upon the full toolkit of knowledge I acquired at GraSPP on a daily basis, not only the theoretical context that grounds many of the subjects covered by the foundation but also strategies for academic inquiry. In many ways the world today seems unrecognizable to the world when I initially entered GraSPP in 2016. However, based on my experience I would encourage others to take advantage of the opportunities provided by this program to confront the range of challenges facing the global community.   *Thumbnail photo: Photo courtesy of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation