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

If you would like to escape the metropolitan Tokyo for a while and think over life or philosophy, Heidelberg is definitely a great place that you shall not miss.   After being back to Japan for almost three month, I still recall my days in Germany from time to time, thinking over how this experience has possibly changed my way of viewing the world.   My exchange days in Germany had not been stressful academically, given that I only took two courses that could be transferred back to GraSPP with approval. However, I was put in a culturally different environment where I could be able to perceive the Asian culture from a very outsider.   I could be able to perceive the Asian culture from a very outsider perspective and had a further understanding of transculturality in today’s increasingly globalized world. The pace of living in Heidelberg was much slower than in Tokyo, the experience of which enabled me to think more about life and even philosophy. While staying in Tokyo was always like rushing to a certain aim or end, I appreciate the slow down in Heidelberg that brought out more pondering over life itself.   I have so many sweet memories from Heidelberg, not only just about the beautiful scenes that have amazed me but also about the interesting people with whom I once crossed path. I am more than grateful to the great opportunity offered by GraSPP that allowed me to have such valuable experience in my life. Wherever you go becomes a part of you somehow. I hope the experience in Germany would eventually become a consistent reminder of philosophical thinking for me, and further complete my image of the world.   I could be able to perceive the Asian culture from a very outsider perspective and had a further understanding of transculturality in today’s increasingly globalized world. The pace of living in Heidelberg was much slower than in Tokyo, the experience of which enabled me to think more about life and even philosophy. While staying in Tokyo was always like rushing to a certain aim or end, I appreciate the slow down in Heidelberg that brought out more pondering over life itself.

 The best part of choosing UCSD is that you don’t need to pay tuition yet able to take lectures taught by world-widely renowned professors. It’s true that exchange program won’t give you a master degree but that doesn’t mean you learn less. In fact, because you won’t receive a degree, you can take classes based on your core interest and you can deepen the understandings of the topics of your choice. UCSD School of Global Policy and Strategy was renamed from Graduate School of International Relations and Pacific Studies in 2015. Therefore, there are a lot of IR and Economics faculties who focus primarily on the Asia Pacific and Latin America. Students there are quite diverse in terms of nationalities and background wise; some student comes directly from undergraduate but many students at GPS comes with some sort of working experiences. Be it bureaucrats, military personnel, business person, many students study here to extend the knowledge they already have and utilizes the things they learn at GPS for further success in future. Therefore, in order to do well in this school, you will perhaps need to have an area of specialization or skills which will be useful to the study. (Especially GPS has many econ-centered classes, therefore, having econ or statistical background will be advantageous) As I mentioned earlier, I took full advantages of exchange program by taking the classes that best fit my interests. Classes were of course quite intensive, to say the least. I had about 400 to 600 pages of reading per week plus occasional writing and presentation assignments. However, because I chose classes based on my interests, every hardship was just a hurdle I had to overcome in order to be knowledgeable about the topic. I cannot wrap without mentioning the great weather and all kinds of marine activities you can enjoy in San Diego, they are in fact irresistible! You will definitely have time of your life there. However, as it should be clear by now that I would strongly recommend UCSD to those who wish to study a specific subject in depth. GPS will be a great choice to those who take graduate study very seriously. Last but definitely not the least, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to everyone –especially GraSPP, UCSD ISPO, JASSO, Prof. Mackey, Prof. Walter, Prof. Driscoll, Prof. Heng and my parents- for helping me out before and during this exchange program. With the help of people around me, I could finish my stay at UCSD with the feeling of accomplishment.

Geisel Library

School symbol 'Statue of Triton'

Capstone class with Professor Walter

My dual degree program experience at Columbia University was a year filled with opportunities, allowing me to grow on both personal and academic levels. From attending daily career networking events to listening to talks and lectures given by Presidents, Prime Ministers and Governors throughout the world, SIPA definitely allowed me to expand my horizon and explore.

I had two main goals in mind when I applied to SIPA. Goal one was to participate in a capstone project of my research interest and acquire practical skills necessary in studying development. I have always been interested in working in a developing country in the future, particularly in the education field.

At SIPA, I joined a capstone organized by the United Nations Education Commission, an NGO that supports education policy reforms. I was privileged to travel to Rwanda for 10 days to observe the education policy reforms conducted in the country, particularly on the primary education level. As it was my first time to travel to an African country, the entire experience was very eye-opening, allowing me to develop further interest and curiosity in working in Africa. Through multiple interviews and talking to several government officials, I realized that compared to Japan, Rwanda is a very young country, constantly seeking for change. President Kagame is very proactive, and the policy implementation process is very systematic and efficient, which has been both a positive and a negative impact on the education sector in the country. It was not easy to see the entire picture through desk work, and this crucial experience reminded me of the importance of fieldwork.

A second goal that I had was to do an internship at the United Nations. Although I knew what the UN does and its convoluted list of organizations that it is comprised of, I always wanted to see how the inside is and evaluate for myself. I did an internship at the Permanent Mission of Japan to the UN and a fellowship at UN Women. Both experiences were extremely valuable, as I had several occasions to network with UN staff and listen to so many diverse career paths that led them to the UN. As an intern at the UN Mission to Japan, I had the opportunity to attend UN Security Council meetings as well as General Assembly meetings. I also had the privilege to negotiate at resolution meetings where I was able to understand the standpoint of Japan towards various global issues that the world is facing today. Although balancing an internship / fellowship and classes at SIPA was not always easy, this experience was certainly fruitful and rewarding.

While at SIPA, I lived at the International House, which is a 10 minute walk away from campus. Approximately a third of the entire student body at SIPA also lived at I-house, making it so easy to make close friends as we bonded over endless assignments and exam preparations. Most students had working experience, and SIPA represented students from over 100 countries. The diverse student body was one of the most stimulating parts of SIPA and I am so thankful to GraSPP for providing me with such a precious opportunity to be representing GraSPP as a dual degree student at SIPA.

 

To students who have been affected by the heavy rain in July 2018 English later Psychological counseling in English

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2018第11回講義（日本）

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【掲示】社会科系科目の指導法について

AY2018 Winter Exchange and Double Degree Program is Now Open for Application!   1) AY2018 Winter Exchange Program with UCLA for Winter Quarter (January – March 2019) 2) AY2018 Winter Double Degree Program with ANU for February – December 2019 Application Due: Fri 6/22 by Noon   Please read the application guideline carefully and file your complete application by the deadline. The application guideline can be downloaded in the following link. 1) UCLA Application Guideline Application Form 2) ANU Application Guideline Application Form   Enquires to: exchange[at]pp.u-tokyo.ac.jp Exchange Program Coordinator

チャレンジ！オープンガバナンス 2018に向けて ~ COG2017の受賞チームから学ぶ ~  １．日時：2018年6月17日（日）13:30～17:00　（開場　13：00） ２．場所：東京大学本郷キャンパス　工学部二号館　4階 241講義号室（43A） 東京大学　本郷キャンパスへの交通手段はこちら ３．主催：東京大学公共政策大学院PADIT研究プログラム 　　共催：東京大学ソーシャルICT・GCL育成プログラム 　　CSRパートナー：LINE株式会社 　　連携：Harvard Kennedy School, ASH CENTER for Democratic Governance and Innovation ４．テーマ： チャレンジ！！オープンガバナンスの実践、課題、意義、将来について、COG2017の受賞チームと審査委員有志によるトークを交えながら、市民参加型社会のオープンガバナンスの定着をさぐります。 ＜参加申し込みはこちらからどうぞ＞ ＜こちらからチラシをダウンロードできます＞ ５．スケジュール （第一部）COG2017の受賞チームと審査委員有志とのダイアログ　13:30～16:00 （１）開会挨拶：COG審査委員長 城山英明　歓迎挨拶：LINE株式会社 江口清貴 （２）イントロダクション　COG2017の成果と将来　（COG事務局　公共政策大学院 奥村裕一） （３）受賞チームプレゼン　各15分　計1時間　13:45～14:45 ・COGに応募して、アイデアづくり・課題のデータ分析・実現プロセスについて、苦労したこと、学んだこと、今後やりたいこと、さらにはチーム編成や自治体との連携についても触れていただきます。 ・自治体の方には、連携に関連しての経験（データ・知識の共有、コミュニケーションプロセス）を踏まえた地域内外の課題やこれから応募しようという自治体の方へのメッセージもいただきます。 （a）オープンガバナンス総合賞　京の歴史と街並みをつたえ隊と京都市関係者 （b）アイデア賞　多目的トイレ一発検索作成協議会と宇部市関係者 （c）連携体制賞　仙台市関係者とDATECAREER （d）Accenture Citizen First Youth賞　STEM Leaders with Hanyuと会津若松市関係者 （３）審査委員有志とのダイアログ　14:50～15:50 ・受賞チームのプレゼンを素材にしながら、審査委員有志と意見交換する形でダイアログを通じて議論を深めます。きっかけとしてCOG事務局の奥村裕一から問題提起をお示しします。 登壇予定の審査委員は次の通りです。 城山英明委員長、川島宏一委員、庄司昌彦委員、林千晶委員 （第二部）COG2018説明会（COG事務局提供）　16:00~17:00 COG事務局の奥村から、COGのねらいやCOG2018の手順などについて、質疑を交えながら詳しく説明します。 COG2018の流れは基本的にCOG2017と同様ですが、詳細はCOG2018用サイトをどうぞ。 この第二部でも質疑を交えながら、どのようにアイデアを作っていけばいいのか、 COGのアイデアづくりになじみやすいデザイン思考についてもわかりやすく説明します。 チャレンジ！！オープンガバナンス2017（COG2017）の結果はこちらをご覧下さい。

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第7回講義資料 講義資料にはパスワードがかかっています。パスワードは履修者のみで共有し、外部に流出することがないよう、管理に注意して下さい。 次回も講義資料の配布は行いませんので、各自用意して下さい。

When I was in my third year of high school, I was so drawn to my charismatic English teacher that I closely held the idea of becoming a teacher as my future career. But I wasn’t mentally prepared for that. While studying at a public junior high school, I saw how the teachers were striving day in and day out to support students with diverse backgrounds and circumstances. It didn't look as though I would be capable of doing that job. "Can I maintain fairness with students who have values and backgrounds that are different from mine...?" That anxiety had stayed with me and I lacked confidence, so I ended up finishing college without taking a teaching course. While learning a wide range of academic subjects under the open curriculum where there were no restrictions on the college courses to take, I became interested in political science in the second half of my third year. At the same time, I started to consider a future career in highly public jobs. Therefore, I decided to enter GraSPP to deepen my expertise in political science and also to eventually work in the public sector. One of the courses at GraSPP that became a turning point for me was “Case Studies (Urban and Regional Policy and Infrastructure Finance: Solution Analysis.)” In addition to Professor Yoshitsugu Kanemoto, experienced business people were dispatched to teach the course from the MLIT (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism) and Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd. (The instructors were: Prof. Takuya Kurita, Prof. Katsuya Hihara, Prof. Nobuhiro Naito, Prof. Taizo Hayashi, and Prof. Masahiro Tsujita.) I feel that the greatest attractions of this program are the size of the network and the lengths each teacher will go to for the students. In each class, we had opportunities to hold discussions with practitioners who were active at the forefront of community development. Sometimes we also planned visits to outside facilities. At any rate, the teachers generously made use of their resources in order to teach the students what the real "field" and "people" entailed. While directly learning about the work of the teachers and practitioners, and their sense of responsibility towards society, I began to think about what I could do now as a GraSPP student. This was when I was about to finish my first year. As a result, I decided to take a leave of absence for a year to engage in community activities for “self-discovery.” * Student interview I gave during my leave of absence for the GraSPP newsletter https://www.pp.u-tokyo.ac.jp/graspp-old/newsletter/2014/d/newsletter20140203.pdf The first thing I did after I took a leave of absence from graduate school was to participate in the Arakawa ward office learning support project, in the form of a paid volunteer. Through the encounter with the coordinator of the project, Ms. Misako Omura, ("Active Aunt for Local Community"), I not only supported learning but also engaged in planning to create a platform to support children in a broader sense (Children’s Place). With the full support of the Arakawa Council of Social Welfare, a promoter of community welfare, I scrambled to figure out what kind of contribution I could make as a local citizen for people with certain needs, or who to contact in other cases... While doing so, there were many opportunities for me to realize what the professors were trying to teach us in the case studies class, that being what the real “field” and “people” are like. There were also many opportunities that enlightened me as to how naive I was. In fact, this effort later became a public subsidized project of Arakawa Ward. (Arakawa Ward Making Children’s Place Project / Arakawa Ward, as a municipality, won the third Platinum Grand Prize Jury Special Award.) It also led to the formation of a network in which local residents, the government, and specialized institutions cooperate to offer comprehensive support for children. * Newspaper articles on activities regarding the making of Children's Place http://www.okinawatimes.co.jp/articles/-/60320 http://www.tokyo-np.co.jp/article/tokyo/list/201801/CK2018012902000104.html * Newspaper article for the network http://www.tokyo-np.co.jp/article/tokyo/list/201711/CK2017112302000112.html With the case study at GraSPP as a starting point, the experience of actually getting involved in the formation of public policy as a citizen became invaluable for me. After that I returned to grad school. I continued to engage in the activities above even after returning to school, and I was able to tackle studying at GraSPP with a more specific awareness of problems. In addition, I started to find it rewarding to have a part in the growth of children by interacting with a number of them having diverse values and backgrounds. With regard to the fear that I mentioned in the beginning of this essay, I no longer had to worry about whether I could fairly communicate with students who had values and backgrounds different from my own. After graduating, I started working at a private company. I also continued to be actively involved in the activities that I mentioned above on holidays and weeknights. In the meantime, I began to reflect again on what I was really suited for, and the desire to become a teacher grew in my mind. However, I didn’t take any teaching courses at the university. In order to obtain a teacher's license, student teaching is required in addition to earning the required credits at school. It became difficult to balance study with work. I eventually decided to quit my job, even though I had zero prospect of income afterward... In the midst of ponderings, I was asked by the Arakawa Council of Social Welfare to work for them for a while. Thanks to the offer, I was able to let go of my financial concerns. (On top of that, with the understanding and cooperation of my boss and colleagues, I was able to complete my student teaching requirements during paid holidays!) This enabled me to focus on the exam to acquire my teacher's license while also engaging in practical social work. I finally became a teacher in 2018. I strongly feel that I was able to figure out how I could engage in society thanks to having studied at GraSPP. I’m extremely grateful to the teachers at GraSPP for generously giving all of their resources to the classes and helping me find a direction in life. [caption id="attachment_13740" align="alignnone" width="593"]Commencement Ceremony at The University of Tokyo, Hongo Campus, March 2015[/caption] [caption id="attachment_13741" align="alignnone" width="787"]Learning support activities[/caption] [caption id="attachment_13742" align="alignnone" width="787"] Making Children’s Place Project activities, sharing some laughs with other young staff and students[/caption] [caption id="attachment_13743" align="alignnone" width="831"]Giving a lecture on a case report regarding the Arakawa Ward Making Children’s Place Project and youth participation in civic activities at the National Volunteering Forum in 2016.National Olympics Memorial Youth Center, November 2016[/caption] [caption id="attachment_13744" align="alignnone" width="1004"]Liaison meeting for local residents, administrative staff and staff of specialized agencies engaged in child welfare activities in Arakawa Ward (Arakawa Children's Support Network conference) Arakawa Lifelong Learning Center, July 2017 [/caption] [caption id="attachment_13745" align="alignnone" width="1004"] With my lifesavers: my boss and colleagues at the Arakawa Council of Social Welfare, who entirely supported me during my “self-discovery journey” and up until I became a teacher, March 2018[/caption]