Category: Newsletter 23

FUTI has grown steadily over the years and contributed to the globalization of UTokyo. Since its inception in 2007 FUTI has cumulatively supported more than 110 UTokyo students to study in the US and 90 US students to undertake internships or studies at UTokyo, providing them with invaluable experiences. The programs were made possible solely because of the generosity of supporters. We would greatly appreciate your continuing support. Please read FUTI President’s message here. Articles in this newsletter:

FUTI manages two types of scholarships, the Global Leadership Award supporting short-term study abroad and the ITO FOUNDATION U.S.A.-FUTI Scholarship for mid-long term study abroad. [For further information on these programs, please visit friendsofutokyo.org/scholarships-grants.] At its meeting on March 14, 2020, the Scholarship Committee determined that “while the effects of COVID-19 are very difficult to assess, the scholarship selection should proceed as usual at this time.” However, the effects of the virus have turned out to be far greater than initially anticipated. As program cancellations were announced one after another, the Committee’s plans inevitably had to be changed. At this point, short-term (summer) programs have already been affected extensively and mid-long term studies are also beginning to feel the impact of the pandemic. Furthermore, there is a distinct possibility that the situation will continue to worsen. Scholarship Committee Chair, Dr. Shigenori Matsushita stated: Thanks to our supporters, we were able to select many impressive, highly goal-oriented students. However, due to COVID-19 pandemic, many of these students were deprived of the opportunity to study abroad or are in danger of losing those opportunities. This year, working within these constraints, we hope to contribute still to the globalization of the University of Tokyo and its students.” [FUTI Global Leadership Awards] For this program, the Scholarship Committee originally selected 12 US university students to study at UTokyo during the summer of 2020. However, due to program cancellations at both US universities and UTokyo, none of the US students will be able to utilize their scholarships. Of the seven UTokyo students selected by the Committee to participate in US university summer programs, only a few are likely to realize their plan. Two of these students had to cancel their plans because program coordinators at the UTokyo withdrew support; two cancelled of their own personal accord; two decided to take online programs offered in place of their original in-person courses at US universities; and one is still hoping to study abroad at a US university. Thus, in total, only three students will receive their scholarships. The chart below illustrates the number of awards granted with the 2020 figures representing “current numbers” and the number of original committee selections inside the parenthesis. FUTI Global Leadership Award Recipients, 2016-2020 FY 2016 FY 2017 FY 2018 FY 2019 FY 2020 US University to UTokyo 9 10 12 9 0 (12) UTokyo to US University 6 8 6 8 3 (7) [ITO FOUNDATION U.S.A.-FUTI Scholarships] Of the ten students initially selected by the Scholarship Committee for mid-long term studies, four were disqualified or became ineligible due mostly to the COVID-19 pandemic. 1) UTokyo placed a ban on its study abroad program (one student affected); 2) one US host university postponed receiving foreign students for one year (one student); 3) fall semester plans were postponed until spring (two students); 4) one student decided to go to Australia rather than to the US; and 5) due to restrictions on receiving multiple scholarships, one student declined a scholarship from FUTI. Due to these circumstances, the Committee subsequently chose two students from the waitlist, bringing the total number of selected students to eight (including those in (3) above). However, the possibility of being able to commence studies in the fall remains contingent on whether the US will reopen visa applications and lift travel restrictions in time for the fall semester. In the Table below, the 2020 figures represent “current numbers” with the Committee’s original selection numbers in parentheses. ITO FOUNDATION U.S.A.-FUTI Scholarship Recipients, 2016-2020 FY 2016 FY 2017 FY 2018 FY 2019 FY 2020 Total 9 10 12 9 8 (12) FUTI’s 2019 scholarship recipients who were already in the US when the Covid-19 pandemic struck are continuing their studies through online courses. Of those students, two have sought FUTI’s approval for a modification of their plans, as they felt it would be safer to go back to Japan and complete their online courses there rather than to stay in the US. These students made the decision to return to Japan after careful consideration of their academic and financial situation. They are taking their online classes in the middle of the night in Japan while it is daytime in the US. This year the Past Graduates (those who already graduated UTokyo in the past) category included many applicants with unique and exceptional backgrounds, leading to a very competitive field. Those who were selected included a student on a leave of absence from work to study in the US on his own (rather than waiting for his seniority-based “turn” for a study abroad opportunity in his government office), one who left a job at a large trading company to study overseas, and a Japanese lawyer who wanted to become a licensed lawyer in the US in his specialty. [Zoom Sessions] As COVID-19 spread rapidly in New York in the spring of 2020, making in-person meetings a high-risk activity, the Scholarship Committee conducted its meeting online for the first time, using Zoom. With ample preparation and talking points communicated through email before the meeting, the selection process proceeded smoothly and efficiently. The selection process for the ITO FOUNDATION U.S.A.-FUTI program includes an interview which was also conducted through Zoom this year. The online sessions accomplished the objective of these interviews proving that online sessions are a viable and effective alternative tool. [In the first online interview, a Committee interviewer was surprised to find the student interviewee dressed rather formally.  For his subsequent interviews, he reached out in advance to his interviewees, encouraging them to dress casually.] Articles in this newsletter:

***This article is reprinted  with the permission of the site sponsor from the website XPLANE (http://xplane.seldoon.net/), which contains helpful information about  the life of being a graduate student in the U.S.  English translation by FUTI.***  “In the U.S., graduate students earn a salary while studying.” Many aspiring Japanese students must have started to consider pursuing graduate studies in the U.S. based on this dream-like statement. However, it is also true that when one seriously starts thinking about studying abroad, one always comes back to a critically important issue: Money. In this article we (that is, the XPLANE working team) investigated the graduate students’ financial status by polling about 100 Japanese Ph.D. students currently studying in the U.S. Ph.D. Student Salary First, we asked a couple of basic questions, “Can a graduate student really receive a salary? “Can he/she  live comfortably on his/her salary?” According to survey responses from 78 Japanese graduate students studying in the U.S., 97% were making enough money to live comfortably while concentrating on their studies by receiving scholarships and working as a research assistant (RA) or a teaching assistant (TA). Further, according to collected data, the graduate students’ salaries were somewhere between $2,000 to $3,500 per month (median amount being $2,900). If converted to Japanese Yen, it amounts to about ￥20,000 to ￥35,000 which is more than what is offered to students by the Japan Society for Promotion of Science. How are graduate students securing funds? In this survey, the students were asked to select any of the choices that apply to them including a) scholarships provided by the U.S. university (which does not have to be repaid), b) scholarships from Japanese organizations, and c) TA, and/or RA stipends. Two out of three surveyed chose “scholarships from Japan” and “RA” as a main source of funds, whereas a good number of those depended on scholarships and TA stipends from a U.S. university. Of those currently studying in the U.S., one out of three are living without a scholarship from Japan but are able to secure more than enough funds by wisely managing their RA salary and U.S. university scholarship. If an RA position is not available with your faculty advisor due to their department budget constraint, one can still earn money as a TA in the short run. Additionally, nearly three-quarters of those surveyed had multiple sources of income from the day they entered U.S. graduate school. If one is lucky enough to earn a stable RA position at a U.S. university or a scholarship from Japan with a long-term contract, it is possible to survive by relying on one source of funding. However, in most cases, students combine their RA or TA salaries with other sources of income. As shown by these findings, in order to secure funding, one must commit their time to apply for scholarships, RA positions, and TA positions. Luckily, although some amount of effort must be put into working as an RA or TA, nearly 100% of the case, graduate students earn sufficient amount for living. This situation makes graduate studies in America very attractive. Although this article does not go into detail about this topic, tuition is often waived for Ph.D. degree candidates in the U.S. This is because RA, TA, and scholarships cover not only living expenses but tuition as well. In summary, in this 100-person survey, we found out that graduate students in Ph.D. programs in the U.S. are able to receive adequate funding from scholarships, RA and TA positions to pay for their living expenses. This is encouraging data for those considering studying abroad, but the situation varies greatly depending on the university, department, and research lab. We would recommend those who have some reservations or questions to have a discussion ahead of time with advisors of the program you are applying for. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to reach out to XPLANE by Seldoon (seldoon.info [at] gmail.com). Articles in this newsletter:

On January 30, 2020, Professor Ito gave the above referenced lecture in mid-Manhattan. The talk was hosted by Satsuki-kai America and co-hosted by Friends of UTokyo and New York Icho-kai. The lecture was held in commemoration of the 62nd Nikkei Economic Book Culture Award given to “Managing Currency Risk” (Edward Elgar Publishing) which was co-authored by Prof. Ito with Professors Koibuchi, Chuo University; Kiyotaka Sato, Yokohama National University; and Junko Shimizu, Gakushuin University. This book summarizes the results of a research project at the Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry, IAA in which Professor Ito worked as a researcher for a number of years until 2015. This project deals with the central theme, “Why the use of Japanese yen does not spread in import and export transactions of Japanese companies?” This question was empirically researched using a method that is unconventional in economics, namely, interviews and questionnaire surveys with companies. Despite being held on a weekday night, the event attracted more than 20 participants, mainly employees of finance and trading companies, manufacturers, and government officials. Several members of Josuikai, an alumni association of Hitotsubashi University, of which Prof. Ito is an alumnus, also participated. First, Professor Ito explained the background of his research and the current situation in which “yen-denominated transactions are not widely used” even though “there is wide interest in using yen in international transactions.” In economics, it is common to use published data (including import-export data by the Ministry of Finance). However, available data is grossly insufficient in respect to detailed information by industry. Therefore, Professor Ito and his team decided to conduct a wide range of interviews and questionnaire surveys with Japanese companies. Based on the answers from the companies and the historical trend of the yen exchange rate, he observed the following: The currency used in the consumer market for the products being traded is a strong determinant for the choice of currency used in transactions. Large companies tend to consolidate management of their risks at their headquarters rather than incurring currency risks at their overseas subsidiaries. Large companies do not necessarily have the bargaining power in determining transaction settlement currencies; on the other hand, SMEs with a high global market share tend to succeed in having yen-denominated export contracts. One reason for the growth of local currency transactions not only in the US but also in Asian markets is the increase of local production by Japanese companies. Participants actively shared their work experience supporting these points. The discussion further covered a variety of topics such as the Japanese government’s currency strategy; the Japanese export industry structure (which tends to be “reliant on the yen” because it cannot immediately reflect currency risk in product prices); Japan’s corporate culture with a weak pursuit of shareholder interests; the decline in competitiveness of Japanese companies; and the future of the Chinese yuan. It was a truly lively discussion reflecting the participants’ extensive involvement in international business. In concluding the session, Mr. J. Asaki, Deputy President of the NY Ichokai, thanked Professor Ito and commented, “Let’s work together to strengthen Japan’s competitiveness.” Participants thanked Prof. Ito for the lecture and congratulated him for the Nikkei award. Translation by FUTI Articles in this newsletter:

On February 28, 2020, Mr. Fumiya Uchikoshi, a PhD student of the Sociology Department, Princeton University, gave a talk titled, “Low Fertility, Population Aging, and Gender Inequality in Japan”. The event was hosted by Satsuki-kai America and co-hosted by Friends of UTokyo, NY Icho-kai, and the FUTI Alumni Association. Joined by ten UTokyo undergraduates visiting New York under the Taiken program, the audience of some 15 alumni, ranging from those in the 20’s to the 70’s, were engaged in a heated exchange of viewpoints reflecting their diverse experiences. Mr. Uchikoshi’s comments are shown below. On February 28, I was honored to give a talk at the FUTI/Satsuki-kai America lecture series. The talk was divided into two parts: One is about an overview of gender inequality in Japan and the other is about my own research focusing on consequences of gender inequality from a demographic perspective—later and less marriage, educational gradients in marriage, and spouse pairing patterns. It was attractive to me that the audience of this lecture consisted of both UTokyo undergrads and the alumni, so I decided to have a small discussion session to share their thoughts on causes of persistent gender inequality in Japan. In the first half of the talk, I started an overview of gender inequality in Japan, with a bunch of new articles reporting sexism at UTokyo or elsewhere to stimulate attendees’ attention to this topic. I guess this approach actually worked well. When I presented several news articles that documented persistent gender inequality even at  UTokyo, some alumni said it has been improved, but other recent graduates did not agree with that. I think both perspectives are correct in some sense—it is a sort of glass is half full or half empty phenomenon. The purpose of the talk was to make different ideas explicit there and exchange those ideas with each other. I hope the goal was achieved by taking advantage of the discussion session. I really appreciated the many attendees sharing their honest thoughts based on experience. I learned a lot from them, especially about how my research can contribute to the public in a broader sense. Articles in this newsletter:

On April 29, 2020, Satsuki-kai America hosted its first Zoom meeting event which was a great success. Prof. Miwako Hosoda (alumna, University Executive Vice President, Professor of Practical Education Studies, Seisa University) served as speaker at the event which was planned by the outreach and event managing teams of Satsuki-kai America. Before the talk commenced, each of 14 participants gave a short self-introduction. They came from all over the US (East Coast, Mid-west, South, and West coast), and included those who normally would not be able to attend Satsuki-kai events generally held in New York City. Prof. Hosoda spoke about a recently established association called the Inclusive Action for All (IAFA). One of the IAFA’s main activities include sending English-language children’s books to under-privileged communities in Bhutan, Pakistan, and Kenya. The Q&A session following the talk included various discussions on how the books are actually distributed at the destination, how one might be able to donate books, what the funding is like for sending the books, and why the structure of general incorporated association was chosen. The IAFA website is at https://www.inclusiveactionforall.org Since this event was organized as a Zoom meeting, alumnae from all over America were able to participate in Prof. Hosoda’s talk. Additionally, because the event was held at 9pm (New York time), those who have work or child care duties who usually cannot attend these events, were able to participate. If there were not any time limit, the interesting introductions by the attending alumnae could have easily taken more than one hour. Satsuki-kai America plans to periodically hold events through Zoom in the future. Many interesting comments were received from participants. “The nice thing about Zoom is that you are able to talk and see everyone’s faces regardless of whether you are in Japan or California.” “I had a very enjoyable time today. The wonderful topic and Q&A session, and short but very interesting introductions by participants…” “Being able to listen to the meaningful exchange of views has given me much mental stimulation during my stay-at-home time.” “I very much look forward to how Zoom events will evolve in the future.” Translation by FUTI Articles in this newsletter:

At the Board meeting held on April 20, 2020, the FUTI Board made several new appointments to the Board and Advisory Committee (AC). FUTI is delighted to have distinguished professionals with diverse backgrounds join the Board and Advisory Committee. The Covid-19 pandemic is affecting the lives of people globally including the international exchange of students and scholars. New members’ fresh ideas about FUTI’s programs and direction are welcome as the organization faces these challenges. A new Board member was elected: Dr. Geeta Mehta (Adjunct Professor of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, Columbia University) was elected to the Board. She had served on the AC since 2015. The chair of the Advisory Committee and three new AC members were elected: Dr. Masaaki Yamada (Distinguished Research Fellow, Princeton Plasma Physics Lab and FUTI Board member) became the chair of the AC, succeeding Prof. Hisashi Kobayashi, AC member. Dr. Koichi Hamada (Professor Emeritus of Yale University and of UTokyo) has stepped down from the Board and become a member of the AC. Dr. Sadaoki Furui (Chairman of the Board, Toyota Institute of Technology at Chicago, and Professor Emeritus of Tokyo Technical University) was appointed to the AC. Ms. Erika D. White (Attorney with Davis and Polk and President, Salon de Virtuosi) was appointed to the AC. Additionally, presidents of two alumni-associations were appointed as Ex-officio members of the AC. This action reflects FUTI’s commitment to work closely with UTokyo alumni associations in the U.S. New ex-officio members are: Mr. Katsuyuki Yamaguchi (President of New York Icho-kai) succeeded Mr. Yasuo Okamoto. Mr. Koichi Sato (President of San Francisco Akamon-kai) succeeded Dr. Kenji Karasaki. They will join Presidents of Chicago Akamon-kai, Satsuki-kai America, Stanford Silicon Valley Akamon-kai as ex-officio members. Dr. Yuriko Suzuki, AC member, says “We are pleased to have Mr. Yamaguchi and Dr. Sato as new members of the Committee. I hope that their appointments will help their organizations’ members better understand FUTI’s programs and needs in this changing time.” Articles in this newsletter: