Category: Newsletter 25

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 115 UTokyo students to study in the US and 90 US students to undertake internships or studies at UTokyo, providing them with invaluable experiences.  We are pleased to note that despite the long Covid-19 pandemic, a number of FUTI scholarship students and alumni are actively taking advantage of study abroad opportunities. 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

FUTI Scholarship Committee Chair, Shig Matsushita Since 2016, the ITO FOUNDATION U.S.A.-FUTI Scholarship has awarded roughly ten highly motivated University of Tokyo students and alumni each year. The program is operated by FUTI and financially supported by the ITO FOUNDATION U.S.A.* Applications are accepted in several different categories, as eligibility for the scholarship is diverse. Of these categories, the one that makes this Scholarship unique is the category for those who have graduated from UTokyo in the past. The recipients in this category often have unique characteristics that are different from those in other categories. The quality of applications enhanced, and the number of applications increased between 2019 and 2021, making it very competitive. In this article I am going to discuss this program and its unique features in detail. In the six years between 2016 and 2021, about a dozen recipients were selected out of almost 60 applications in the “Past Graduates” category. Half graduated with a bachelor’s degree, and half graduated with a master’s degree. Half of those who graduated with a master’s degree received their bachelor’s degree from universities other than UTokyo, indicating that UTokyo is functioning as a university with focus on graduate studies. Cumulatively speaking, of the total number of recipients in this category, only one in three have not had any work experience, but in recent years since 2019, almost all of the recipients have had a few years of work experience before deciding to pursue a study abroad with their renewed resolution. It is truly the distinctive characteristic of the ITO FOUNDATION U.S.A.-FUTI Scholarship to be able to support their ambitious motivations. A closer look at the number of years that have passed from receiving their bachelor’s degree to becoming a recipient of the Scholarship shows that a third of the recipients in this category spent 9-10 years in a graduate study and in the work force, and another third spent 5-8 years, while the remaining third spent 1-4 years as a graduate student. Each individual has come to redefine their life objective and wanted to study abroad to learn more profound knowledge and experience in the discipline. Among those who have had work experience, there are those who have been successful in international organizations, working in such positions as a consultant to support government entities in international activities, or engaging in the management of theaters. While they have had successful activities in respective areas, they wanted to study abroad because they felt that they needed more specialized expertise and experience to make a better contribution. For example in one instance, a recipient became a government official in science, but with the desire to do a better job by studying the public policy of his area, he decided to study abroad privately and independently from the government-supported study abroad program.  Another example which requires a high level of courage and determination, is found in one who, despite having a successful international career at a major firm, felt that his true calling was to support developing nations, and decided to resign from the coveted job to pursue studies in business management. Many graduates from the law department seek career tracks as administrative officials in the government or corporations, but this is not the case in this “Past Graduate” category. They usually become certified as lawyers and work at law firms for some time before having various desires, such as starting his own company after realizing limitations of supporting client firms, working in a position to set standards of international contracts, or being certified as a lawyer in the US as well in order to be more effective in international negotiations. Sometimes it is possible to receive financial assistance from law firms, but the cost of a law education in the US can be quite high and further assistance from outside scholarship programs often becomes necessary. In 2021, we were faced with a new kind of difficulty in this category. All of a sudden, although few, we received applications from senior professionals who have been already established in their careers after being in the work force for many years, long enough that they would have been settled financially and societaly but still with some discontentment. In a society where lifelong learning is necessary, we believe that deciding later in life on a study abroad is admirable, and a desire to turn life around with a study abroad is understandable. However, we felt that we should be cautious about these cases judging from the objectives of this Scholarship, and that we should give priority to those who are in the early stages of building up social status. Consequently, we had to respectfully decline applications from already established senior professionals. In the application process, the ITO FOUNDATION U.S.A.-FUTI Scholarship asks information about the yearly budget plan along with the applicant’s own contribution, and any support from other scholarships or corporations. With these pieces of information it is possible for us to surmise the situation accurately and make a fair judgment on the financial needs of the applicant. With the rise in expenses, however, it is common to see situations where a sponsorship worth millions of yen would only cover tuition. Some universities even require from applicants submission of bank account balances of the individual or family on top of a letter of proof of scholarship support before the admission decision. In those situations, applicants greatly appreciate even partial support from our Scholarship. Scholarship from the “Past Graduate” category often plays a uniquely important role in the applicant’s life. Although there are issues that needed to be clarified as mentioned above, it is our pleasure to volunteer our energy and time to carefully evaluate applications in the “Past Graduates” category who are looking to further their career. We are committed to support those who have the most potential to utilize the Scholarship and make important contributions to society. Author: Dr. Shig Matsushita, chair, Scholarship Committee Note: Friends of UTokyo would like to express its appreciation to Dr.…
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The Covid-19 virus pandemic has drastically changed all aspects of our lives worldwide over the past year. In the United States, thanks to the highly effective vaccines, we are beginning to see a gradual return to “normal”.   Several current and former FUTI scholarship recipients have shared with us their experience of the pandemic in U.S. universities.  One scholar’s remark, quoted here is especially encouraging as he says that, ”For me personally, the whole experience was likely net positive, possibly better than it might have been without the pandemic.” We are pleased to note that they all managed to live a constructive life working towards a promising future, despite the constraints imposed by the pandemic. —FUTI Newsletter Editorial Staff Kazuaki IwabuchiColumbia University, Teachers College, Ph.D. Program, Department of International and Transcultural Studies My name is Kazuaki Iwabuchi, and I am a third-year Ph.D. student at Columbia University Teachers College. I hope that everyone is well despite the prolonged Coronavirus pandemic. Last year, it seemed that Japan was handling the Covid-19 crisis relatively well, but this year some concerning news have been appearing with the slow rollout of vaccines and the extension of a state of emergency. I returned to Japan in March when New York was quickly becoming the epicenter of the pandemic, and have since stayed and continued my research in Japan. I was originally planning on conducting research in Japan for the summer of 2020 anyway, so in a sense my schedule was moved slightly ahead. Direct impact of the pandemic The direct impact of the coronavirus pandemic on my studies is that the Ethics Board of the University did not grant me permission to undertake fieldwork and thus the direction of my research became limited. Since my original objective was to research Japan’s education policy and policy process, and studying policy documents and reference was central to my research, I was not greatly affected by the Ethics Board’s decision. However, those whose research involved surveying children with disabilities or refugees and working with organizations in developing countries where the coronavirus was raging, were forced to change the direction of their research. Since the effect on my studies was minimal, I feel fortunate in these trying times. Positive effects of the pandemic A benefit that arose from the coronavirus pandemic was the use of online communication tools such as Zoom becoming mainstream. As a result I was able to be involved in two international project opportunities. One was with Prof. Reimers at Harvard University who was comparing education in different countries amidst the coronavirus pandemic, and the other was with Prof. Byram of Durham University (in United Kingdom) who was comparing the process of attaining a doctoral degree in different countries. With Prof. Reimers, I wrote chapters for a book using information obtained from feedback online with teams in North and South America, and Asia. With Prof. Byram, we started with examining methods of analysis, held numerous meetings online, and planned an agreement with each of the countries. These international projects surely existed before the Covid-19 pandemic, but I feel that with the wider use of online meetings, the hurdle has been lowered. Conferences now take place online more than ever, and without the need to physically convene in the US, many more people are able to participate. For the first time, at the conference of Comparative and International Education Society of America, they were able to hold a session for the southeast Asia section where researchers from countries in southeast Asia were able to give presentations. Executive members of the southeast Asia section were also able to attend from Japan (myself), Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand. Even though it was online, there was a sense of unity, and I felt that there was a potential to grow a community even remotely. I aspire to continue this virtual unity by broadcasting interviews with researchers in the field and holding online events that are open to everyone without international borders. Natsuki FurukawaJohns Hopkins University, Ph.D. Program, Biomedical Engineering 1.     How/where did you continue your work/study during the pandemic? Did you encounter any problems or unexpected positive developments in your situation?  I was a 1st year Ph.D. student at Johns Hopkins when the pandemic broke out. As an experimental biologist, my research project halted during lockdown. During that period, I wrote a review article discussing the potential of peptide therapeutics for cancer treatment. It was a good opportunity to learn more about the field and think about research plans for the future. The biggest problem I faced was maintaining motivation to work. Since I couldn’t do experiments, I was just reading and writing all day long at home, and lost concentration easily. I learned the importance of switching gears between rest-mode and work-mode by commuting to the lab. One positive aspect of the pandemic was that I attended more seminars than I used to. Since all the seminars were online, I was able to attend many seminars, including those that were not my expertise. I am curious about how the academic society would deal with the technology after the pandemic. 2.    Now that it looks like the pandemic is going to be under control at least in the US, what is your expectation/hope for the academic year 2022? Do you anticipate any change in the university education program? The classes in the fall semester would mostly be in person at Johns Hopkins. I think this is good because many activities can be done only in person and students would concentrate more. On the other hand, we experienced the convenience of online lectures during the pandemic. Some in-person activities might be substituted by online activities. For example, in a class in which I was a TA, we set up a reservation system for office hours and answered questions from students by Zoom meetings. I thought this was more efficient than the conventional office hours in which the TAs/lecturers just wait in rooms for students to come in. Students don’t have to come to the classroom for quick questions, and…
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Since the spring of 2020, numerous UTokyo alumni associations around the world have been hosting online meetings in order to continue to function despite the Covid-19 pandemic. Dr. Koichi Sato, President of San Francisco UTokyo Alumni Association, started the Online Global Akamon-kai, an imaginative endeavor that leverages modern communication technology. Dr. Sato comments: “Because we have started to use an online platform, we can now reach out to any alumnus/alumna regardless of where he or she lives. In fact, many of those who have returned from San Francisco to Japan now participate in our online events. Since there are no physical barriers/limitations in cyber communication, I have become interested in reaching out to UTokyo alumni groups around the world.” So far, in 2021, San Francisco Akamon-kai has already succeeded in hosting joint online gatherings with the following groups: New York Icho-kai/Ichio-kai (January)Chicago Akamon-kai (February)Alumni Associations in U.K., France and Germany (March)Hyogo (Japan) Alumni Association (April)Alumni associations in Beijing, Shanghai, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong (May) The gathering in May was attended by as many as 48 UTokyo alumni affiliated with not only the above five associations but also with Chicago, Thailand, Vietnam,  Guangzhou (China) groups and the Office for Alumni Affairs of UTokyo. It would have been unthinkable only a year ago for UTokyo alumni to be able to enjoy “personal” interactions with other alumni from around the world in this manner. These joint sessions have been very lively and often went well beyond the scheduled two hours. Participants particularly enjoyed “breakout rooms” which enabled small groups of people to engage in conversations in their respective online rooms. Dr. Sato is upbeat about these developments. He is interested in hosting a truly “global” Akamon-kai gathering where all the alumni associations from around the world can join together. Prof. Atsushi Tsuda, Executive Vice President of UTokyo, comments:  I learned at the New York Ichio-kai meeting (online) that Mr. Sato, President of the San Francisco Akamonkai, was trying to connect alumni around the world in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic. That is certainly a great idea. Apparently, many others were thinking about something similar to deal with the pandemic. For instance, Mr. Shunsuke Kanzawa, the secretary general of the University of Tokyo Alumni Association, is also planning to connect the UTokyo alumni associations around the world on Homecoming Day this October. (Everyone is welcome to join the event.) Last year, all the Taiken (“Hands on Experience”) programs for undergraduates provided by alumni were conducted online. I was a little skeptical if the programs would succeed. However, not only did the alumni offer programs with a good deal of imagination and creativity, but students also adopted the changes well. The experience made me realize the strength of the University of Tokyo community. I am convinced that going forward we will be able to take advantage of online platforms and improve further collaboration between current students and alumni. For further details visit https://www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/alumni/news_events.html

Satsuki-kai America, Friends of UTokyo (FUTI), and FUTI Alumni Association jointly presented an online dialogue with Mr. Tomohito Okuda, who is pursuing a joint degree at Harvard University’s Master in Public Administration in International Development and MIT’s MBA program. Tomohito is a 2020 recipient of Ito Foundation USA-FUTI scholarship.  This is the third talk in FUTI’s Young Professional Series created to feature young alumni of UTokyo. It was attended by 10 UTokyo undergraduates who were “online visiting” New York under the Taiken Program as well as over 15 alumni. ABSTRACT The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the vulnerability of densely populated areas to infectious diseases as well as the existence of vast disparities in modern society. While public health in cities in developing countries plays an important role in controlling the spread of infectious diseases, the provision of viable public health is one of the most difficult development challenges to solve. Especially in urban slums, it is often difficult to construct even the basic sewerage system due to costs, legal and other constraints. In his talk, Mr. Okuda discussed his experience during his fellowship at Sanergy, which not only builds toilets but also collects and converts waste into fertilizers and insect-based animal feeds. His talk also included a discussion of the latest trends in infrastructure development. [http://www.sanergy.com/] For Mr. Okuda’s bio in Japanese, please see the Japanese version of this article.

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology at NYU Grossman School of Medicine Perlmutter Cancer Center at NYU Langone Health Department of Medicine at NYU Grossman School of Medicine The Chicago Akamon-kai held an online meeting on Feb 20, 2021, inviting Professor Shohei Koide and Research Assistant Professor Akiko Koide who gave presentations about COVID-19 vaccines. The views and opinions expressed in the presentation were solely those of the presenters. Both Dr. Shohei Koide and Dr. Akiko Koide provided data-based evidence for several frequently asked questions about COVID-19 vaccines. They also provided their scientific views on specific questions from the participants so that the participants could clearly understood the benefits and risks of the vaccines (both known and unknown), as well as the risks of not taking a vaccine (often not told by the media), and common knowledge gaps. There appears to be a clear gap in the recognition of the benefits and risks of the vaccine, either implicit or not, between certain social groups, resulting in different levels of willingness to take a COVID-19 vaccine.  The second half of the online meeting was conducted in two sets of 20-minute breakout sessions with groups of 5~7 participants assigned to each room for closer communication and interaction.  More than 30 members including honored guests joined this event. Participants’ backgrounds were diverse, ranging from graduate students at the University of Chicago to corporate employees. Alumni belonging to San Francisco Akamon-kai and other UTokyo alumni associations were also warmly welcomed.  Prof. Shohei Koide’s link: https://med.nyu.edu/faculty/shohei-koide Prof. Akiko Koide’s link: https://med.nyu.edu/faculty/akiko-koide Note: This report was originally published on UTokyo’s site: https:// www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/alumni/news_events.html.

Throughout this year, we have worked on modernizing the operations of FUTI. Our goal was not only to make operations more efficient and reduce the workload of the members of volunteer-operated FUTI, but also to streamline operations and meet the increasingly complicated regulatory compliance requirements as the organization grows. On the financial side, we have transitioned to using the online tools offered by our bank in order to go paperless and to diversify our data access options.  As a result, fund management at FUTI did not slow down even during the coronavirus pandemic. Additionally, we have instituted a rule by which fund movement above a certain amount will need the approval of two Board members, complying with tighter security standards. On the IT side, we centralized digital data and cleaned up FUTI email addresses, making FUTI better prepared for contingencies. Furthermore, to give FUTI a fresh start after growing for over 10 years, matters relating to the articles of incorporation and the definition of various positions were reviewed and clarified. We hope that with these improvements, responsibilities of various positions have become clearer and matters that could be “lost in translation” will be minimized. It is our hope to develop our organizational structure further so that our supporters continue to feel confident about the integrity of FUTI as an organization. We look forward to the continued support of our friends and supporters going forward. Junji TakegamiVice President, Chief Operating OfficerFriends of UTokyo, Inc.

At the Board meeting held on April 19, 2021, the FUTI Board made several appointments to the Board and Scholarship Committee. FUTI is delighted to have distinguished professionals of diverse backgrounds join the Board and the 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.  New Board member was elected: Dr. Shohei Koide (Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, New York University School of Medicine; Director of Cancer Biologics, Perlmutter Cancer Center at NYU Langone Health) was elected to the Board. He had served on the Advisory Committee since 2018. New member of the Scholarship Committee was elected: Mr. Junji Takegami (Advisor, Tiger Pacific Capital, LC). He has served on the Board since 2019. He is currently Vice President and COO. The Board identified the specific areas of responsibility for the following directors: Dr. Takatoshi Ito and Dr. Shohei Koide: Directors of Academic Affairs Dr. Geeta Mehta: Director of International Alumni Programs Additionally, at the special Board meeting had on February 19, 2021, the Board appointed Dr. Atsushi Tsuda (Executive Vice President of UTokyo) as new Director effective April 1, 2021 as the successor of Dr. Terui Fujii who became President of the university on the same date.