Category: Newsletter 31

FUTI provides scholarships to support short-term summer study abroad programs in both directions between the University of Tokyo and US universities, as well as mid- to long-term study abroad programs of one semester or longer in the United States, primarily from the University of Tokyo (undergraduate, graduate, and alumni students). The funding of these scholarships is sourced by the generous and much-appreciated donations from supporters of FUTI: (1) The “ITO FOUNDATION U.S.A.-FUTI Scholarship” has been a mainstay of the scholarship program since FY2016 and is funded by a donation from the US foundation founded by the late Masatoshi Ito, former honorary chairman of Seven & i Holdings Co. (2) The “Hsun Kwei & Aiko Takizawa Chou Scholarship” which officially went into full-swing in 2023, is funded by a donation to the UTokyo New York Office from Mr. and Mrs. Chou. After completing graduate studies at UTokyo, Mr. Chou was successful in the semiconductor business in the US. (3) In operation since 2008, the “FUTI Scholarship” is funded by the individual donations of many UTokyo alumni, and donations from Shin-Etsu Chemical’s US subsidiary, Shintech Inc.  Before the Coronavirus Pandemic, application numbers from US students wishing to go to UTokyo to participate in short-term summer study abroad programs were robust. Roughly 10 students used to be selected each year out of several dozen applicants. Despite the slowdown during the pandemic, numbers have rebounded to seven students being selected out of 33 applicants in FY2024, and 11 students selected out of 32 applicants in FY2023. The makeup of participants in 2024 is as follows: Two science-related internships at UTRIP, two participants in UTSIP-Kashiwa, two participants from the University of California study abroad program UCEAP, and one in a medical school study abroad program. The level of competition for the 2024 selections may have been slightly higher than in previous years.  Before the pandemic, the number of UTokyo students selected for participation in short-term study abroad programs in US universities was about seven students out of approximately 20 applicants each year. The decline in numbers due to the pandemic seems to have a longer effect on this group of applicants, and in FY2024 there were five students selected out of 14 applicants. In FY2023, there were four selected out of 7 applicants. Of those selected in FY2024, two are in the GEfIL program which provides leadership education in English on Saturdays for about 100 students selected from the entire University of Tokyo in the fall of their sophomore year. Part of the requirements of GEfIL is to participate in a short-term study abroad program twice during their summer breaks, and since the program provides a scholarship equivalent to only half the tuition fee, FUTI makes up for the shortfall by providing scholarships to outstanding students. The other three students found the study abroad programs on their own.  Numbers for the mid- to long-term studies for UTokyo students to study in US universities for one semester or longer held steady from before the pandemic and from 2021 to 2023 at around 30 applicants out of which about 10 were selected each year. However, in FY2024, the number of applicants jumped to 38. The main reason for the increase is that applications of the USTEP program go through an internal selection process at UTokyo and are recommended to study abroad for two semesters at partner universities. Of the 38 applicants in FY2024, 14 were selected. Of those selected, three students were on a scholarship “with a limitation stipulated on the amount from third-party scholarships”. Two of these three were awarded USTEP scholarships in conjunction with JASSO scholarships which caps the amount of support from third-party scholarships. [One student who was selected to receive the JASSO scholarship with the ITO FOUNDATION U.S.A.-FUTI Scholarship had ultimately declined the scholarship because of an offer from another scholarship which paid slightly more than the combined but limited amount set forth by JASSO. ] The other student was offered a FUTI scholarship that only covers the initial cost for a PhD student who will now be receiving sufficient support from the PhD program at the US university.  Of the 14 students selected for mid- to long-term studies in FY2024, two undergraduates (one of whom declined as described above) and one PhD student are under the USTEP program, and two students will be studying at UC Berkeley, a partner university. Two will be studying for one year at UTokyo’s Graduate School of Public Policy and one year at the School of International and Public Affairs for one year at Columbia University to earn a master’s degree from both universities. Two of the students will graduate from UTokyo and go to US universities (one of whom is the above-mentioned PhD student[1]), and three are the past graduates from UTokyo. One received the Hsun Kwei & Aiko Takizawa Chou Scholarship last year and will go into her second year of support, along with one who will receive the IF Ikuei Scholarship. The IF-Ikuei Scholarship is a program that the ITO FOUNDATION U.S.A. established to open its doors to students who are not only from the University of Tokyo but also from other universities in Japan. This year, a graduate of the University of Tsukuba was selected. At University of Tsukuba, there currently is no scholarship program for those who have already graduated and wish to study abroad. Through the scholarship program, FUTI will continue to focus earnestly on its effort in supporting and nurturing future leaders and making the most of the precious donations received. [1] This student has the rare accomplishment of being admitted to a PhD program at a US university after completing his undergraduate degree. When asked about how he pulled off this feat, he explained that he had been actively selling his research to professors at US universities since his second year as an undergraduate student, became a remote research assistant, and worked hard to exceed their expectations, and as a result, was accepted to PhD programs at three…
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After establishing in December 2023 the FUTI Travel Award for Early-stage Scholars holding positions at the University of Tokyo, FUTI has already received six applications. We have selected three and are eagerly waiting for the reports on their travels and experience at the conferences which will take place this summer. Several applications were declined not for insufficient quality of content, but mainly because they did not fit within the eligibility criteria. The FUTI Travel Award is open to non-tenured, early-stage scholars at the University of Tokyo. Undergraduates, graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows are not eligible. Eligible fields in the current program year (2023-24) include Natural Science: e.g., Medical, Biology, Public Health, Engineering, Chemistry, Physics, Data Science, Information and technology; STEM-eligible Social Science (broadly defined): e.g., Quantitative Political Science, Economics, and Quantitative Approach to Public Policy. This Award provides support for a short-term stay in the United States of less than 30 days for attending an international conference of small size (no more than about 300 participants) and a “side trip” to visit colleagues at academic institutions. The award budget is $8,000 each and will be awarded in the form of reimbursements after travel upon submission of an expense report including receipts. Applications are being accepted throughout the year! Non-tenured, early-stage scholars at the University of Tokyo are encouraged to apply and to spread the word of this award.  For more information, please visit friendsofutokyo.org/futitravelaward

The Mentor Program aims to help women students at UTokyo connect with UTokyo alumni living abroad to gain a good understanding of studying, working, and living abroad. Through one-on-one communication and Slack group interaction, alumni advise women students on academic and career issues. On May 10 (Eastern Time) a kick-off meeting was held over Zoom. While the decrease in the number of “internationally-minded” students is becoming a matter of concern in Japan, this program aims to encourage and promote overseas activities for women students at UTokyo. In the future, organizers are considering opening the program to male students as well. This program was initiated by former representative of “Polaris,” a UTokyo student organization, led by Makoto Tanaka (3rd year, Department of Information Science, School of Science) and Yurika Doi (B.S., Mechanical and Information Engineering, School of Engineering, University of Tokyo [2017]; PhD in Neuroscience at Harvard University). Their hope is  “to provide a place  for UTokyo women students to have direct discussions and exchange of opinions with alumni living in the US.” The program is supported by Satsukikai America, a UTokyo alumni association in the US. There are currently 16 mentors with backgrounds and careers ranging from 5 to 20+ years in research (science, engineering, and others), medicine, law, finance, and international organizations. Over 30 mentees are registered, including  undergraduates and graduate students in fields ranging from science and engineering, law, economics, humanities, and medicine. After a mentor and a student (mentee) are paired, the nature of the mentoring depends on the paired individuals. It is expected that the focus will be primarily on college life, academic, and career related issues. Examples of questions may include: Several times a year, a social event will be planned on Zoom for the entire group. Slack will be the main means of communication for individual mentor-mentee pairs. Additionally, a group discussion room geared for all members will be also set up on Slack. One of FUTI’s Advisory Committee members, Geeta Mehta, a professor at Columbia University (Ph.D., School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo), commented: It is wonderful that the students themselves are aware of the issues and are taking the initiative to reach out to alumni abroad. I hope that the mentees will be active in the international community and contribute to society in the future. Written by Mentor Program Committee Members (Doi, Tanaka, Osako, Suzuki)

Greetings, my name is Akihiko Izu and I was a 2021 FUTI Scholarship recipient.  After working as a lawyer at Nishimura Asahi Law Firm specializing in M&A and corporate law for six years, I went to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and obtained an MBA in 2022. While at MIT, I co-founded Multitude Insights, a startup that provides a platform for sharing and analyzing crime information for US law enforcement, and currently operates in Boston and New York. You may have heard about the high crime rate in the US through news reports of shootings and other incidents, but even in the relatively safe city of Boston, you often see shoplifting right in front of your eyes, bicycles with their tires stolen and left on the side of the road, and other crimes that are very close to home. There are many factors that contribute to the high level of crime in the US, one of which is the weak information coordination among police forces. Although there are approximately 18,000 police organizations in the US, the majority of them randomly request information from neighboring police organizations via mailing lists or faxes, and information coordination among police organizations is extremely inefficient. As a result, it is difficult to make arrests for crimes that cross jurisdictional boundaries (for example, if someone commits multiple shoplifting crimes in Shinjuku and then moves to Shibuya and continues to shoplift, their criminal information will be cut off). To solve this social problem, while still a student at MIT, I founded Multitude Insights with a classmate who was a former intelligence analyst in the US Navy. At Multitude Insights, UI/UX and AI/ML is used to optimize information sharing between police organizations and to develop the technology to provide hidden connections between crimes. In the two years since graduating from MIT, the company has raised a total of $5.4 million in funding, mostly from New York-based venture capital firms, and has grown to a team of more than 10 members. Last month, the system was implemented in the Boston Police Department. Managing a startup in the US has revealed to me how quickly businesses move based on decision-making and leadership. Regarding decision making, CEOs and executives are often present from the early stages of meetings, and decisions are made on the spot as to whether to proceed with a project. There are many opportunities to expand through business and technology partnerships with large companies, as even large companies are often open to working with startups, perhaps in anticipation of possible future acquisitions. Also, once decisions are made, they move quickly, which I believe is supported by the strong leadership of the CEO and other members of the management team. Since the majority of our team members are former military and police officers due to the nature of Multitude Insights’ business, I have learned a great deal about leadership from them, and am constantly striving to become a leader who can work on a global scale. I am very grateful for the support I have received from Friends of UTokyo, not only in the form of scholarships, but also from the board members and committee members who are on the forefront of their fields in the US. I would like to continue my endeavors so that one day I can give back to future UTokyo students and alumni who are taking on the challenge of going global.

The lecture by film director Minami Goto (University of Tokyo OG) was held online on January 22, 2024 (US Eastern Time) (January 23, Japan Time). Friends of UTokyo organized this event, supported by Satsukikai America, NY Icho-kai, Chicago Akamonkai, FUTI Alumni Association, and others. The gathering was a great success, with over 30 participants from the United States and Japan. Ms. Goto was a student at Columbia University Graduate School of Film, from which she graduated in 2018 with scholarship support from FUTI. Since her graduation, she has worked on international collaborative film productions while based in Japan. The feature film “Blue Imagine,” written and co-produced by Minami Goto, was selected for the Bright Future section of the 53rd Rotterdam International Film Festival, a prestigious film festival, and was officially screened as its world premiere. Although the film was shot entirely in Japan, it is an international co-production involving a Filipino cast and a Philippine-Singaporean production company. She believes that what she learned in New York was put to good use in this film. Japanese version press release is at: https://natalie.mu/eiga/news/553729 and the Link about the film: https://motion-gallery.net/projects/blueimagine The story is set in a shared house where victims of sexual violence and harassment live together. It depicts a traumatized protagonist trying to recover through supportive dialogue and interaction with those around her. [The movie has been released in theaters in Japan from March, 2024.] In addition to screening the trailer, Ms. Goto shared with the participants behind-the-scenes stories about film production as well as her expectations about future opportunities. We received many comments from the participants, such as “I gained a good understanding of the life cycle of film production and the difficulty of coordinating a film team as a producer.” At the Q&A session following Ms. Goto’s presentation, a lively exchange of opinions took place. Below are some examples of questions and answers. (Participant)  How did you come to work on the theme explored in the film, “Blue Imagine”?  (Goto)  I started from my own awareness of the problem and from something close to home. The challenge was how to develop the concept into a viable form of entertainment. (Participant) Please tell us about your experience at Columbia University Film School. (Goto)  Film school students come from all walks of life. One of the characteristics of the School’s student body is its international diversity. Among the 60 to 70 students in my program, 25 countries were represented. There were also many students who were not from the film industry. I am glad I learned that the structure and culture of the film industry vary greatly depending on the country, and that there is often no right answer to the questions we encounter. (Participant)  What is the relationship between your experience in New York and “Blue Imagine”?  (Goto)  I was in New York during the #MeToo movement. I reflected in the film what I talked about with my classmates at that time and what I felt when I saw the situation in Japan while I was in America. (Participant)  How did you write the credible screenplay with such diverse characters?  (Goto) For example, I consulted a friend from a law school about the lawyer character’s lines. In order to understand the Filipino characters, I did research and interviewed Filipino individuals married to Japanese. Finally, Mr. Yuki Haba, President of the FUTI Alumni Association, gave closing remarks and commented, “Seeing the success of FUTI award recipients like Ms. Goto, who are active around the world, is an encouragement to FUTI alumni.” In addition, a FUTI board member participating in the gathering commented, “Because there are few people who aim to study the arts at the University of Tokyo, Ms. Goto’s scholarship application essay, which revealed her passion for making films, left a strong impression on FUTI Scholarship Committee members. I am very happy to see that she is doing well.” Many participants stayed for the social gathering that followed the presentation,  continuing the lively discussion. Ms. Goto’s Brief Bio: Education: 2015 Graduated from Department of Literature, The University of Tokyo (History and Civilization) 2015 Entered the Sogo Bunka Kenkyu-ka, University of Tokyo (Interdisciplinary Culture Studies) (Transferred to Columbia) 2015      Started at Columbia University in the City of New York, School of the Arts   2018      Graduated from Columbia University in the City of New York, School of the Arts Awards Jack Larson Award for Collaboration – Short Film Project Kiko  avex digital AWARD – Short Film Project Breakers  Photo credit: From the official site of “Blue Imagine“

[With the permission of the UTokyo NY office, we are pleased to include this article here which originally appeared on the UTokyo NY Office website.] Coordinators UTokyo’s Center for Global Education (alas UTokyo GlobE) hosted a winter program entitled “People and Culture of Japan in the United States: Past, Present, and Future” in collaboration with Princeton University. Eight UTokyo undergraduate students, who completed the Go Global Gateway program, and five Princeton undergraduate students participated in the program and studied together at UTokyo NY (March 10－14), Rutgers University (March 15), and Princeton University (March 16 and 17). In New York City, the students listened to lectures by distinguished guests and engaged in active discussions. The invited speakers were: Professor Jin Sato shared his previous work experiences at Princeton and examined the impact of coincidence on his career development. One of the highlights of the week was a dialogue between Ambassador Mori, who is a UTokyo graduate, and the students of both institutions as they had the privilege of casually conversing with Ambassador Mori over lunch. Students were also impressed by Dr. Yoshiko Mito, who gave a brief overview of how she climbed up her career ladder after graduation from UTokyo. Mr. Yoshida talked about his career as a business professional at a New York-based Japanese corporation that works with many multi-national companies. Ms. Keiko Tsuyama gave UTokyo students a glimpse into American presidential election and made students of both universities think about the difference and similarity between Japanese and American elections.  Dr. Joshua Walker reflected on his journey from his youth in Hokkaido to the scholar of Turkey to President of Japan Society. His personal story intrigued many students. Taking advantage of the location of UTokyo NY, the New York round of this program also included informal learning experiences in the city, such as a guided gallery tour at Japan Society and a classical music concert at Carnegie Hall, which is in the immediate vicinity of the office. The students also explored New York City by themselves, visiting museums, the headquarter of the United Nations, and other sites as well as eating together at local restaurants. On March 15, the students left New York City and visited Rutgers University to attend a lecture by Dr. Haruko Wakabayashi on the Japanese students who studied at the institution in the nineteenth century. Students learned about the commitment and hardship of these early Japanese students and later visited gravesites of some of the students who passed away before being able to return to Japan. Following the time at Rutgers University, students moved to Princeton. On March 16, they attended a lecture on the impacts of Japanese online games and manga in U.S. black communities by Dr. Akil Fletcher (The Society of Fellows, Princeton University), and another lecture on economic relations between Japan and the U.S. by Professor James Raymo (Department of Sociology and East Asian Studies, Princeton University). Through a variety of academic and non-academic activities, the students of the two universities formed a friendship. They were able to enhance their understanding and awareness of Japanese people and culture in the U.S. from multiple perspectives. In addition, Princeton students inspired their UTokyo peers to study and work in the U.S., and vice versa.