by Benbo Yue
First and foremost, I would like to express my sincere gratitude again to the scholarship donors and to the organizers at Friends of UTokyo, Inc. Your generous support has not only made it possible for students like me to pursue academic aspirations but has also profoundly shaped the course of my life. Without your selfless support, every moment of insight and inspiration I experienced here would have remained a distant and unattainable dream.
Spring semester is the last part of my journey at Columbia University. This final semester offered a powerful capstone to my academic journey, connecting economic theory, data science, and climate innovation in ways that sharpened both my analytical thinking and real-world relevance.
In the Economics of energy class, I led a group study on how the shale gas revolution reshaped
U.S. natural gas prices. Using a difference-in-differences approach, we quantified how domestic oversupply initially depressed prices and how LNG export liberalization reversed this trend. This project strengthened my ability to translate complex economic shocks into measurable price effects. My Python for Public Policy course deepened this quantitative lens. Testing Okun’s Law, I used macroeconometric modeling and time-series techniques in Python to evaluate the dynamic relationship between unemployment and GDP growth. Beyond technical execution, the process taught me how to evaluate real-world labor-output tradeoffs using modern econometric tools. At the frontier of climate tech, my team in Artificial Intelligence and Climate Change designed a platform to monitor individual carbon footprints using transaction and behavioral data. This project challenged me to think about data ethics, algorithm design, and user engagement all at once—skills critical for designing AI tools that serve sustainability goals. Meanwhile, the Central Bank Crisis Management course allowed me to explore unconventional monetary policy through the lens of Japan’s Yield Curve Control. It was both a lesson in macro-financial engineering and a case study on the risks of prolonged intervention. Lastly, I concluded my Empirical Econometrics project with a forward-looking study on China’s housing market. By applying cross-country demographic models to forecast price trends through 2050, we found that population decline and aging will likely exert long-term downward pressure on real estate value, a finding with serious implications for fiscal and social planning. Together, these experiences have not only equipped me with stronger analytical and programming skills but also deepened my conviction that rigorous, cross-disciplinary approaches are essential to tackling economic and climate challenges ahead.
Among all the knowledge and skills I gained during my time here, the most valuable experience was undoubtedly the people I met. Their warmth, boldness, and willingness to embrace change left a lasting impression on me. I was inspired by their intellectual curiosity and deep respect for differences, a spirit that challenged and expanded my worldview. These encounters gave me a truly global perspective. They encouraged me to step beyond the cultural expectations of rigid collectivism I grew up with and to explore the values of western individualism. I learned not to measure myself solely by stiff discipline, but to take responsibility for my own happiness, to do what I am passionate about. I found that it’s okay to break from convention, to take risks, and most importantly to speak up, even when it’s uncomfortable or unpopular. As Felix Wang, this year’s student speaker at the SIPA graduation, so powerfully put it: “Keep caring — when it’s hard, when
it’s thankless, when the world constantly tells you not to.” That message, and the people who embodied it, will stay with me long after graduation.
As I close this chapter, I want to once again extend my deepest gratitude to the scholarship donors and Friends of UTokyo, Inc. Your generosity not only supported my academic journey but also opened doors to perspectives and experiences that have transformed my life. With this foundation, I am committed to continuing my exploration of economic studies, seeking to better understand the forces that shape our world and the policies that can improve it. More importantly, I hope to pass on what I’ve learned—to extend the inspiration I received to those who have not yet had the same opportunity, and to use what I’ve gained here to contribute meaningfully to others.
