“In Afghanistan, the situation was extremely menacing—we had been checked in every several hours by the officials, ensuring whether we were［still］alive.”
I am writing this blog as one of Sato Lab. student, reporting on what current event is happening in the laboratory. Today, we had a notable alumni coming to our weekly seminar. Let us call her “A-san” who is also a lecturer in the field of Development Studies. Prior to being a lecturer, she had worked for Japan International Cooperation Agency, better known as JICA. At the development agency, she served as a consultant and a researcher in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan.
Afghanistan was her home and confinement for 1.5 years—in the sense that she was mostly not being able to get outside of her accommodation (hotel) and a working place due to the alarming country situation. In Afghan, women working by risking their life; they commute to the office by a privately disclosed company car as these female workers cannot be seen by men other than their relatives. She claimed that in this country, women empowerment is still lacking.
Besides her experience in the exotic land, she also mentioned a big difference between working in a renowned research agency and a university. She explained that in the former one, a project is usually approved only if it will be beneficial, being able to become a tool for fixing a certain issue. For example, the researcher might work on a potentially feasible-to-implement project of a rapid train construction, as a solution to address the lack of connectivity between two regions in a developing country. While in the university, Master’s and PhD students are free to conduct any research, based on their personal interest. In other words, students initiate a research based on their curiosity (a research question) or a problem. In contrast, while in JICA, people work by starting from the solution.
Lastly, the notable alumni gave us her two prominent messages. Firstly, she claimed that after being students at UTokyo, our opportunities are expanded as vast as possible. We know that the University of Tokyo is a top institution in Japan, with an outstanding quality of professors and a high brand value. For example, through an exchange program in UTokyo, A-san mentioned how she could connect and encounter directly with Emeritus Ivy League Princeton Professor James Scott. She also cited that she was able to access many high-quality books and articles in UTokyo library; an experience that is hard to obtain after being out of school.
Secondly, the A-san advised us that “If you truly want to, and would burn for it, well, then just give it a chance!”. During her application process to UTokyo, many people told A-san that UTokyo is too prestigious for her; why would she bother applying? However, she insisted that “If I did not try, how would I know (the result)?.” In short, A-san applied, and she did get in.
So, for you who are applying to UTokyo, fingers crossed!
Kind regards,
A Current Fellow of Jin Sato Laboratory,
T – International Master’s Student Researcher
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