We asked Shunsuke Nakai, a 2014 graduate of the School of International Studies, about the appeals of the SIS and their connection to his current job. Mr. Nakai is working at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in Geneva after passing the highly competitive exam to join the Junior Professional Officer (JPO) Dispatch Program, under which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs sends young human resources to international organizations.

1. How have your studies at the SIS led you to your current career?
In the School of International Studies, I gained integrated skills to cope with global society, leading to my current career. This comprehensive skillset is a characteristic of the SIS education program and an ability in the broad sense. At the same time, from a partial perspective, it is the language and communication skills needed to build relationships and collaborate with people worldwide in this age of globalization, the fundamental cultivation for communication in various areas such as politics or economics, and the ability to analyze and solve problems in order to understand and consider issues objectively and critically, and to propose countermeasures. The United Nations places great importance on "Core Competencies," which are the various skills and mindsets the UN requires of its staff in their recruitment and training. I think that those are similar to the comprehensive abilities I just mentioned, and it is not easy to play an active role in the United Nations without various soft skills such as tolerance for diversity and leadership besides specialized skills as they need to work with people from different backgrounds, even within the organization.

2. What makes you think the SIS was the right choice for you? (Regarding the environment and study contents)
The SIS provides an environment to cultivate the aforementioned comprehensive skills. Needless to say their study curriculum, I can say the same for the study abroad/volunteer programs, fieldwork training, and interaction among students as well. Specifically, as I mentioned, students can systematically learn various studies from a global perspective to play an active role in international society. Besides, the many partner universities for study abroad and the credit grant system the SIS offers make it easier for the students to participate in the study abroad programs while aiming for graduation. The SIS also has volunteer programs partnering with national and international development-related organizations, including public organizations involved in various actions such as international cooperation or NGOs. That makes it possible for the student to volunteer relatively easily and securely. I actually participated in a one-year exchange program in Canada and in international social contribution activities as a JICA volunteer in Sri Lanka for five months. Furthermore, I had the great opportunity to learn a lot from daily interactions with my friends in the SIS, many of whom had different backgrounds, strengths, and abilities.

3. Messages to current SIS students
I think that international studies is an elusive subject compared to traditional studies such as economics for example. For this reason, some of you may find it difficult to confidently answer questions like "What did you study at university?" However, I believe that learning international studies is beneficial to become a person who can change with the environment or create the new norms of society in this age when what is normal for oneself is different from what is for others, or the norm itself is changing. Finding your own academic interests through studying at the SIS is important. Still, the first step should be cultivating the habit and ability to think, worry, and come up with your own answers by facing the classes, assignments, and career paths in front of you. That will help you form your own sense of values, as well as help you think about your life and career plans. The SIS provides an environment to support you with those, and many of our graduates have gone through that process and are now active in various stages of their careers worldwide.