Alumni Newsletter

FASID/GRIPS Joint Graduate
Program Alumni Newsletter
Editor: Takashi Yamano
Vol. 2
Spring 2006
Alumni Newsletter
Towards the Center of Excellence: A Word
over time our former students who have
from the IDS Program Director
taken internships have convinced them that
this program is useful for them.
Kei Otsuka
These are
just selected examples that show that the
Since the IDS
quality of the IDS Program has been
Program is still six
enhanced by our former students.
years old, it is an
An external review of our program
infant as an academic
was implemented under the leadership of
institution.
Professor
wish to let it grow.
So we
Fortunately I am
Masahiko
Aoki
of
Stanford
University and Professor Tetsuji Okazaki of
confident that it is indeed growing owing to
the University of Tokyo.
our alumni.
honor for us that the IDS Program has been
For example, applicants now
have much better knowledge of our program
reviewed
than
economists.
before,
as
our
alumni
explain,
by
such
It was a great
prominent
fellow
Moreover, the assessment was
recommend, and perhaps also advertise our
extremely positive.
program to their friends and colleagues.
I
requested to assess our program as an outside
met several government officials in the
reviewer, pointed out that “internationally
Ministry of Trade and Industry in Kenya,
this program is among the top ten in
who expressed deep appreciation to me for
development economics.” For me this short
having trained their staff.
My colleagues
statement is more encouraging than anything
have had similar experiences in other
else. The external review highly appreciates
countries. The internship programs in Japan
our serious research efforts in Asia and Africa
were not highly appreciated by foreign
and the large number of journal papers and
students in the beginning importantly because
book publications.
of the lack of experience of accepting interns
news is that Prof. Yamano has received the
on the part of the Japanese organizations; but
best journal article award from the American
１
One professor, who was
Another piece of good
Agricultural Economics Association, which is
except of course in the beginning when you
extremely prestigious. We are hoping that
are fed a full dose of the gloomy and rainy
gradually we will be able to build up a
British winter for almost five months. Things
reputation
are getting much better now with the days
as
a
leading
research
and
education center in development economics.
turning brighter, sky bluer, flowers and trees
Healthy institutions need healthy
and flowers blooming. Academically, it has
turnover: although it is a pity that Prof. Ma
also been great. I am given full time to
has accepted the offer by the London School
concentrate on my research although
of Economics, it also attests to the quality of
distractions and interruptions occur
our staff. Prof. Kajisa has accepted a joint
frequently here. I have made quite a few
appointment between the International Rice
"academic" travels within Europe, the most
Research Institute and FASID.
dramatic being a trip to Helsinki, Finland in
This also
indicates that our staff is expected to work
Jan. of this year. I tell you, walking around
internationally.
on frozen sea and river at minus 22 is an
Obviously the challenge for
us is to recruit new promising staff.
experience you do not want to miss.
Personally I am hoping that IDS serves as an
incubator
of
prominent
Of course, I miss Tokyo and the people
development
at FASID/GRIPS. Luckily, I did visit Tokyo
economists.
this March on an academic mission. It was
As I emphasize in the graduate
really nice to stay in the first floor hotel room
ceremony every year, we are now members
of our GRIPS building and catch up with all
of the same family.
the goings-on at the place.
As it is fun for us to
help our children grow, I hope that it is our
I am sad to tell you that I will leave the
common interest to support the IDS Program
FASID/GRIPS joint program and start as a
to grow.
lecturer with the Economic History
Department of LSE from this September. I
Hello from London!
know I will miss our program, especially the
Debin Ma
colleagues and students, former and current.
The good news is of course you will have an
Hello, this is Debin sending
alumni in London now. My affiliation now is:
you greetings from London.
Economic History Department, London
Last September, I came to
School of Economics. My email is
London to start my 10 month visiting
d.ma1@lse.ac.uk
fellowship at the Economic History
Department of the London School of
Economics. It has been a nice visit so far
2
Greetings from the
course.
IRRI has been releasing not only
country of the rice
productive modern rice varieties but also
Green Revolution
productive social scientists. Obviously, they
Kei Kajisa
are Hayami- sensei, Otsuka-sensei, and
Kalirajan- sensei who have spent a part of
After six years of full time research and
their academic lives at IRRI. Starting my new
teaching at FASID, I have changed my
research at IRRI, I’m hoping that I will be the
primary workplace from FASID to the
next modern variety from IRRI.
International Rice Research Institute (IRRI)
in the Philippines. I’ve just started my work
I have news to share with you.
My wife,
at IRRI this June as an Agricultural
Yoko, and I have been blessed with a
Economist in the Social Science Division.
beautiful baby girl (see the photo).
Although I’m going to spend most of my
th
born on April 4 , the middle of spring, and
time in the Philippines, I will still come back
we named her Maharu. As some of you
to FASID four months every year to teach my
remember, HARU means spring in Japanese.
dear old ‘Quantitative Methods.’ Well, no
We have chosen this name as it sounds close
IDS student can escape from me. Don’t say
to MAHAL which means love or dear in
this is a curse; it’s a blessing!
Tagalog. We wish people mahal Maharu in
She was
the Philippines.
Do you remember Hayami-sensei’s lecture on
the Green Revolution? Yes, you do.
IRRI is
If you have a chance to come Manila, please
the place where the miracle rice, IR8, was
extend your stay one more day and visit IRRI.
developed. The release of that variety
It’s just a two-hour drive from Manila.
triggered the rice Green Revolution. Since
Filipino IDS
then,
family, let’s
IRRI
has
kept
releasing
new
generations of modern rice varieties that
see each
contribute a lot in meeting the demand for
other sooner
rice of the world population. The latest
or later!
varieties currently under experiment include
a golden rice (named after the color of grain)
which contains richer beta carotene (vitamin
A) and an aerobic rice which has stronger
resistance to water shortage.
I will teach you another aspect of IRRI which
you have not learnt from Hayami-sensei’s
3
got a transfer from my previous ministry,
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, to the
News from the Alumni:
st
From the 1 batch:
National University of Laos in August 2005.
Tri Winarno
Since then I have been working as a lecturer
Since August 2005 I have been transferred to
of Economics at the Faculty of Economics
my original base in Bank Indonesia head
and Business Management and the Lao-Japan
quarters in Jakarta in the same department, in
Human Resource Cooperation Center (LJC).
the same division, in the same section, even
Since March 2006, I have got two additional
in the same desk as an econometric expert in
tasks: being a father and deputy director of
the balance of payments division. Actually I
LJC. I have been enjoying my job at the
am in charge of making econometric
university and my fatherhood.
equations related with the balance of
payments. My current jobs are developing
Suzuki Aya:
econometric models of Indonesia’s non oil
in the US. She has started studying the
exports and imports, oil consumption, foreign
development of the horticultural industry and
direct investment, portfolio investment and
contract farming in Ghana. In her fieldwork,
international reserves. Regarding non oil
she was able to see her Ghanaian classmate,
export, my research goes into detail such as
Sadick Sam, who tremendously helped her
the development of textile and garments,
research there.
Aya is now a Ph.D. candidate
paper etc. As a result, if you come across
anything
about
Indonesia’s
balance
From the 2nd batch:
of
payments, you will see some figures and
Richard Ofori Ampomah - Asiedu: Well
forecasting produced by Tri Winarno. In
since my return home in 2003 I have been
order to update my expertise, last March
working in a new unit in our Banking
2006 I had attended course discussing
Department (Head Office) called the
balance
Operational Risk and Market Intelligence
of
payments
and
international
investment position conducted by IMF in
Unit. There are only two of us in this unit. I
Singapore Training Institute for almost three
must also say that my hard work has earned
weeks. In fact I miss Japan and seeing my
me two promotions since I came back home.
dear friends from GRIPS to exchange
I was promoted in 2004 to Assistant Manager
information and experience, so if there are
and again in 2006 to Deputy Manager. The
any courses, please invite me to enhance my
sky is the limit, and I continue to work hard
expertise. Thank you very much.
to carry the flag of GRIPS high.
Bounlouane Douangngeune:
Due to my
strong preference in continuing my research I
4
From the 3rd batch:
submitted by my country for the position to
Kenichiro Kobayashi has been working as
the Commonwealth.
an assistant resident representative in the
JICA Nepal
Office.
He
covers
education and governance sector.
the
Kaori Ikeda: Kaori reports to us that she is
Let's
doing well at the World Bank and has started
hope that we will be able to restore the long
taking on a new assignment.
absent peace in Nepal.
years of working at the World Bank, she
After three
seems getting ready to explore new
opportunities though.
Masato Hayashikawa has been working as
an Administrator at the OECD Development
Co-operation Directorate (a.k.a. DAC
Akiko Aikawa: Akiko is currently
Secretariat) in Paris since December 2004.
conducting field work in rural areas of
He is responsible for trade-related
Uganda. The editor of this newsletter has no
development issues. He reports to us that his
contact with her and is not sure if she is okay.
family is going to be blessed with a new
The last word was that she got malaria and
member (second son) this coming August.
recovered. She seems very happy about
You can reach him at
gaining the malaria experience.
mhayashikawa@yahoo.co.jp.
Akira Kanamori: On May 27, 2006, I got
Mukuli Subbuku Chikuba: Since my return
married with Eriko who is a kindergarten
from Japan, I was promoted from the position
teacher. I am currently working at the foreign
of Senior Economist (External Debt) in the
registration desk at a City Hall. I am really
Ministry of Finance and National Planning to
enjoying my new life!! (Below: Akira and
work as an Acting Principal Economist
Eriko at their wedding party.)
(External Debt). During the period I have
been nominated by my department to be
given the award of most disciplined
employee in the Ministry. Following
Zambia's accession as President of the
Commonwealth HIPC Finance Ministers
Presidency, I will from the end of June 2006
be working as a HIPC Advisor to the
Commonwealth for a period of 1 year based
in the United Kingdom. The position
coincides with Zambia's Presidency and I
was appointed after a vetting of the names
5
Besides my busy work, I talked with Hao san
th
From the 4 batch:
often, however I missed the chances to meet
Kaoru Kimura is still surviving at the World
Yukiko san and Noei san when they came to
Bank HQ in Washington DC where she did
China.
her
Atsushi Takahashi: I am now in Colombo,
internship.
publication
Her
first
contributed
“Information
Communications
for
and
Sri Lanka, as Project Coordinator of Japan
Development
Sri Lanka College of Technology Project. I
(www.worldbank.org/ic4d)” has finally come
will be here till July 2007.
out in April 2006, and now she is working for
http://project.jica.go.jp/srilanka/0661165E0/e
the project in China. She hopes have a chance
nglish/index.html
to join the mission to China and have a
reunion with the IDS family in the near
Mayuko Yamamoto: I have been
future.
working as an analyst of country risk for 6
months, but to be honest, financial risk
Akiko Noda: I am working at the Economic
analysis is dreary work than compared to
Cooperation Bureau of the Ministry Foreign
working in the field. Hope to go to a field trip
Affairs, Japan.
this year.
I am responsible for issues
that are discussed at the Development
Assistance Committee (DAC) / OECD.
Woro Srihastuti Sulistyaningrum (Lisa):
Although I am working on
I still work at National Development
ODA, my travel destination is always Paris
Planning Agency (BAPPENAS) but I moved
since DAC meetings are held there.
from my previous department (Directorate
for Monitoring and Evaluation) before I went
Yukiko Uchiyama: I am back in Tokyo
to Japan to a new department (Directorate for
from Washington DC to work with a British
Poverty Reduction). This is a new department
rating company in the area of structured
in my office because now the government of
finance. I expected a gorgeous "OL" life in
Indonesia is really concerned about poverty
Tokyo, which is not observed in Washington
reduction (especially after the crisis) and is
DC, but in reality a "salary woman" life was
putting a lot of effort into it. Now I act as a
here for me ...
head of the sub directorate for Poverty
Anyway, the new area is
interesting for me so far.
Mapping. Our department now is in the
process of creating a new program of cash
Wang Hang: I came back to the Ministry of
transfer but with conditionalities for reducing
Science and Technology after graduation. I
poverty. Besides, we still work on developing
am now working as the Deputy Division
the grand design for poverty reduction
Director of the Personnel Department.
through empowering the poor.
6
From the 5th batch:
Akira Fukasawa has started working for
Faculty Notes:
Asian Development Bank Institute as a
Keijiro Otsuka, our current director, is also
capacity building and training associate. He
the vice president of the International
organized a seminar about industrial cluster
Associations for Agricultural Economists
with Prof. Otsuka and Sonobe in Hanoi,
(IAAE) and is busy organizing the IAAE
Vietnam. He will organize a seminar on
Meeting in Brisbene, Australia, this summer.
regional public goods around July. In
Besides taking charge of his daily
addition, Akira has started studying USCPA
administrative duties at FASID, he is the
to find a new job next year.
chairperson of the board of the International
Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and one of the
Raphael Gitau: Upon his return to Kenya he
associate editors of the prestigious
rejoined his institution, Tegemeo Institute of
development journal Economic Development
Agricultural Policy and Development-
and Cultural Change. “How can he manage
Egerton University as a Research Fellow and
his health and research productivity with all
is currently undertaking a study on Regional
the work?” is a question on everyone’s mind
Food Security Challenge Informing Public
these days.
Policy On the Role of Biotechnology in
Poverty Alleviation in Kenya and Uganda.
Yujiro Hayami,
the founding
Motoyuki Okura has returned to Yokohama
director of our
Customs and is now concentrating on
program, retired
investigating smuggling cases. He's now
from his
worried that he might be transferred to a
directorship
much, much busier workplace this coming
duties in 2003.
July…
He is slowly
reducing the number of days he comes to
school recently. But don’t be surprised to
learn that he is continuing his research and
book writing at home in a newly created
study. His research time, however, is
interrupted by his newest granddaughter,
Maharu Kajisa, whose parents are Associate
Prof. Kei Kajisa and Yoko Kajisa, daughter
of Prof. Hayami.
7
daughter in the Philippines, so he looks
Kali Kalirajan continues to charm the
forward to the fall semester to come back to
students and others around him with his
Tokyo to see his daughter, in addition to
cheerfulness. He is engaged in various
meeting new students.
research projects including one on
comparative the macro-economic
Takashi Yamano has been involved a
performance of India and China. After the
project called RePEAT (Research on Poverty,
departure of Associate Prof. Debin Ma, he
Environment, and Agricultural Technology)
became the solo non-Japanese faculty
in Kenya, Uganda, and Ethiopia. As the
member.
name of the project, RePEAT, suggests, the
surveys have been conducted on the same
Tetsushi Sonobe is our associate director
households repeatedly to construct panel data.
who helps handle various administrative
Please visit the project web sites:
duties.
http://www3.grips.ac.jp/~21coe/e/index.html.
Besides his teaching of
industrialization and trade and development
He has recently received the Outstanding
research seminars, he also supervises Ph.D
Article Award of 2005 American Journal of
students.
Agricultural Economics for his co-authored
His book co-authored with Keijiro
Otsuka on economic geographic and
paper on child growth and food aid in
industrialization came out last year in
Ethiopia. To know more about his work,
Japanese. It immediately won the
please visit his home page
prestigious publication prize from Japan
(http://www3.grips.ac.jp/~yamanota).
He is
Nikkei Press. He and Kei Otsuka have been
also productive in producing children.
His
invited to give talks at various research and
daughter, Hinako, is one year old, and he and
governmental institutions on their book.
his wife are expecting a boy in June, 2006.
Tetsushi’s research on industrialization has
He has been busy changing diapers and will
taken him all over the world - sometimes in
be busier soon.
the most unexpected places – to talk with
shoemakers in Ethiopia, junkyard dealers in
Futoshi Yamauchi has a joint appointment
Ghana, and tailors in the Philippines.
with International Food Policy Research
Institute in Washington D.C.
He comes
Kei Kajisa started a joint appointment with
back to Tokyo to teach a PhD course on
IRRI in the Philippines and spends about 9
Microeconomics in the fall semester. He is
months there, although he will still teach his
one of the most productive faculty members,
well-received course on statistics in the fall
publishing papers in top journals in
semester. He became the father of a
development economics such as Journal of
beautiful baby girl in April and misses his
Development Economics (JDE) and EDCC.
8
Yoko Kijima is another productive faculty
member, whose papers are forthcoming in
assisting top development journals such as
JDE and EDCC.
She assists Keijiro
Otsuka’s Microeconomics course during the
fall semester. She has been conducting
research in Africa.
If you have any
questions about upland rice, called NERICA,
and milk marketing, she is the right person to
ask.
Colin Rundle continues to spend summers at
Kudanshita preparing students in the IEP, and
winters at Roppongi consulting on exam
writing and internship applications. He is
finally studying Japanese, and is beginning a
comparison of Japanese and English student
From FASID Office
research papers.
We are all doing well and assisting the
program as usual. Three new staff members
Paul Kandasamy has been busy chasing
have joined the FASID Office since last
students to collect research papers from them,
Autumn. You can see us in the picture taken
although the students are getting better at
in front of the GRIPS building below.
hiding from him. Besides engaging in
episodes of “hide and seek”, Paul has
recently published articles on information
structuring in academic journal article
introductions and gender bias in ESL
texts, and is currently analyzing Japanese
university English language entrance
examinations for an upcoming paper. See
below, Paul in a happy moment with
students:
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decided to publish this newsletter twice a
Thanks from the Editor
year starting from 2006.
Takashi Yamano
to make an announcement in this newsletter,
First, let me thank all of you who have
you will have another opportunity in the Fall
contributed to this issue of the IDS Alumni
2006 issue and many more in the future.
Newsletter. The IDS family is growing and
Please also send us your comments and
spreading throughout the world every year,
suggestions about what we can do to
and it is important to maintain our family ties.
strengthen our ties with you! You can send
For the current and future students, it is
email to me at yamanota@grips.ac.jp.
encouraging to know that IDS alumni are
working effectively in their governments,
Takashi Yamano,
international organizations, and other places,
Editor
as you can read in this newsletter. To
(Right: Editor under
strengthen our ties with alumni, we have
heavy responsibilities.)
10
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