My SFC Journey
Faculty of Policy Management
From: Japan
Seminar (kenkyukai): Yuichiro Shimizu's Seminar
I loved history and was interested in socioeconomic inequalities and business management, as well as privacy and surveillance issues. I saw SFC as a kind of "buffet."
My Research
My research journey began with an exploration of food waste reduction, followed by an investigation into machine learning for health monitoring through food intake. These experiences helped me realize my deeper interest lies in the history of science and technology, particularly citizen engagement in Japan's technoscientific policymaking.
1st Year
I took Japan in World History and Coaching in a Leadership Development. I grew the most from courses that required preparing and critical thinking, and benefited from classes with a lot of group discussions. I also joined the Keio volleyball team without much prior experience. The time I spent with my teammates turned out to be one of the highlights of my student life.
2nd Year
I enrolled in International Enterprises and Ubiquitous System Architecture. I was in a computer science Seminar and learned to communicate with people of different research backgrounds. Particularly, I learned a lot from working alongside my mentors on a dietary monitoring study which received an award for young researchers from the Information Processing Society of Japan and gave me an opportunity to deliver the findings at an international conference.
3rd Year
I studied Modern Social Theory and Analyzing of Financial Statement. I learned from courses that interested me, which were sometimes difficult and demanding.
4th Year
Modern History and Theory of Earth System Design are some of the courses I took in my final year. I worked on my Graduation Project, balancing curiosity with time. Taking classes that were within my wheelhouse and I was passionate about was a great choice.
Message to Prospective Students
If you are already interested in pursuing a specific topic, that's great! But if not, do the best you can with one topic, even if just provisionally. Digging deeper, researching, and developing your own opinions, analysis, or hypotheses is probably the best way to find your true calling. SFC's flexible approach lets you meet people, learn from them, and connect to new opportunities.
(This story was captured in 2024.)