TheJourneyVolume1 - Book - Page 68
#NextGenUNDP
Shigeki Komatsubara
Coun tr y o f O r igin :
UNDP Co u n t r y O f f ic e :
Date o f Ap po in tm e n t :
JA PA N
M A L AW I
J UN E 2 019
“I BELIEVE IN COLLECTIVE STRENGTH
THROUGH DIVERSITY…
IT IS A PRIVILEGE TO BE PART
OF THIS DIVERSE GROUP.”
I
was born into an academic family, in Tokushima
prefecture, western Japan. My father was a Professor
of English Literature at the University of Tokyo.
Having survived the devastation of World War II, he
was very conscious of the importance of social justice and
the attainment potential of humanity, which may have
been one of the reasons why he chose to study the famous
British novelist, Charles Dickens.
Throughout my childhood, I was surrounded by
“English things” at home, and being the scholar that
he was, my father would take me to English bookstores
as well as his office at the University. Subconsciously,
“foreign things” had become a significant part of my
childhood.
At Junior High school, I became the first person in my
family, along with my mother and elder sister, to travel
abroad. My father had completed his studies in English
Literature in Japan because traveling abroad during the
war, was impossible for ordinary people. This was made
worse by all kinds of loss that the people of Japan were
witnessing.
My first trip abroad was to the United Kingdom, and
this opened my eyes to the world. Although I spoke only
elementary English, it was so much fun to connect with
people through the language.
If my father excelled in English literature through
books, I wanted to excel in English through people,
connecting with individuals and communities from
around the world. This motivated me to study English at
Junior and High School.
At the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, my interest
evolved from mastering English to wanting to study
International Affairs and to understand how Japan,
which had risen from the ruins of war to become a global
economic power, could better contribute to the global
community. This was towards the end of the “Cold War”,
and the global power structures were being transformed.
DIVERSITY PRODUCES STRENGTH
With one year to go before my graduation, my father passed
away suddenly. Having lost the protection, security, and
guidance of somebody who shaped the environment I grew
up in, I had to ask myself many tough questions about my
life until then.
After many agonizing months, I decided that I would
pursue my life with an open mind and without regrets.
Hoping to deepen my understanding of global structural
changes where they were happening (Europe, for
example), and to better figure out how I can contribute
to global community, I went to the London School of
Economics, and became the first in my family to pursue a
graduate degree abroad. The theme of my graduate thesis
was “Japan, South Africa, and International Economic
Sanctions,” which reflected my exposure to studying global
perspectives and my growing interest in multilateral institutions such as the United Nations.
My LSE experience convinced me that diversity produces
strength. It also taught me the importance of knowing your
roots and having your own viewpoints. So, I went back
to Japan and joined the Secretariat of Keidanren (Japan
Federation of Economic Organizations) as an economist.
During the following eleven years, I worked on international economic relations, engaging with the business
community in Japan, as well as in the OECD countries. ›
Working with colleagues
and the people of Malawi through
challenges and crises has
reaffirmed my belief in our strength
in diversity and the power
of collaboration.”
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