Shinsuke Nakamura - Retiring in AY2022

On the occasion of my mandatory retirement, the Faculty asked me to reflect on my teaching career.

My full-fledged teaching began in 1990 after I was promoted to associate professor and took charge of Introductory Microeconomics (then called Principles of Economics) at the Hiyoshi Campus. I have been teaching it for about 30 years since then. My most shocking memory from that time dates back to when former President Yasuhiko Torii was still the Dean of the Faculty of Economics. At that time, as a result of entrance examination reforms at the Faculty of Economics, an admission method without mathematics as an exam subject (Method B) was added to the conventional admission method (Method A). Fortunately, Method B became very popular, ranking among the top universities in Japan in terms of standard scores and attracting a high application rate. In the first or second year of teaching these students, I explained the "budget constraint equation" in the first class. Before introducing the formula, I started with a numerical example, a typical question: "What is the total expenditure if you buy five apples at 100 yen each and ten oranges at 50 yen each?" On the same day, I would proceed to its expression using the inner product of vectors. After class, a few students came up to me and said, "Professor, we were admitted through Method B, so we haven't studied mathematics. Please stop using numbers." I thought to myself, "In economics, you might be able to get by without using overly difficult mathematical formulas, but you will certainly use numbers," and I tried to explain this, albeit clumsily. But since the students were what you would call elite exam-takers, I was truly surprised. Of course, I believe a large part of it was due to my own inexperience in teaching, and I am also certain that most students admitted through Method B had studied mathematics properly and that such students were in the minority. Afterward, thanks to the great efforts of many faculty members, especially the mathematics professors, and as the content of the Faculty of Economics' courses became more widely understood, such incidents ceased. However, this experience became an important factor for me in planning my future classes.

In the latter half of my teaching career, in addition to my own classes, I became involved in planning the curriculum for the Faculty of Economics. When Professor Emeritus Eiji Hosoda was the Dean, I, as the person in charge of curriculum reform, proposed the PCP (Professional Career Programme) and the Research Project. These, along with the traditional "Research Seminar (Zemi)," became the three pillars of the small-group classes at the Mita Campus. The PCP was a course where several specializations were created within specialized subjects, all taught in English. The Research Project was a highly flexible program, not limited to economics, that could be established if the interests of students and faculty matched, covering a wide range of subjects including languages and general education. What all these programs had in common was the requirement for students to write a thesis on their results at the end. Many faculty members of the Faculty of Economics dedicated their efforts to these programs, and I am very happy that they are still ongoing. After I became Dean myself, the PEARL (Programme in Economics for Alliances, Research and Leadership) was established, featuring fall admission, fall graduation, and a curriculum taught entirely in English for all four years. Through this, I believe the Keio Faculty of Economics has built a foundation to be evaluated and to compete among universities worldwide. In addition, the Institute for Economic Studies was established. Through the Institute, not only is research conducted, but many endowed courses have also been set up. This has enabled students to obtain information not only from university faculty but also from the professional world. It goes without saying that all of these were the fruits of the immense efforts of many faculty members. Throughout these curriculum reforms, what was on my mind were the words of those students from my early years. My response was to help students understand the intentions of the Faculty of Economics' curriculum as much as possible, enabling them to pursue their interests and develop their strengths.

Subsequently, under former Dean Yukihiro Ikeda, the current Vice-President, and current Dean Tetsuya Komagata, the DEEP (Data-driven Economics and Econometrics Programme) and FACTS (Fieldwork for Active Comprehension of Targeted Subject) were launched, allowing students to pursue their research by choosing approaches and fields that interest them. I am grateful to have spent my teaching career always surrounded by outstanding students and enthusiastic colleagues. I pray for the continued development of the Keio Faculty of Economics.