New Graduate Recruitment: Engaged in Graduate School Academic Affairs

Yusuke Hijikata studied behavioral economics throughout his undergraduate and master's programs. He says that even after joining Keio University, his expertise and desire to learn have been connected to his daily work. We asked him about the characteristics of Keio University as a workplace that allows him to utilize his areas of expertise, as well as the details of his job and what he finds rewarding.

After graduating from Ritsumeikan University and completing my master's at the University of Tokyo's graduate school, I joined Keio University as a new graduate in 2015. I majored in economics, specializing in behavioral economics, a field that gained attention when Professor Richard Thaler of the University of Chicago won the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences in 2017. To be more specific, I was involved in empirically demonstrating the "gap" between common assumptions and reality by collecting data from the real world and through experiments that simulated real-world society. During my student years, I know some people focus on things other than academics, like clubs or part-time jobs, but for me, studying was the most enjoyable thing. I was engrossed in reading papers and conducting research. I guess it just suited me. I wanted to continue my research, so I decided to go to graduate school in my second year of university. Even now, I read economics books and papers on my days off.

Currently, I am in charge of academic affairs at Keio University's Graduate School of Business Administration (commonly known as KBS, which offers degree programs such as MBA and Ph.D. and also functions as the Keio Business School (KBS), providing short-term executive seminars). Although it's slightly different from the field I studied, the domain is close, and there are many professors I already knew, so I approach my daily work with great interest. When I was assigned to KBS, I read the professors' Curricula Vitae (CVs) and papers before meeting them, and I was happy that they were very pleased. What I've learned in the past is truly alive in my current work.

My main job, as the person in charge of academic affairs, involves not only planning the curriculum, including course registration and examinations, but also serving as a point of contact for various consultations from admission to graduation. I interact with students a lot. In addition, my responsibilities also cover entrance exams, public relations, and facility management, and recently I've also started handling international relations. During my two-month training period before this assignment, I was in charge of undergraduate students in their early twenties at the Independence Wing on Hiyoshi Campus, so after being assigned to KBS, I was surprised that many students were older than me, around 35. Including my own experiences, I've seen various undergraduate and graduate schools, but at KBS, I feel like I'm seeing a new side of the university. KBS has more than 25 full-time faculty members who not only hold doctoral degrees but also have diverse practical experience and connections with companies. The students, too, all come from diverse backgrounds. It's a treasure trove of knowledge, know-how, and networks, and I want them to make the most of this environment. We, the staff, hope to support them in doing so.

The consultations from students are extremely varied. For example, some want to hold a business competition involving not only KBS faculty but also students and faculty from other universities and companies to put what they've learned in lectures into practice. Others ask how they can organize study sessions or lectures using their own experience and networks. I guess you could call it a dynamic interaction between faculty and students. Being able to support the realization of ideas that can only be born here and now is what I find rewarding.

Soon, the students I've interacted with since the open campus and throughout their time here will be graduating for the first time. That's also a very deeply moving thought for me. I'm not their homeroom teacher from elementary or middle school, but I'm concerned about whether the students I've interacted with in various situations will graduate satisfied with their student life at KBS. I see their satisfied faces every day, so I'm sure it will be fine, but I'm already looking forward to the great joy I'll feel when that moment actually comes.

In my interactions with students and faculty, there are also areas where I can apply the knowledge of behavioral economics I've learned. For example, behavioral economics has partially demonstrated what timing and what kind of wording are effective when you want someone to meet a deadline for submissions or when a deadline has passed. I apply this knowledge to my work. It's not a major reform, but I make improvements that I can within my discretion. I'm still in my third year, and the workplace is full of senior staff, but when I propose new initiatives or improvements, everyone is very receptive. It's been like that since my first year. I think it's the culture of Keio University. It's a very good workplace.

The reason I wanted to work at Keio University was that I sensed this culture during the interview process. In my interviews, when I talked about how I could apply the results of my graduate research and studies in the workplace, they listened with more interest and enthusiasm than any other company I interviewed with. I believe the teaching of Yukichi Fukuzawa, "learning while teaching, teaching while learning," is deeply rooted here. Each and every staff member has a constant desire to learn, and there's an atmosphere where they listen and are receptive, regardless of age or years of service. I became even more interested after taking the recruitment exam than before, and I really wanted to work here.

In the future, I want to take the lead and challenge myself in various things, not just within KBS, but beyond the boundaries of the graduate school, as the person in charge of graduate students at the Hiyoshi Office of Student Services. I have junior colleagues now, so I want to spur each other on and use our youthful energy to further invigorate Keio University.