[No. 185] Takumi Kato

I would like to express my gratitude for this valuable opportunity to contribute to the Keio University alumni Relay Column. It has already been four years since I graduated from Keio University in March 2017. I am currently serving the country as a government official in Kasumigaseki, doing my best every day. I will look back on the path that led me to become a government official with a Ph.D., a rather unusual career, by focusing on three turning points.

The first turning point was choosing a laboratory.

As an undergraduate student, I chose the Department of Electronics and Electrical Engineering without much hesitation, but I was very indecisive when it came to choosing a laboratory. I had a vague interest in optical engineering, which deals with lasers and other technologies, so I ultimately chose the laboratory of Professor Takazumi Tanabe (then a full-time lecturer). At the time, Professor Tanabe had just moved to Keio University from the corporate sector, and the laboratory was a blank slate with no experimental equipment. Looking back, choosing a laboratory with no established foundation was a challenge, but I had many valuable experiences that could only be gained during the start-up phase of a lab. For example, in my fourth year, I designed and oversaw the construction of a cleanroom for handling semiconductors, and I vividly remember that summer working alongside the construction and equipment contractors. Furthermore, I was fortunate that my research on a device I designed and fabricated using that cleanroom took shape in the form of presentations at international conferences and publications in academic journals, which became the catalyst for a major decision later on.

The second turning point was joining the Program for Leading Graduate Schools and advancing to the Doctoral Programs.

When I entered graduate school, I intended to complete a master's degree, but the idea of a doctorate was still vague. Then, a project called the Program for Leading Graduate Schools came along. With the theme "Science for the Development of a Super-Mature Society," it was an attempt to break the mold of the traditional Ph.D. and present a new image of a doctoral graduate for a new era, all within a five-year integrated program covering a master's, a second master's (double degree), and a Ph.D. The program aimed to produce doctoral graduates who could be active not only in academia but also in government and international organizations. As I was already interested in the government's role in addressing social issues, and with the research results I mentioned earlier, I applied with the support of Professor Tanabe and was fortunate to be accepted as a member of the program's first cohort. I will omit the details of the program, but every Saturday was a program activity day. We worked with mentors from the corporate world to identify and solve social problems and received guidance from professors in other faculties. Although it was tough, I feel it was fulfilling training that broadened my perspective and fostered a positive mindset, especially during graduate school life, which can easily become confined to one's specialized "silo."

The Doctoral Programs were extremely challenging for me, as I had overestimated my abilities due to beginner's luck as an undergraduate. However, with the help of those around me, I managed to complete it. I was also fortunate to have opportunities to study abroad, and the invaluable experience of conducting research in Montreal and Boston is a great asset to me.

The final turning point was choosing a path in public administration.

Public administration is something whose reality is hard to grasp unless you know someone in the field, and I believe it would have been a world I had no connection to if I hadn't been in the Program for Leading Graduate Schools. I wanted to work on solving social issues through science and technology policy, so I took the plunge and joined the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). As someone who has at least some understanding of research activities, I strive every day to engage in policymaking that is closely aligned with the research field. I find fulfillment in this work, which has a different kind of appeal than delving deep into technology.

Currently, I am on secondment from MEXT to the Secretariat of National Space Policy at the Cabinet Office, where I am responsible for coordinating the nation's overall space policy. With dynamic developments such as the launch of crewed commercial spacecraft to the International Space Station and communication systems using small satellite constellations beginning to bring significant changes to the industry, I am working with a renewed and strong awareness of the importance of advancing administrative activities while understanding cutting-edge technology.