GCYS 2015 Mid-Term Reporting
On Sunday, November 8th 2015, Mrs. Yumi Kuwana, the founder of GCI, GCYS Scholars and Mentors, and YGC Members gathered for the Global Project Mid-Term Reporting. The meeting was held in two parts, individual Glocal Project updates from the latest GCYS scholars and mentors, and a group session by all the participants present on this day.
Mr. Hidehiko Shigemasa (2015 GCYS Scholar), along with his mentor, Ms. Matsumoto of YCG have been working on the theme of education, specifically on the issue of “How to make it easier for minorities and students from low income families to attend universities.” Hidehiko has been working actively by talking on this issue to a well-known politician (Extraordinary Minister of the Cabinet Office) with the help of introduction from Mrs. Kuwana. Hidehiko declares that he will carry out his Global Project at his middle school he graduated from, after entering college.
Ms. Mako Matsuzaki has been working on launching a website that any student at her high school could access to appreciate and share art works by other students. Mako came up with this Glocal Project to let students on campus to know about others’ art works and to promote artistic activities. Her mentor, Ms. Miwa Seki has offered various advices based from her career experiences as a professional translator and at an advertising agency and foreign investment bank. Ms. Seki is currently a professor at Kyorin University.
In the group session after the individual updates, additional participants including Mr. Eiichiro Kuwana, the CEO of an investment management firm and Mrs. Yumi Kuwana’s husband, Mr. Michael D. Stephenson, the Chief Investment Officer of Mr. Kuwana’s investment management firm, Ms. Yumi Murakami, the Head of the Tokyo Center of OECD, Mr. Akihiro Takigawa, a 2014 GCYS scholar, and YGC members. After briefly introducing themselves, a total of twelve (12) participants discussed actively on various topics from the Glocal Project reports to experiences at the Harvard Business School by some of the mentors. Akihiro has also given his update on his Glocal Project, making plastics from banana peels that he has worked on since the 2014 GCYS. Akihiro has been keeping himself very busy with this Glocal project and currently being the head of his school’s computer lab on top of his school studies and preparation for university entrance exams. He has also been participating in a prestigious summer school program in the United States.
GCYS Scholars have strong interests in attending universities or graduate schools overseas. They continuously get involved and support in the events hosted by YGC.
