Ashutosh SHUKLA President

Nationality: India
School: University of the Ryukyus/Masters
Arrival in Japan: 2019
Ashutosh is a Civil engineer and Urban Planner, Currently pursuing a PhD in Urban Planning & Regional Analysis in University of the Ryukyus, He is also working for e-scooter company as Head of Operations and Expansions in Japan. Feel free to reach out to him / follow him on LinkedIn

Sanjeev K MALL
Vice President (Head of Operations)

Nationality: India
School: University of the Ryukyus/Masters
Arrival in Japan: 2019
Sanjeev, a JST SPRING Scholar and former MEXT Scholar, is currently pursuing a PhD at Sophia University. Previously worked as R&D Engineer at Mayekawa Mfg. Co. Ltd., Japan harmonizes the worlds of fluid dynamics and digital design with his passion for music and literature. A tech enthusiast with a poetic soul, he’s as comfortable exploring the cosmos through astrophysics as he is composing melodies on his guitar or delving into the pages of a sci-fi novel.

Austin ZENG
Director / Co-founder

Nationality: Singapore
School: University of Tokyo/Undergraduate
Arrival in Japan: 2012
MSA Co-founder and President from 2018 – 2023. Currently splits time between Japan and Singapore. Lectures about careers to foreign students while working both as an engineer and translator/interpreter.

Animesh HARSH
Secretary

Nationality: India
School: Chiba Institute of technology/Undergraduate
Arrival in Japan: 2019
Animesh is a 4th year CS undergrad. His research during his tone at college of technology focused on using image analysis+board computers to lower the cost of Medical devices. When he’s not busy wasting time on social media, he likes to swim, surf and sleep.

Aminu ABUBAKAR
Vice-Head Operations

Nationality: Nigeria
School: St.Luke’s International University/PhD
Arrival in Japan: 2023
An epidemiologist and global health expert, interested in Cancer and other chronic diseases. His current research is focus on addressing cancer disparities and inequalities in cancer outcome. I am also interested in global health and international politics.

Zhengyang CHEN
Head of Externals

Nationality: Canadian
School: Yokohama National University
Arrival in Japan:2020
Zhengyang currently works in a private sector and as a head of externals he focuses on relationship management with external parties and stakeholders from both public and private sectors. He enjoys skiing and travelling during his free time.

Munkhsuuri AMARTUVSHIN
Vice-Head Externals

Nationality: Mongolia
School: Tokyo Institute of Technology
Arrival in Japan: 2021
My name is Suuri, an executive member of MSA external team. I am also working an assistant project manager at Colliers.

Negar KHALILI
Head of Media

Nationality: Iran
School: Kyushu University / Research student
Arrival in Japan: 2022
Negar’s research is centered on cognitive neuroscience, with a focus on understanding human decision-making and attention. LinkedIn

Anshika KANKANE
Vice-Head Media

Nationality: India
School: University of The Ryukyus/Masters
Arrival in Japan: 2020
Hi! I am Anshika, currently working as a Machine Learning Engineer at a Food Tech company Menu, Inc. I studied Masters in Okinawa as a MEXT Scholar. I enjoy traveling, meeting people from different countries, and learning about their cultures. As a vegetarian, I can recommend some great vegan/vegetarian hidden spots in Tokyo—feel free to reach out or ask for food coupons, lol!

Fawaz BAGOUDOU
Head of Alumni

Nationality: Benin
School: Shinshu University/PhD
Arrival in Japan: 2018
Fawaz currently holds the position of Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Agriculture, Shinshu University. He is a passionate advocate for sustainability, food, culture and education as a transformative global force and is eager to meet like-minded people. His fervent dedication to global concerns is evident through his active efforts to foster awareness about critical topics such as food waste and food loss.

Arief Anthonius PURNAMA
Head of Regionals

Nationality: Indonesia
School: Shimane University/PhD
Arrival in Japan: 2021
Arief is a lecturer and professional researcher in the field of biodiversity and environment in Indonesia. Currently pursuing a doctoral degree in life and environmental science at Shimane University. Research focuses on the impact of land change on the sustainability of endangered species.

Steven LIU
Vice-Head Regionals

Nationality: Singapore
School: Tohoku University/Undergraduate
Arrival in Japan: 2023
Steven is an undergraduate majoring in computer science in Tohoku University. His interests include embarking on spontaneous trips in the Tohoku region and devouring local variations of popular Japanese ramen chains jiro and niboshi. He is working on helping those interested in direct placement (undergraduate) get into their preferrred schools, as well as helping students from English education backgrounds adjust better to Japanese curriculums.

Sujata SAINI
Head of Finance

Nationality: India
School: Tokyo Metropolitan University/PhD
Arrival in Japan: 2021
Sujata is an Indian who is pursuing her PhD in Computer Science at Tokyo Metropolitan University in Tokyo, Japan. Her major is Data Science and Machine Learning. She is a Women Techmaker Ambassador in Japan and founder/organizer of major tech communities such as Google Developer Student Club and Microsoft Learn at TMU.

Fatimah Mohammed ALBAHRANI
Vice-head Finance

Nationality: Saudi Arabia
School: University of Tsukuba /Research student
Arrival in Japan: 2023
Bachelor degree in biomedical engineering with research interest in molecular biology and drug discovery continued for Masters as well. Beside science, I am passionate about painting, cooking, and volunteering activities.