Our Legacy

I was a Japanese government (MEXT) Scholar from 2015 to 2021. My love for community-building and networking led to my co-founding the MSA, an organization for international Scholars in Japan. I continue to engage with international scholars by giving talks and writing blogs.

As a co-founder and the head of partnerships, I have raised funds for events, and also roped in many partner organizations such as ASEAN, Deloitte, HCJI and job-hunting companies

Co-founded MSA and was President between 2018 - 2023. Throughout this period, he expanded MSA into the largest MEXT community in Japan. He currently resides in Singapore, while keeping his links with Japan alive.

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.

Haris has experience of working with various companies and startups in the domain of AI. Currently he is working an AI Researcher in one of the leading IT companies of Japan, NTT.

Jihyeon’s research areas of specializations are: Court Interpreting in the Bilingual Courtroom, Policy on Interpreting in Legal Settings.

Royce works in the leasing with the lease and finance department of a Japanese trading company.

Jorel is a research intern at a Tokyo-based think-tank specializing in Japanese bilateral security relations

Editor of the Sentinel, Tohoku University’s English newspaper. Master student of medical science, specialized on molecular ongology.

Davide is a Masters student in Japanese Intellectual History and is also a Youtuber as a hobby.

Guianfranco is performing research in neurogenesis mechanisms on Alzheimer’s Disease

Stéphane co-lead the early expansion efforts of HLAB, was the member of the co-founding team of Komatsu Summer School and founded the Harvard Japan Career Forum. He currently works as the youngest manager one of Japan’s largest IT, Digital Contents & e-service platforms and is also the advisor to Taktopia.

Paula serves as the Director of the International Exchange Forum at the Japan Institute of Portland Japanese Garden, a distinguished American non-profit recognized as one of the most dynamic Japanese cultural centers outside Japan. In this capacity, she actively promotes cultural diplomacy and facilitates global exchanges.

Sheikh is currently working on basin-scale modeling of hydrologic events. He is passionate about using hydrological knowledge to achieve the SDGs. He is also interested in data science and street photography.

Focusing on Intercultural Communication in my studies, I explored speech patterns in conversations between Japanese and foreigners. Outside of university, I lead teams of people from different cultural backgrounds for my part time job, which organizes intercultural communication trainings for companies and schools in Japan.

Arin is a designer specializing in user-centered design, with experience in crafting digital products across multiple industries. Originally from New York City, Arin has had the privilege of collaborating with individuals from various diverse backgrounds, emphasizing the importance of creating digital products that are inherently accessible and inclusive.

Kami’s research focuses on challenging societal norms and expectations in artistic practice, with a focus on ceramics. They also work as an editor, developer, and digital accessibility consultant for companies both in Japan and abroad.

Mohamed is a Machine Learning Engineer at a leading IT firm in Japan, specializing in AI and large dataset analysis. He moved to Japan in 2015 and earned his Associate, Bachelor's, and Master's degrees. He now focuses on developing machine learning models in his professional role

Certified PMP with more than 8 years of project management experience, specializing in business development and supply chain management. Also experienced in system development, HR in mining, and traditional medicine/cosmetics manufacturing start-up.

JJ is a Japanese Pharmacist License holder and is currently working as a Senior Manager in a major Japanese global pharmaceutical company. She is also passionately implementing into reality her MBA thesis proposal called Project Ongaeshi which aims to help integrate MEXT Undergrad Scholars smoothly into Japanese global companies