Through the "Introduction to African Politics" class I took in the first semester of my first year, I realized that I had only seen the world from the perspective of developed countries. At university, I began to want to learn more about the "world" as seen from the perspective of emerging countries, which is completely different from the world I learned about in my high school "world history" textbooks. In particular, I find it very interesting that modern social issues such as environmental problems and gender issues can be viewed in a new light by incorporating the perspective of emerging countries.

From his third year, he plans to join a seminar to study the economic development of emerging countries. In extracurricular activities, he is a member of the Faculty of School of International Politics, Economics and Communication' student group "Diplomacy and International Public Affairs Guidance Office" (a faculty-recognized organization that aims to develop human resources who will be active in the international community, such as diplomats and international organization staff), and serves as the chairperson of the "Development Aid" group. Looking at the current international situation, he felt the need to think more deeply about "security," so he invited an active-duty Self-Defense Force member who has experience as a defense attaché to Aogaku to give a lecture on the theme of "The Importance of International Exchange Learned Through Working Overseas."​
After graduation, I plan to go on to graduate school to study development economics and public policy in Asian and African countries, and in the future, I hope to contribute to the development of emerging countries at a think tank or consulting firm.

You are right. Many of my classmates became interested in security issues as a result of the situation in Ukraine, and decided to enroll in School of International Politics, Economics and Communication.

I think it is important to consider how events in faraway countries can be considered as "your own" and to understand the real issue of security as an issue that concerns you, not as a virtual reality through the media or reports. In particular, when studying "development economics," which is my main interest, I think it is necessary to have an attitude of considering the position of emerging countries that receive aid as "your own." However, it is not easy to realize this.

Mr. Sakurai, in what countries have you worked so far?

Rather than the company's profits or your own personal fulfillment, it's the desire to see someone happy that motivates you to work hard at your job.

I can really empathize with that. When I see someone happy and receive a positive reaction, I often feel motivated to try harder.

Perhaps the company assumed that I could speak some Spanish based on my experience in South America in Peru and Bolivia, because after working in Southern Europe in the European department, I was assigned to NEC Iberica and stationed in Madrid.

After that, NEC established a sales and SE base for communication, broadcasting and postal systems in the Netherlands to consolidate its sales bases in Europe. I was based in Amsterdam and was in charge of sales activities across Europe for about three years. After that, I was assigned to SISTEL, a manufacturing company on the verge of bankruptcy that was undergoing rehabilitation and in which NEC had taken a partial capital investment at the request of the Portuguese government (after restructuring, the business portfolio became centered on NEC and the company was renamed NEC Portugal). I was stationed in Lisbon for about four years and was involved in the company's sales and marketing activities and PMI (post-acquisition integration).
During my nine and a half years of being stationed in Europe, I was mainly in charge of building communication systems in each country, and I believe I was able to gain a great deal of "international experience."

That's right. I returned to the head office in Japan and worked there for about 10 years. During that time, I was involved in a joint venture with Siemens of Germany, and NEC's global strategic product Pasolink's achievement of achieving the world's largest market share, and then I served as General Manager the North America department. Seven years later, I was appointed the general manager of the Russia and CIS General Manager, and was stationed in Moscow as the president of NEC Neva Communications Systems.
When my boss at the time told me I was being transferred to Russia, saying, "I think you'd be better suited to Russia than North America," to be honest, I had no idea what that meant (laughs). However, after actually working in Russia, I understood what it meant. I also realized that other people are more observant of me than I had imagined.

Looking back, this posting to Russia was a major turning point in my life. During my time in Moscow, I had connections with the former Soviet Union countries, one of which was the Republic of Uzbekistan, where I have been entrusted with the important role of "Advisor to the Minister of Digital Technologies."

As an emerging country that is rapidly moving towards democratization and an open economy, I believe Uzbekistan is seeking practical advice and ideas for building a digital society. I also believe that strengthening relations between Japan and Uzbekistan is one of the roles expected of me.

It was just the time when I started thinking about my life after retirement, and I saw this as a great opportunity to try something new while making use of my experience. The five countries I have been stationed in so far have been Christian countries, so I was interested in and looking forward to doing business and living in a country with an Islamic culture. Now, while I feel the weight of my responsibility, I am always excited about my work. There seems to be a lot more to do, including developing digital talent.

If so, I am very happy. In 2019, NEC acquired Denmark's KMD through M&A (merger and acquisition), and I worked there for four years. KMD is a major IT vendor that supports the foundation of Denmark, the world's number one digital government, and is a company with the world's most cutting-edge digital technology, solutions, and human resources. The Uzbekistan government has set a goal of becoming one of the top 30 digital governments in the world by 2030, and it seems that they particularly appreciated my experience at that time.

However, what I have talked about so far is only the bright side of my life as a company employee. In reality, it was a series of setbacks. I can't tell you how many sleepless nights I spent feeling frustrated... But it's important to look forward and get back on your feet.

That's a very good question. In my case, I start by "thinking about it thoroughly on my own." Then, once I've thought it through, I take the plunge and consult someone. Just like when my boss told me, "I think Russia is better suited for you than North America," I've received many pieces of advice from my bosses and colleagues that helped me break my preconceptions and gave me eye-opening advice. I feel that the people around me often understand me better than I understand myself. I've realized many times the importance of looking at things objectively from a bird's-eye view.

It's amazing to see Nakano-san following the path he has chosen for himself. However, no one knows what the "right" answer is for the future. And a life without failures or setbacks would surely be boring. That's why you should think hard about it. And listen to the advice of trusted friends and teachers.

I myself was the type of person who would not listen to other people's advice when I was young. However, after many years of business experience, I experienced many setbacks and hardships, and I was forced to realize that "the world I see is narrow."

In recent years, words like "diversity" and "inclusion" have become more and more popular, but I think this is because many people have begun to realize that the world seen from a certain perspective is limited. Furthermore, with the advent of AI and other factors, the speed of social evolution is accelerating, and specialization and segmentation are also progressing. For this reason, I believe that the importance of "listening to the opinions of people who are different from your own" will become even more important in the future.

I believe that what you learn at university will gradually come into play later, even if you don't know how it will be useful at the time. This is not limited to classes. While I was at university, I belonged to the advisory group (Advisor Group "Ado Guru") of the university missionary, Professor John W. Krummel (Professor Emeritus School of Business, specializing in Christian studies).

Looking back, I think the reason I decided to pursue a career in global business despite having no experience studying abroad was because I began to feel closer to the world as my own field through international exchange with Professor Crummell while I was a student. Do you still have Advisor Group "Ado Guru"?

It's a wonderful system to have activities that allow faculty and students to interact across departments and faculties, and that aim to develop students' individuality and humanity. It's a tradition at Aogaku. I hope it continues in the future.

In addition to my interactions with Professor Krummel, my experience of coming into contact with Christianity at Aogaku was an essential factor in my working in countries with a large Christian population. I think that the important thing when working around the world is to understand and respect the differences in culture, history, religion, and values of each country. At the same time, it's important to establish your identity as a Japanese person.

I studied at the leadership course at London Business School (LBS) through a company placement program from NEC. At LBS, I learned that modern leaders need not only "leadership," but also "followership" to motivate their subordinates and create a comfortable working environment.

Companies and other organizations always have a mission. I think it is the role of a leader to clearly show the mission, such as "Why are we doing this work here?" and "What value can we provide to clients and society through our work?", and to motivate subordinates to take on their respective roles.

Aogaku 's "servant leader" is a perfect fit for this modern image of a leader.

I had a wonderful time listening to the stories of these highly motivated and talented juniors. My seminar teacher, Professor Mitsuo Morimoto (Professor Emeritus of the Faculty School of International Politics, Economics and Communication, specializing in business and organizational theory), hand-wrote a message on the cover of my graduation thesis: "Life is a continuous learning experience. Never forget for the rest of your life the efforts you put into this graduation thesis. March 20, 1986, Graduation Day, Mitsuo Morimoto." I can only now feel the weight of those words.

I will continue to learn and improve myself so that I don't fall behind Nakano-san who is working hard towards his dream.