Asameshikai
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Mission Statement
Asameshikai is an organization of students, faculty, and professionals who share a keen interest in Japan's economy, politics, language, and culture. Although its members are primarily MPIA students and GLI fellows, the group also welcomes IR/PS and UC San Diego doctoral students and faculty.
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Events
Unveiling the Japanese Ministries
May 14, 2008
 From left to right: Yoshikazu Kuki, Keisuke Kodama, Koki Yoshida |
Thanks to the insightful comments and discussion from Yoshikazu Kuki from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transportation and Tourism, Keisuke Kodama from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Koki Yoshida from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, the panel discussion was a huge success. The panelists, who are students at IR/PS or GLI fellows, presented to 28 of their fellow students and fellows. Background on the Japanese Ministries was provided by Asameshikai Vice-President Emi Fukuda, and the discussion was moderated by External Affairs Coordinator, Omar Parboo. Their commentary gave insight into how the Japanese political system works from the process of making laws to negotiations between industry and government officials. |
Officers
President: Raka Banerjee
Raka graduated from the University of Washington with a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies in 2005. She worked in Japan under the Japan Exchange & Teaching (JET) Program from 2005 to 2006, whereupon she moved to San Diego. She is currently focusing on International Development & Nonprofit Management, with a regional concentration in Japan. Her languages include Japanese and Bengali.
Vice-President: Emi Fukuda
Emi graduated from KEIO university in Japan with a major in Economics in 2007. She specializes in International Economics and Development Economics, and has a special interest in studying the Chinese economy and language. She has served as a research assistant for the post evaluation project for Japanese Official Development Assistance (ODA) in China. In IRPS, her career track is International Management focusing on financial issues, with regional specializations in Japan and China.
Treasurer: Naomi Kuwabara
Naomi graduated from the UC Davis in International Relations with a minor in Japanese. After graduation she spent three years on the Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme (JET Programme) for the Osaka Prefectural Government. During her three years there, she worked as a Coordinator for International Relations, coordinating cultural exchanges, administered the JET Programme for Osaka, and worked as a counselor. Currently, she is a consultant with Strategic Community Consulting, a student-run consulting firm. Her career track is international management and her regional focus is Japan.
Secretary: RoseAnna Harrison
RoseAnna graduated from Marlboro College in 2003 with a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts, specializing in dance and literature. She has studied in Spain and worked for 2 years as an English teacher on the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program in Shiga Prefecture, Japan. She speaks fluent Japanese and Spanish. She currently interns for the Hispanic Community for Policy in Washington, D.C. and volunteers at the Golden Care Academy in San Diego. Her career focus is International Economics and the regions of Latin America and Japan.
External Affairs Coordinator: Omar Parbhoo
Omar received his Bachelors of Science from Louisiana State University in Computer Engineering in 2005. Following graduation, Omar spent a year in Iwate, Japan working as a teacher on the Japan Exchange & Teaching (JET) Program. At IR/PS he is studying International Economics with a regional focus on Japan. As External Affairs Coordinator, Omar will work to create and maintain links between Asameshikai and other organizations within IR/PS and the UC San Diego community at large.
Events Coordinator: Matthew Bachmann
An alumnus of UC San Diego’s Revelle College, Matthew has a background in language education and has spent time in France and South Korea. At IR/PS he focuses on Japan and is designing his own career track to incorporate International Politics and Media Studies. He has studied Japanese language since his sophomore year of college and is currently enrolled in Japanese Language for Proficiency at IR/PS. His other languages include French and Spanish. As Events Coordinator, Matthew is responsible for organizing events for Asameshikai and the entire student body. He is also the official Asameshikai photographer.
