On Wednesday, September 13, 2023, R4D Researcher Koki Kusano and R4D Director Makoto Tago took to the stage in front of a crowd assembled in the fourth-floor Foyer Hall of Marunouchi MY PLAZA for “Mirai no Hakase Fest 2023” (Future PhDs Festival 2023).
The event, hosted by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), invited Kusano and Tago on stage as panelists for “PhD Experts Active in Industry,” a panel discussion that focused on topics related to PhD holders working in private-sector industries. Kusano shared how he leverages his experience as a participant in Mercari’s PhD Support Program in his work as a UX Researcher; Tago talked about her efforts to create a workplace environment where PhD holders can flourish through such things as the Mercari R4D PhD Support Program.
Report (available only in Japanese): https://www.jst.go.jp/jisedai/mirainohakase2023/mirainohakase2023_report.pdf
Note: “Mirai no Hakase Fest 2023” is the first MEXT event to spotlight PhDs. Through short presentations and poster presentations by PhD students as well as lectures and panel discussions featuring PhD holders active in society, the event publicizes the strengths and merits of PhD experts not just for academia, but also for industry and the public sector. See here for more details.