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When I was an undergraduate, I majored in civil engineering and in graduate school I belonged to the Transportation Engineering Laboratory. From that time onward I had a hazy notion that I would like to work overseas. About 80% of the students at the Graduate School for International Development and Cooperation are exchange students and when I was in the lab, I often heard exchange stu-dents saying that their hometowns were experiencing terrible traffic jams and they would like to do something to resolve it. Growing up in Japan, I took many things for granted but the situation is quite different in other countries and I realized how lucky I was to be in Japan. From this experience, I would like developing countries to have things that I would consider normal too and so I hope to contribute to alleviated the traffic problems in urban cities in developing countries. That¡¯s why I decided to apply for a job with Oriental Consultants Global Co., Ltd., so that I can be involved in projects for urban problems in developing coun-tries, from the planning stage through to the design stages.

Although I had been on trips overseas, it was the first time for me to meet Japanese people working outside of Japan and to see where they work. While I was in Manila, I had the opportunity to meet several Japanese people working there and I got the impression that they were full of life and enjoy-ing their work. From that experience, I had been thinking that I would like to work overseas from before participating in this program, and after I experienced being an intern, this desire
became even stronger.

I want to become the kind of professional consultant who listens to what all the people living locally have to say and what they want to do, and then propose a traffic plan that everyone can approve of.

I¡¯m sure some who are a little worried about joining the G.ecbo Program and are hesitant. It was the same for me until I became an intern but I had absolutely no regrets once I joined. When I was in Manila there were some difficult times but when I look back on it, I realize it was a valuable experience and everything gave me more confidence in myself. While you are a student, there will always be someone to help you if you make some mistake, so if you are interested, please take up the challenge.