From studying urban planning at the start of his academic career, Nobuo Haruna’s plans changed when he decided to major in international relations in graduate school.
Before finishing his dissertation, Haruna served as a part-time lecturer at a private university in Aichi Prefecture while staying at a guest house for 1,500 yen ($10.40) per night.
On account of his experience of teaching international students at that time, he was hired by the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies. At the age of 40, it was his first full-time job.
A decade later, Haruna, 50, is now the university’s president. His brief career raised high expectations at the university, making him the youngest president of a national university in Japan.
“I naturally can see the organization’s issues and points that need improvement, which is difficult for those who have belonged to the organization for a long time,” Haruna said.
Despite his duties as president, he continues to teach his seminar, to keep studying together with his students.
He believes that “lessons are for sharing time and space with students.”
An international student once asked Naruna why there were no exchanges of opinions in his class, given that his teaching style didn’t allow for many interactions. This experience made him review his teaching style.
Haruna now sits in an empty seat and encourages discussions in his lessons. He usually wears T-shirts and sneakers because he prefers them to formal suits for interacting with students.
The heavy door of the president’s room is always open. On afternoons, students from his seminar drop by to consult on their graduation theses and careers after graduation.
Haruna has had a unique path to the presidency.
He initially studied urban planning at the University of Tokyo’s Faculty of Engineering before majoring in international relations at the University of Tokyo’s graduate school.
Haruna then realized that the key to environmental issues is to realize a sustainable society, and gained a strong belief that politics must play a role in addressing environmental issues.
Furthermore, he started to worry about his research, wondering if his only purpose was to write a thesis, before finishing his doctoral dissertation at the age of 38.
At the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, Haruna served as a lecturer for the first three years before he was promoted to be an associate professor.
In 2023, five years after he was made an associate professor, he was promoted to serve as vice president in charge of international affairs. Two years later, he was named president of the university.
AloJapan.com