Uno Kakegawa (BA'24)
This past May, Uno Kakegawa graduated from UBC with an Honours degree in Political Science and a minor in Economics. As she begins her post-graduation journey, Uno reflected on her time at UBC and how it equipped her for her new role as a Program Officer at the International Monetary Fund’s Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific.
Having grown up in Tokyo, Japan and the Gold Coast, Australia, Uno discovered her interest in politics on an exchange program in Germany during high school. She joined the Hamburg Youth Parliament program there, then continued her political involvement as a member of the Queensland Youth Parliament and an intern for a Member of Parliament.
Uno’s interest in policy drove her to pursue an Honours degree and her thesis examined the intersections of instrumental music and diplomacy, drawing on theories by Edward Said and Theodor Adorno.
“I wanted to demonstrate how musical diplomacy holds a unique power in shaping political discourse,” she said. “There’s meaning and depth that comes from the emotional core of instrumental music and how that moves people.”
For Uno, the most meaningful part of the Honours program was the community she created with her cohort. It provided a safe, respectful and encouraging environment where they could review each other’s work and learn from each other.
Playing the violin as a part of the honours thesis presentation.
Beyond the Honours program, Uno took full advantage of opportunities available at UBC Political Science to challenge herself. She worked as an undergraduate TA and took upper-level courses with graduate students. As someone who had moved across the world to attend UBC, taking on challenges was nothing new to Uno, and the department’s supportive environment allowed her to thrive.
Her enthusiasm and interest for politics extended beyond the classroom, motivating her to seek a position with Dr. Yves Tiberghien at the Centre for Japanese Research. As a Research Fellow, she worked primarily on event coordination for academic and diplomatic conferences, but she also took advantage of opportunities for academic writing. Last spring, she published an article in East Asia Forum about efforts by the Japanese government to incentivize families to relocate from Tokyo to rural areas.
Japan’s Role in Indo-Pacific Security Event, co-hosted by the Center for Japanese Research and the Consulate General of Japan in Vancouver. Pictured (from left to right): Kohei Maruyama, Consul General, Dr. Satoru Mori, Keio University Professor, Dr. Yves Tiberghien, Professor of Political Science at UBC, Uno Kakegawa, Research Fellow at Center for Japanese Research
Following graduation, Uno’s language skills, dedication and curiosity for new experiences led her to relocate to Japan to begin her career at the IMF’s Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific.
Working in such a prestigious position is a testament to Uno’s skillset, determination and passion. In her role as a program officer, Uno draws upon the skills she developed during her undergraduate career, particularly at the Center for Japanese Research. As part of her job, she administers the the Japan-IMF Scholarship Program for Asia (JISPA), which provides scholarships for policymakers in the Asia Pacific region to pursue a graduate degree in economics in Japan.
“What I do now at IMF OAP feels like a full circle moment from my entire degree journey at UBC, especially since I was a full-ride scholarship recipient myself,” she said. “I know how life-changing and transformative these opportunities can be, not just for individual growth, but also for capacity development and contributing to one’s own country.”
In the short term, Uno plans on adapting to her new life following graduation and her position at the IMF. She has an interest in furthering her education with an advanced degree in public policy but intends to gain more hands-on experience before embarking on a new academic pursuit.
Uno encourages recent graduates and students planning their post-graduation careers to broaden their job search scope and be open to opportunities outside of Vancouver, or even Canada. She credits a willingness to take leaps of faith and put herself out there as important reasons she was able to land at the IMF after just an undergraduate degree.
“Just go for it,” she said, “Because you never know what will happen afterwards.”
In the conference room of the IMF Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific.
