Knowledge Co-Creation Program (KCCP, Training Program)

My professor is a man of humility, professional excellence and a great human being

Category of this interview: Study in Japan

• Name of Interviewee: Mr. Muhammad Aurangzaib Durrani
• Affiliation: Ministry of Economic Affairs (Section Officer) (As of May 2021)
• Type of the course : Long term training course
• Name of the course: SDGs Global Leaders Course
• Duration of the training: Approx. 2 years (2019-2021)
• Studying at: University of Tsukuba, Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences/ Masters

Mr. Durrani is currently studying at University of Tsukuba in order to obtain a master degree in International Area Studies.

JICA: What was your expectations from this training program before participation?

Mr.Durrani: I was expecting to learn the latest knowledge in the fields of economics and public policy and to learn the skill of conducting a good research.

JICA: Please explain what you found about the "good research".

Mr. Durrani: Some of the essential points of a good research are listed as follows:

(1) Is the data trustworthy, (2) Is the estimation model and identification strategy appropriate, (3) Is the interpretation of the results appropriate, (4) Are the limitations of the research clearly communicated to the readers and (5) Will it contribute to literature: is it a new research or will it add any value to the existing literature. If any of these salient features are missing, it would just be a usual research.

JICA: As for the "Japanese ways of professional conduct", why were you interested in it?

Mr. Durrani: I had heard stories from my friends who frequently interacted with Japanese exporters. They would tell me that there is no concept of telling lies, defrauding others, breaking commitment or being not punctual in Japanese culture. This made me interested in getting a first hand experience of Japanese way of professional conduct. I wanted to have these qualities in me to become a better civil servant.

JICA: What skills did you acquire during the course?

Mr. Durrani: I have learnt skills such as analyzing and interpreting data, making conclusions and finding best course of action for a given economic problem. In the course work, we were taught concepts like fiscal policy / monetary policy, their utility and implications in different scenarios. The main components of GDP and how they interact with each other i.e. the focus was on teaching the skill of thinking like an economist. In essence, we were taught economic and public policies and the role of government to make better decisions for the welfare of the people.

JICA: How will you apply the said skills in your life in Pakistan?

Mr. Durrani: Being a civil servant, my job is to propose to the government the best possible line of action in any given case after doing the cost-benefit analysis. Before coming to Japan, I was looking after the portfolio of Asian Development Bank (ADB) projects in Pakistan. I was supposed to highlight any issues / shortcomings in the new projects being proposed that would be financed through loans / grants. I believe after completing my Masters degree, I am better equipped with the necessary skills to put forth appropriate proposals to the government with regards to selection of projects.

JICA: Please introduce your Professor and what you learned from him.

Mr. Durrani: Professor Kenichi Kashiwagi sensei was my main adviser for the research. I used to visit him frequently for showing my research progress, results and further guidance. He is a man of humility, professional excellence and a great human being. He would never compromise on quality of the research or violating research ethics. He would expect me to take deadlines very seriously and do my best in whatever task he assigned. His passion for research would influence me greatly and I would always make an extra effort to not let him down. Out of his busy schedule, he would always reply to my emails, manage time for me, be punctual, answer my queries about research no matter how naive they were, clarify my doubts about research without being judgmental, support and guide me, encourage me during times of despair. I believe because of him and his professionalism, I was able to complete my research otherwise it would have been very difficult.

JICA: How would you describe yourself in 3 words after your visit to Japan?

Mr. Durrani: Refined, hopeful, passionate.

JICA: Please specify your message to future applicant of JICA training course.

Mr. Durrani: Studying in Japan is pretty tough because they have very high standards when it comes to conducting research. Yet, future JICA applicants can always enjoy the process and relish the unique cultural experience that they could have in Japan.

JICA: Thank you for your sharing your story. We hope you have a successful experience in Japan.