Katsuya Kasai

 

Project Formulation Advisor

Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Ghana Office

International Development Studies Program (’11)

 

 

 

 

 

Please tell us about your career path so far. What is your area of specialization and how did you come to work in this area?

My career path can definitely be described as complicated and unique. I began it working at a factory in my hometown after graduating from a technical high school but now I hold a Ph.D. in economics in addition to three master’s degrees obtained from leading institutes, including GRIPS. These qualifications might lead others to assume that I come from a wealthy family who were able to fund my tuition to these many schools. The reality, however, is very different from that assumption. The fact is I devoted most of my time to studying through an undergraduate distance learning program and an evening program while retaining full-time jobs for six years. Although that time was indeed difficult, I can now really appreciate the great opportunities that came from all of that hard work as it made me mentally stronger and as well as industrious and offered me a wide variety of working opportunities in manufacturing and international development fields. During my time studying, the severe status of environmental and poverty issues motivated me to pursue the above career path and I am still working towards effective and practical solutions for those substantial issues.

 

You have just started as Project Formulation Advisor at JICA’s Ghana office. What are your main duties and responsibilities?

My major duties and responsibilities at JICA Ghana’s office are twofold: one is the promotion of public-private partnerships and the other is to monitor and analyze the macroeconomic condition of Ghana, and both are regarded as cross-cutting tasks amongst various sectors. Hence, it is expected that I will be the primary source for the transmission of related information within and out of the office. So far I have found it challenging to actualize the implementation of PPP infrastructure projects here in Ghana because of the physical distance between Japan and Ghana. Having said that, working together with my colleagues, I would like to do whatever I can do in order to pave the way for the implementation of a PPP F/S (Public Private Partnership Feasibility Study) as a first step during my term.

 

What are some of the biggest challenges you face in your work? And what have been the most interesting or rewarding aspects of your career thus far?

I have faced some momentous challenges during my 17-year career, a few of which have been catastrophic situations. In my experience, problems often arise when there is a lack of communication among colleagues, clients and counterparts. It is therefore essential to take precautionary measures in order to avoid collaborative troubles by strengthening frequent communication methods and formulating common perceptions on a constant basis.

 

Regarding the most interesting aspect of my career, I would say that visiting various isolated and unusual places is always a fascinating experience. For instance, when I was involved in the CDM (Clean Development Mechanism) business, I visited some very remote locations in the Chinese provinces, which was unique due primarily to the beautiful scenery, ingenuous people and exotic food and drink. Economic situations in many of those areas were normally difficult and thus my presence was really appreciated by local people as I was there to develop infrastructure projects, such as hydropower plants. This has undoubtedly been the most rewarding aspect of my career and I have been lucky enough to experience the similar situations when I was involved in JICA’s ODA projects in various developing countries.

 

What do you see as the main opportunities and challenges for JICA and Japan’s overseas cooperation over the course of the next five to ten years?

The ODA budget for JICA was significantly reduced due to the stagnated economic situation in Japan and, taking into account the current situation, it is anticipated that the budget size will not increase over the next decade. So the biggest challenge is to work out how to leverage the limited ODA budget to the fullest for recipient countries as well as Japan.

 

One promising solution would be the promotion of PPP, as it is important to strategically generate synergy effects between JICA and private firms and it would be ideal to work in conjunction with private firms as each actor would have their own finance and accumulated know-how which can also be regarded as an opportunity. This idea is in line with a recent assistant trend towards effective development. Aid cannot be a panacea but should be a catalyst to development (Kharas, Makino, and Jung, 2011)^a.

 

Another challenge to note is the emergence of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) although there still remain huge uncertainties regarding its operation. It is quite difficult for me to explicitly articulate how it will affect JICA’s activities but, considering the enormity of AIIB’s initial capital endowment, it could have substantial impacts on JICA’s loan assistance and has the potential to re-draw the power map of donors and Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) in the Asian region.

 

What led you to GRIPS? What is the most important thing you got out of your studies here, and how has your experience at GRIPS prepared you for future endeavours?

I decided to enroll the International Development Studies (IDS) program for the following three reasons: 1) I was seeking another way to address environmental and poverty issues because the CDM emission trading market was rapidly worsening due to the imbalance between supply and demand; 2) I wanted to explore a different world and expand my perspective on a global scale; and 3) JICA kindly gave me an opportunity to pursue a master’s degree as a JICA long-term trainee.

 

Frankly speaking, my life at GRIPS had its ups and downs. The program was extremely intensive and very demanding, especially for those of us who did not have a sound background in economics. In addition, as a nation we unfortunately had to contend with the Great East Japan Earthquake during a winter term and, on a personal level, my son, Katsunosuke, was born one week later, all of which was very tumultuous. Having said that, the IDS program equipped me with very useful analytical skills that led me to successfully publish several peer-reviewed papers and I completed my doctorate in March 2015 at Nagoya City University. This all started with my time at GRIPS and I really appreciate all professors, staff and very unique group of friends I made while I was attending the IDS program as well as JICA.

 

 

You recently received the “Academic Paper Award” from the Center for Environmental Information Science (CEIS). Congratulations! Could you please tell us more about this?

CEIS bestows the “Academic Paper Award” on those who have published excellent papers that contribute to the growth and improvement of academic research and technology related to environmental information science since 2000.

 

I was lucky enough to win the award for a series of papers which analyzed the determinants of CDM project hosting in order for LDCs to suggest promising approaches based on the results of empirical analyses. According to CEIS, my papers’ realistic and rational policy implications were highly evaluated and that contributed to them giving me the award.

 

One paper was written based on an Applied Development Research (ADR) paper that had been completed under a dedicated supervision of Assistant Professor Dr. Chikako Yamauchi and, as a result, I hereby express my gratitude to Professor Yamauchi. The papers are as follows:

• Kasai, Katsuya (2013) “Factors Affecting the Distribution of CERs: A Cross-Sectional Empirical Analysis” Journal of Environmental Information Science, Vo.41(5): pp.37-46.
• Kasai, Katsuya (2012) “How can LDCs benefit from the CDM?: A panel data analysis of determinants of CDM project hosting” MPRA Paper 52137: pp.1-50, University Library of Munich, Germany.
• Kasai, Katsuya (2012) “A Cross-Country Empirical Analysis of Determinants of CDM Projects” Journal of Environmental Information Science, Vol.40(5): pp.1-10.

 

How do you maintain a balance between your work and the rest of your life? And what is your favourite thing to do when you are not working?

Being a well-balanced person will most likely be one of my never-ending issues to work on. After I experienced severe health problems last year, I have been trying my very best not to work in weekends and this effort has positively impacted my work-life balance. To further enhance the quality of my life, I would like to find an interesting local hobby here in Ghana to explore.

 

If you could give one piece of advice to anyone considering studying at GRIPS what would it be?

My advice would be to immediately apply for GRIPS. Studying at GRIPS will undoubtedly be a very valuable event in your life but do not forget the basic principle of “no pain, no gain.” GRIPS will most definitely place a heavy burden on your shoulders but please enjoy this burden to the best of your ability. If you feel huge pain during this effort, you will no doubt receive a larger gain in future.

 

How would you like to maintain involved with the School? What do you expect from GRIPS as an alumnus?

Basically, I am satisfied with the methods of information sharing between GRIPS and the alumni. But to mention one minor thing, it would be great if GRIPS could provide alumni with research funds to help us to carry out research activities related to our businesses. It should be possible to form an international research group among alumni members who share the same research interests.

 

Do you have any suggestions on how to further utilize the GRIPS alumni network?

I can offer no suggestions at the moment. Among the six institutes I have graduated from, the GRIPS alumni network has the strongest ties and has had the biggest influence. I think this is primarily attributed to Karin-san’s great contributions and the uniqueness of GRIPS itself. I am looking forward to meeting and talking to GRIPS alumni members here in Ghana and hope I can collaborate with them for the mutual goal of the realization of sustainable development.

 

 

^a Kharas, H., Makino, K., and Jung, W. (Eds.) (2011) Catalyzing Development: A New Vision for Aid. Washington DC: Brookings Institution Press.

 

DISCLAIMER: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of JICA.