Brian C. Gozun, Philippines

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Dean, College of Business, De la Salle University, Manila
Ph.D. Program (’08); Public Policy Program (’00)

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What is your area of specialization and how did you come to work in this area?

My specialization is on the applications of operations research/management science (OR/MS) in the public sector. I am proud to have had Dr. Tatsuo Oyama as adviser both in my master’s and doctoral degrees in GSPS and GRIPS, respectively. Having Prof. Oyama as adviser opened me to a bigger door on the role of OR/MS in the public realm. Before my OR/MS knowledge was only on industrial and business applications but when I worked under Prof. Oyama I was able to apply OR/MS in transportation and accident analysis and prevention. The good thing about OR/MS is that these quantitative tools and technique are used for making better decisions and policies. What is good about my degree from GRIPS (Social Systems Analysis) is that is encompasses not only the technical aspects but it also provides me a systems approach and holistic way in tackling problems. The social aspect of my degree really means that societal problems can possibly be solved or alleviated through OR/MS. At present, I am doing some research on the health and education sector of the Philippines.

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Have you always wanted to pursue a career in academia? What attracts you most about it?

Well, I am quite lucky to have known what I really wanted to do ever since I was young – and that is to teach. I guess coming from a family of teachers, that is one thing that attracted me to this profession. Another is that I like the environment in the academe where the constant quest for knowledge is always present. Personally, I believe in continuous improvement (the kaizen concept of Toyota) and the academe is really one great place to apply such concept. In the academe, a person has to continuously grow by learning the advances in the field. For some people, this can be taxing but I really like learning new things – not only from my field but in other fields such as culture and the arts.

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You were recently appointed as Dean of the College of Business of De la Salle University Manila. What is your mission and what do you see as the main challenges over the course of the next five to ten years?

Yes, I just started here last May 2010. It is quite daunting to move from one university to another. I am a complete outsider of De La Salle University but I see this as more of a challenge. As a college of business, we pride ourselves in being dynamic and I think as Dean I have to continue and nurture this dynamism within the faculty, staff and most importantly the students. De La Salle University is known in the Philippines as the premier business school and we have to continuously improve by benchmarking with the best in the region and the world. Within the next five to ten years, I do hope that my college would be able to acquire international business accreditations such as AACSB, Equis or EMBA. In a globalized world, such accreditations are already a minimum. We are working towards this goal in order to make my college more internationally renowned.

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What has been the most rewarding aspect of your career thus far?

I finished my Ph.D. at GRIPS last 2008 and I am now in this position. Personally, I still have to improve upon my academic credentials. I should publish more and continue studying the latest in my field. Career-wise, the position can be a big source of stress because administration work can be a thankless job. What keeps me grounded and happy is when I see my colleagues and the students in my college have a smile on their faces.

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You first completed the Masters program at GRIPS’ predecessor GSPS in 2000 and then came back to pursue your Ph.D. at GRIPS. How do you compare these experiences? How has GRIPS, and Japan, changed over the years?

Personally, I think this was a great set up for me. I finished my master’s at GSPS at quite a young age and then I went home to work as instructor at the University of the Philippines. Within those years, I learned that I would really need a Ph.D. to stay in the academe so I applied to GRIPS and was thankful that I was taken in. At GSPS, I really had a great time because that was my first time to live abroad and I was able to learn a lot from the program and also made a lot of good friends whom I keep in touch with until now. When I went to GRIPS three years later, I knew that I’d have to work much, much harder to get a degree but I was also happy to know that the camaraderie among students was still there and, of course, the professors and staff were still there to really help us out. Although, the two-year master’s degree was no longer there and most students finish in just one year, this just means that I got to meet more students every year. As for Japan, despite the deflation during the first few years of my stay in GRIPS, the construction boom can still be felt. Who would have ever thought that there would be more buildings in Roppongi and Saitama. For those who studied in GSPS, if they visit Saitama, they will definitely be surprised with Saitama Shintoshin. And, of course, our beautiful GRIPS building in Roppongi is a testament to the ever changing landscape of Japan. Going back to the deflation issue, during the last few years I stayed in Japan I was able to experience inflation!. The price of a lot of goods, like bread and rice, were increased. Politically, Japan during my GSPS and GRIPS stay was also very interesting. The constant changing of prime ministers made it difficult to remember all their names! I think this was also translated to a lot of Japanese people become more and more weary about the future..

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What was the most important thing you learned while here and how did your experience at GRIPS prepare you for future endeavours?

The Japanese word “gaman” or perseverance is the most important thing that I have learned in Japan. Finishing my master’s and doctoral degree in Japan needed a lot of strength and willpower. I was really intimidated by a lot of really good professors but all of them were very supportive and advised me to continue working and learning even if at times it can be very difficult. Working in the academe needs a lot of perseverance because one has to keep up with research and learning. As administrator, I must also be conscious of “gaman” because I am working with people with different wants and needs. I must be able work within the constraints of the environment. There are times when people would request for things which are beyond my control so I have to learn to persevere and try to work out possible and hopefully optimal solutions.

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What is your fondest memory of your time spent at GRIPS/GSPS?

Well it is not just one but I would like to talk about my fond experiences at my adviser’s office. I met Prof. Oyama at least once or twice a week and every time I met with him would be a nerve-wracking experience for me. I had to prepare a lot for these meetings and there were days when I would be blank and inform him that the program did not run or the formula was really Greek! The good thing about these meetings was that I learned a lot from my exchanges with my adviser. His guidance was really topnotch and something that must be emulated by other professors.

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Also, I would like to tell people that I spent a considerable time of my adult life in Japan. I still vividly remember my first day at the International House at Saitama University and my last day as student in Japan. I became a very independent person in Japan just by simply living there – living alone in a country that is very different from my own.

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What do you miss about Japan?

For someone who studied transportation, I sorely miss the transportation system in Japan. The extremely efficient train and subway system in Japan is something that I really admire and also non-comparable with a lot of developed countries. Trains and subways being on-time are really great for planning trips. This really is a manifestation of how the Japanese value time. Working in Manila now, I would really wish that we could have such efficiency in our trains. I think a lot of Filipino GSPS and GRIPS alumni would agree to this.

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If you could choose another profession to be in, what would it be?

Coming from a management background, I think I would be working in a manufacturing company either in planning or training or maybe both. I like the idea of producing things and see the outputs but if I work in such corporation, I would like to go into research and development and then train people about the new things that we found it. I think it is in this area where the teacher in me comes in.

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What is your favorite thing to do when you are not working?

If I can only put sleeping as my hobby, I would be glad to put this. But when I have some free time, I like hanging out my friends for long talks and dinner. Meeting my friends from different periods of my life is great because I become more grounded and just be my “non-academic” self. I also try to catch up on the T.V. shows and movies at home when there is time. To keep fit, I also try to swim after work because swimming is an individual sport where I can literally “wash” all my wearies away and I also have time to think about the day’s events.

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How do you maintain a balance between your work and the rest of your life?

In my opinion, work-life balance is really a matter of personal choice. I can work for hours on end and still maintain this so-called balance. Doing some of my favorite things stated earlier makes me less stressed and more enthusiastic to go to work the next day. However, the ultimate work-balance for me is when I enjoy going both to work and also having a great time when I am on vacation. Right now, I really enjoy going to work and teach but sometimes the meetings on my daily schedule are simply too many, there is simply no time to sit down and just do actual work. I also like it when I am on vacation and do not have to worry about work. That for me is work-life balance.

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What advice would you give to current GRIPS students?

I would like them to continue learning. To learn not just in the classroom or in their respective discipline but also learn about the world around them. Be inquisitive and have an open-mind. Learn a little about Japan every day, whether it be culture, language, J-pop, politics, simply anything that interests you about Japan. Remember that Japan will always be a part of your life and the more you learn about this part of your life, the more you will appreciate it.