Mauricio Reyes Gallardo (DMP ’13), Professor, Ocean Engineering School, Faculty of Engineering, University of Valparaiso, Chile

Mauricio studied civil engineering at Federico Santa María Technical University, in Valparaíso city. Following over a decade of experience in hydraulic and geotechnical engineering as project engineer and freelancer, he became a part-time professor at the University of Valparaíso. After obtaining a diploma in Maritime Engineering, and taking a master’s course in Geotechnical and Structural Engineering, he was appointed full-time professor at the Ocean Engineering School in 2009. Mauricio graduated from GRIPS/Building Research Institute with a Master in Disaster Management in 2013. He was selected to receive the Dean’s Award for his outstanding research and achievement in academic and other activities.

…Read an interview

Anwar Sanusi (PP ’98; PhD ’07), Secretary General, Ministry of Villages, Disadvantaged Regions and Transmigration, Republic of Indonesia

In May 2015, Dr. Anwar Sanusi was inducted as Secretary General of the Ministry of Villages, Disadvantaged Regions and Transmigration, a newly established ministry that has a mandate to implement the Village Law No.6/2014. Implementing the law should give villages more autonomy and a significantly greater amount of development funds aimed to increase the community’s welfare and aid development in villages. Prior to his current appointment, Anwar worked for over two decades in various positions at the National Institute of Public Administration (NIPA), most recently as Director of the Center for Development Policy Analysts. Anwar graduated with and M.A. degree from GRIPS’ predecessor GSPS in 1998 and received his Ph.D. in Public Policy from GRIPS in 2007.

…Read an interview

Md. Siddiqur Rahman (PP ’10), Upazila Nirbahi Officer (Chief Executive Officer), Upazila Nirbahi Office, Kishorganj, Nilphamari, Bangladesh

After a short stint in the banking sector, Md. Siddiqur Rahman joined the Bangladesh Civil Service Cadre under Ministry of Public Administration in 2003. He was posted in several districts and upon his return from his studies in Japan in 2010 he joined the Bangladesh Public Administration Training Center ? the apex training center in Bangladesh. Since March 2014, he has been working as CEO in the Nilphamari District in northern Bangladesh where he is committed to help the poor and needy for which he was named Kaizen Role Model in 2014 by the International KAIZEN Convention on Improving Public Services through Total Quality Management, jointly organized by BPATC and JICA. Md. Siddiqur Rahman received his Bachelor of Social Science (BSS) and Master of Social Science (MSS) in Economics from the University of Dhaka, and a Master of Public Administration from GRIPS.

…Read an interview

Trinh Thi Tam (PP ’03), Minister Counselor / Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam in Canberra

Upon her graduation from Hue University with a BA in Foreign Language Studies, Ms. Trinh Thi Tam joined the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1994. She started as a country desk-officer in the Department of Southeast Asia-South Asia and South Pacific and has gradually worked her way up in the Ministry. She served her first overseas posting as Second Secretary at the Vietnamese Embassy to South-Korea in 2005~08. In 2010 she was promoted to Deputy Director General and Ms. Tam has been posted as Minister-Counsellor & Deputy Chief of Mission at the Vietnamese Embassy in Canberra since 2014.

…Read an interview

Katsuya Kasai (IDS’11), Project Formulation Advisor, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Ghana Office

Dr. Katsuya Kasai is currently with the JICA Ghana Office as a project formulation adviser in charge of the promotion of public-private partnerships (PPP) and the analysis of macroeconomic conditions of Ghana. During his 17 years working experience for various companies and organizations he has engaged in a variety of international programs and projects. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics on top of three master’s degrees, in Carbon Finance, Development Economics, and Regional Planning. Building on his educational background along with his career experiences, he is hoping to make active contributions to the realization of sustainable development by combining environmental and social benefits into developmental activities in developing countries.

…Read an interview

Ung Eang (IDS’03), Vice President (Secretary of State), Secretariat of National Counter-Terrorism Committee & Vice President, Cambodia Human Rights Committee

Ung Eang started his career in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation where he worked until coming to Japan in October 2001. After his graduation, Ung Eang was transferred to the Cambodia Human Rights Committee, under the Council of Ministers umbrella. He has recently been appointed as Vice President of Secretariat of National Counter-Terrorism Committee, with the rank of Secretary of State. His main areas of responsibility are training and capacity building, inter-agency coordination and international cooperation. Simultaneously, he has been appointed as Vice President of the Cambodia Human Rights Committee (CHRC).

…Read an interview

Wijeratne Bandara (PF ’02), Superintendent, Post Clearance Audit Branch, Sri Lanka Customs

Wijeratne Bandara (Wije) started his career as an Audit Examiner in the Department of Auditor General’s of the Sri Lanka Customs in 1987. After 24 years of service in various branches and divisions he was promoted to Superintendent of Customs. Since then he has been working at the Post Clearance Audit (PCA) Branch where he is responsible for the detection and investigation of customs related commercial fraud and errors in collecting revenue.

…Read an interview

Nestor A. Espenilla, Jr. (PP ’88), Deputy Governor, Supervision and Examination Sector, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas

Mr. Nestor A. Espenilla, Jr. heads the Supervision and Examination Sector which oversees the supervision of banks and other non-bank financial institutions under the jurisdiction of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), the Central Bank of the Philippines. He assumed said office in April 2005. He serves concurrently in various BSP high-level policy committees: Advisory Committee on Monetary Policy; Financial Stability Committee; Inclusive Finance Steering Committee; and Payment and Settlements Steering Committee. He is likewise BSP Representative to the Capital Markets Development Council and Alternate Board Member to the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation and alternate Vice Chair of the Agricultural Credit Policy Council.

…Read an interview

Megumi Muto (Ph.D. ’09), Deputy Director General, Southeast Asia and Pacific Department, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)

As Deputy Director General of the Southeast Asia and Pacific Department of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Dr. Muto develops and manages the portfolio of JICA covering the Philippines and the Pacific Islands. She has led many innovative projects and programs in the area of development finance through her career in the Overseas Economic Cooperation Fund (OECF), Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) and JICA. Her area of expertise ranges from infrastructure financing, impact evaluation to disaster risk finance.

…Read an interview

Zaw Myo Khaing (DMP ’14), Assistant Forecaster, Department of Meteorology and Hydrology, Ministry of Transport, Myanmar

Zaw Myo Khaing entered the Department of Meteorology and Hydrology under the Ministry of Transport while he was in his first year at Dagon University, in 1995. He started his career as Junior Observer in Data Recording and Forecasting in the Hydrological Division. In 2002, he was posted to the communication section as Senior Observer where his job involved data processing and checking and maintenance of hydrological instruments. In 2009, he was transferred to the Research and Training Section where he is currently working as Assistant Forecaster.

…Read an interview

Yoko Tsuge (IDS ’09), First Secretary for Public Affairs, Embassy of Japan in the United States

Yoko Tsuge joined the diplomatic service in 1995 after her graduation from the University of Osaka for Foreign Studies with a major in Mongolian Language and Mongolian Area Studies. She was posted as Third Secretary to the Embassy of Japan in Mongolia from May 1998 till February 2000. Upon her return to Japan she worked as official at the MoFA in the China and Mongolia Division, the International Organised Crime Division, and the ODA Policy First Division respectively before being posted as First Secretary to the Embassy of Japan in Slovenia in October 2009. From there she moved to Yangon to become First Secretary at the Japanese Embassy in Myanmar in May 2012. Yoko has been posted as First Secretary for Public Affairs at the Japanese Embassy in Washington since September 2014.

…Read an interview

Moinul Khan (PF ’03), Director General, Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate, Bangladesh Customs, Ministry of Finance

Dr. Moinul Khan joined the Bangladesh Civil Service (Customs and VAT) under the Ministry of Finance in 1994. He worked in different capacities and was appointed as Director General of Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate of Bangladesh Customs, Ministry of Finance in August 2013. As CEO, he plans, directs and executes the policies regarding law enforcement on customs. Since his joining he has been very successful in leading the operations on anti-smuggling and illicit trafficking. Dr. Khan received a bachelor’s and master’s degree in International Relations from the University of Dhaka (1987 & ’88), an MBA from the University of Queensland (2001) and a Master of Public Finance from GRIPS (2003). Dr. Khan recently obtained his PhD from the Centre for Policing, Intelligence and Counter Terrorism (PICT), Macquarie University, Australia.

…Read an interview