President's Gachon . Mrs.Karen Makishima

 2025/6/8

■President's Gachon . Mrs.Karen Makishima

The Minister appeared. At the time of the interview, he was the Minister of Digital Affairs. He came to iU .

About the Digital Agency

It was launched on September 1, 2021. The first class will join in April 2022, bringing the total to 700 people. 250 people are from the private sector. There are also part-time staff, making this a very rare ministry in Kasumigaseki.

◆ Mission of the Digital Agency

"People-friendly digitalization that leaves no one behind." No one will be left behind. The SDGs' "No one left behind" is often translated into Japanese as "no one left behind," but the Digital Agency's mission is to create a society in which citizens feel that no one is left behind, and they were particular about including the single character "re" in their mission.

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed Japan's delays in digitalization. Japan is also struggling in international competitiveness rankings, and there is a sense of crisis that other countries are overtaking it. In this situation, the Digital Agency's role is to meet the expectations that it can break down the vertical divisions between ministries and agencies and act horizontally.

What is school?

I got my undergraduate degree and PhD from ICU, a liberal arts university, and my master's degree from George Washington University. Although my education was a little different from the typical Japanese university, I learned critical thinking, not just accepting the status quo, but having a critical mind, and a way of learning and an attitude of challenging new things.

What prompted him to aspire to become a politician?

I was in Washington DC in 2000 and 2001. The 2000 US presidential election. There was a recount in Florida, and it was a tough time. On September 11, 2001, I was very close to the Pentagon. As a Japanese who witnessed that crisis on that day and in that place, it made me think about how my homeland, Japan, can continue to be a country that is resilient to crises. That day was a big turning point for me to decide to enter the political field.

◆Message for you guys

The future is unpredictable, so some people may feel anxious, but that is exactly why I want people to challenge themselves in new ways.

It is our generation and our role to lay a solid foundation for your future. I look forward to seeing you all soar high into the sky.

★Postscript

iU . We share the same mission of nurturing digital talent. I hope that iU will produce a politician like Minister Makishima.