Bintou S. Darboe (The Gambia, AY2024-2025)
Being the second scholar from The Gambia to study in Japan under the World Customs Organization (WCO) Strategic Management and Intellectual Property Rights (SMIPRP) scholarship is an incredible blessing, and a significant achievement, truly a once in a lifetime opportunity. I am deeply grateful to my administration at the Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA) for their unwavering support from the very beginning of my application process up to now. It is an immense honor to represent both the GRA and my country on this international stage.
I extend my heartfelt thanks to the WCO for their commitment to capacity building, which enables members like myself to contribute meaningfully to the development of our respective administrations. Special thanks to Japan-WCO Human Resource Development Programme for providing the scholarship for promising young Customs officers.
Studying at Aoyama Gakuin University, a prestigious institution located in the heart of Shibuya, Tokyo, is a dream come true. The university provides an excellent environment for students from diverse backgrounds and religions to pursue the highest levels of education. The wonderful professors and coordinators are always ready to assist and guide us, ensuring our academic and personal welfare are well cared for.
It’s hard to believe that five months have already passed since I arrived in this amazing country and joined my fellow scholars’ Customs officers from around the world. The knowledge, skills and experience I've gained so far have been overwhelming. I’ve learned a great deal from my professors and classmates, which will undoubtedly benefit my future career as a Customs officer.
The culture, food, and lifestyle in Japan are entirely different from those of my home country, leading to some initial culture shock. However, with time, I’ve adjusted to the Japanese way of life and even started trying their traditional dishes, like the famous ramen, which I’ve come to love. Recently, we participated in a Leadership Seminar through a Japanese Cultural Experience organized by the SMIPRP coordinators. We dressed in traditional Japanese attire (Kimonos) for the ladies and (Hakamas) for the gentlemen and had a Samurai sword-fighting experience. We also visited the Taiko-lab, where we learned about Japanese traditional drums, their history, and had the opportunity to play them. These unique and fascinating experiences have created unforgettable memories.
Regarding the SMIPRP, the program covers a broad range of topics on Customs, Strategic Management, and Intellectual Property Rights, all of which are directly related to my daily work. SMIPRP is divided into two parts: in-class lectures and field trips to places like Japan Customs Offices, Canon, Japan Post Offices, Supreme Court of Japan, TV Station, IPR office, etc., which provide us with a first-hand experience and deeper understanding of the subject matter.
In conclusion, SMIPRP has profoundly shaped me, altering my way of thinking, enhancing my appreciation for the importance of time, and, above all, teaching me the value of teamwork. I am truly fortunate to be part of this exciting program, and I hope that more of my colleagues back home will have the same opportunity in the future to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary for the development of The Gambia.
Farah Diyana Binti Azlan (Malaysia, AY2024-2025)
First and foremost, I am deeply grateful to Allah for blessing me to have this wonderful experience of being a student again. I also want to express my heartfelt thanks to the Royal Malaysian Customs Department (RMCD) for their trust and the invaluable opportunity they have given me to pursue the Master of Arts in Business Administration (Major in Strategic Management and Intellectual Property Rights) at Aoyama Gakuin University (AGU), Tokyo, Japan under the SMIPRP scholarship program with World Customs Organization (WCO)-Japan.
My journey to this point was not without its challenges, as the SMIPRP program had been a goal of mine for several years. However, I was determined to apply before reaching the age limit, and now I find myself in Japan as a student. Here, I am gaining knowledge in Customs, Management, and IPR for my department and benefiting from the unique cultural insights and understanding that come from studying alongside classmates from nine different countries, which has enriched my learning experience.
The SMIPRP office and JICE have been instrumental in our journey, providing invaluable guidance and support that helped us settle comfortably and make Japan our home until March of next year. Their unwavering support has been crucial in our adaptation to a new environment and academic system, giving us the confidence to fully immerse ourselves in the program. The first semester went by like the wind for all of us. Getting to know our way around, classes, formal visits, presentations, and thesis kept us on our toes, but we also had fun exploring Tokyo for a break in between.
The SMIPRP program is an excellent opportunity for all young and middle managers in the Customs Department. The courses were designed to combine classroom and practical knowledge from formal visits to various agencies and companies that show how to handle IPR issues in our country. The lecturers at AGU and the guest lecturers are full of experience and know how to mold us into future managers in our department.
I highly encourage all to apply to the SMIPRP program, as it will allow you to discover yourself as a person and as a Customs officer and open your mind and critical thinking for the future of your department. I am thankful for this opportunity and will never forget this year's precious experiences.
Godwin Sena Kwaku Kugblenu (Ghana, AY 2024-2025)
It is with great gratitue that I express my utmost appreciation to the World Customs Organization, (WCO), the Ministry of Finance (Japan), Aoyama Gakuin University, Japan and the Ghana Revenue Authority-Customs Division for honouring me with the priviledge to take part in the SMIPRP. My journey to Japan was with a lot of anxiety without knowing what to expect after spending all my life in Ghana.
I arrived here in Tokyo, Japan, with an open mind to experience what God and life had for me with no reservations. My arrival, accomodation, registration with local authorities as well as course registration was well organized and handled by the cordinators of the program who did an excellent job by making us have a feel of belongingness in our new environment.
The first Japanese word I was accustomed to was “arigatogozaimaz” since this was mentioned everywhere I went. It was upon later understanding of the word that I got to understand it meant “Thank you’’. This represents the appreciative and hospitable nature of the Japan people who would take every opportunity to make you feel appreciated. This is well embodied in the common Japanese phrase “ichi go ichie” which means “one time, one meeting”. This is seen in the daily interractions and behaviours of the Japan people full with compassion, empathy, friendliness, humility, and a willingness to help at all times.
I subsequently came to understand the collective nature of the Japan people where they priotise the collective good of society (collectivism) over individual preference which is seen in the orderliness of citizens, obedience of laws, integrity, patience, safety of citzens or less crimes, hardwork together with discipline, togetherliness, selflessness, time conciousness, truthfullness, uprightness and ultimately respect for Japanese culture and way of life. Again the Japanese saying “ Tatsu tori ato-onigosazu” meaning “a bird does not soil its nest” describes the cleanliness of environment and the streets.
The SMIPRP has surpassed my expectations. The University environment is very welcoming with students who are very hospitable and socially friendly. My first experience was the welcoming to the university with cherry blossom which made me experience the beautiful flower and green environment of the campus at the centre of Tokyo. The Christian virtues instilled in the academic environment develops students in upright and disciplined ways which are incomparable.
There are several open spaces as well as social places including the gym where there is good infrastructure to build your body and mind. The chat room is a place to behold where you would meet all sorts of people from different nationalities to build your social experience and equally learn new experiences. The WCO library is a state of the art providing study materials to shape the minds of students about the global world which is accessible always.
Most students speak Japanese as well as English which makes socialization very simple. The chapel and the mosque makes life very comfortable among both religious worshipers.
The program is designed to equip scholars with practical as well as theoritical perspectives of study. Students are educated on contemporary management skills and capabilities to lead in the global environment as well how to modernise Customs operations of their organizations in line with current international trends for global competition.
The Masters course also provides international perspective of corporate management. Some courses include Management, Human Resource Management & Leadership, Competitive Strategy, Customs law amongst others to equip Customs officers with skills which are highly relevant in todays trade environment.
Scholars are provided first hand experience on current trends in IPR developments through in-class tutorship and workshops including field trips to prestiguous or global companies as well as Customs Administrations of Japan, and the Supreme Court of Japan to gain first hand experience on procedures of IPR implementation and processes. This enables students to be abreast of current developments and procedures in international implementation of IPR procedures and students get to interact with professionals in the field of IPR.
The thesis under the tutorship of well experienced professors. My thesis advisor provides the opportunity for customs officers to identify relevant topics of their choice and research to find practical solutions. This helps to develop the capacity of Customs officers to systematically find solutions to problems through empirical research.
To foster corperation among ten customs officers from different countries, class room work is usually conducted through group work which promotes team work as well students make presentations which builds charisma, professionalism and leadership qualities. This also provides students the opportunity to understand the culture, lifestyle and customs administrations of other countries.
The program also provides the opportunity to interact and have seminars with other students from different courses which enables students to broaden their perspectives on other fields of study.
Indeed, Aoyama Gakuin university is “the Salt of the Earth, light of the World” since it grooms Customs officers to become global leaders in their home administration as they are trained to handle emerging challenges due to globalisation. Arigatogozaimaz