At Meijo University, he actively participated in various projects inside and outside the university, including the IT Engineer Training Project through Programming Contests and the interdisciplinary Honors Meijo University Challenge Support Program. In April 2021, he joined IBM Japan, Ltd., where he has been involved in implementing systems and building services to streamline the operations of client companies.
Encounters with Teachers and Friends Who Helped Me Grow
Before entering university, my experience with computers was limited to what I learned in “information” classes. So why did I choose to study information engineering? It all started when I watched a TV drama set in an IT company and thought, “It would be so cool to be able to program.” Additionally, at the time, I hadn’t yet found a specific career path, and as I was contemplating my future, I realized that “information technology is needed in every field, and programming will become increasingly important.” That became a major reason for my decision.
When I first enrolled, I had almost no computer skills. But now, I can confidently say that programming is one of my strengths. I believe this growth was largely due to my participation in the “IT Engineer Training Project” (a learning community initiative started by the Department of Information Engineering) My encounters with professors in the department also helped me change the way I approached my studies.
Before changing the way I approached things, I would say things like “I want to get good grades” or “I’m going to become Steve Jobs,” even though I didn’t have a concrete plan for my future. I set big goals without any real purpose behind them. This was changed during my second year by a question posed by Professor Kawasumi, who was in charge of the Global Engineer Training program.. He asked, “What exactly do you want to do? Have you thought it through?” That question made me reflect on what I truly wanted to achieve.As I started to think more clearly about my goals, I began to receive awards in hackathons and other competitions.
Meeting students from other departments through the Challenge Support Program, as well as students from Thailand and Myanmar during the Global Engineer Training, was also a great source of inspiration that contributed significantly to my growth. I am deeply grateful to Meijo University for its strong support for students who want to take on challenges, as it provided me with many opportunities and the backing to pursue them.
Building Systems to Solve Customer Challenges
I decided to join IBM Japan because the lecturer at a study group I attended at the end of my second year was an employee there, and I thought the company was doing interesting work. During the summer vacation of my third year, I participated in an internship and became even more interested as I listened to the stories of many employees.
Additionally, I was familiar with their products, as I often used IBM Japan’s AI system called”Watson,” when I worked on projects during hackathons. I was also attracted by the opportunity to work globally, the well-established training system, and the fact that the company actively adopts technologies from other companies.
My position is “IT Specialist,” where my role is to build systems and services that help solve customer challenges and improve operational efficiency. The job involves communicating with customers throughout the project lifecycle, from requirements definition to system design, construction, operation, and maintenance, playing a role similar to that of a system engineer and consultant. Although I have just joined the company and haven’t been involved in actual projects yet, I look forward to working on a variety of tasks in the future.
Becoming Someone Who Can Inspire Growth Through Work
My future goal is to become an engineer who can influence not only the people I meet through my work but also those around them. During my university years, I started a community through a challenge support program, where we shared knowledge about IBM Japan’s services. Through this activity, I learned about “DevRel” (Developer Relations), a marketing method aimed at spreading a company’s technologies and services to developers.
While I aim to contribute to customers as an IT specialist, I also hope to be involved in DevRel, where I can connect with developers and help spark learning and insights in others. I have been fortunate to meet people who have given me opportunities to grow, and I want to become someone who can provide such opportunities for others.
For now, I want to experience and absorb as much as I can at IBM Japan so I can grow as an individual. Information engineering is used in a wide variety of fields, and learning it is like learning the foundation of the world. Since it is still a developing field, diving deeper into it provides the opportunity to change the world—and most importantly, it’s a fascinating area of study. I encourage you to take the first step in learning information engineering at Meijo University.
[Interview Date] January 22, 2021