JICA’s international cooperation activities are carried out by experts in various fields, both inside and outside of JICA, who are passionate about their work. In “People Tackling International Challenges,” we focus on the stories of such people and delve into their past progress and their aspirations for the future. In this 8th issue, we interviewed Ms. Nozomi Hishida of Nippon Koei, a promising young female leader in the field of urban development.
Ms. Nozomi Hishida (center), a consultant for Nippon Koei, who is currently stationed in Bangkok and is active in a wide range of fields.
As a young leader in the field of urban development
I always think about how much I can share the feelings of our partners in developing countries who are struggling to build good cities and countries for the future. While solving the issues at hand, I always think about what the country will need in 10 or 20 years from now from the same perspective as they do.
Nozomi Hishida of Nippon Koei Co., Ltd. who is involved in urban development in developing countries, says, “I am very happy to be involved in this project.
In developing countries, the urban population is growing rapidly with economic development, and many urban problems have emerged as a result. For example, automobiles have spread faster than transportation infrastructures such as railroads have been established, resulting in chronic and serious traffic congestion and air pollution, which threaten people’s lives.
Under these circumstances, urban development, including infrastructure improvement, has become an important issue, which is one of the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) (Goal 11: Create cities where people can continue to live).
Mr. Hishida is currently involved as a team leader in a JICA project in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, to support policy formulation for public transportation oriented development (TOD) along the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system.
TOD is a development that aims to change a city from being primarily car-driven to a city based on the use of public transportation such as railroads and buses. In the Dhaka project, we are working with various government agencies in Bangladesh to realize the plan by first defining the stations to be developed on a pilot basis, gathering and reviewing information, and discussing with counterpart countries regarding transportation and land use around the stations.
Running a working meeting with government agencies in the Bangladesh TOD project (Mr. Hishida is third from the back in the right row).
Currently, Bangladesh’s first urban railroad line is in operation in Dhaka with Japanese assistance, and other lines are under construction. While Nippon Koei is involved in this railroad construction project, Mr. Hishida himself, as a development consultant, is responsible for the urban planning system, including the creation of development plans around stations and the establishment of a system to make the city more accessible by rail, and is in charge of steering a team of about 20 consultants with various expertise.
The concept of TOD itself had not yet penetrated Bangladesh, so we started by explaining its usefulness to government agencies. City planning is a field with so many agencies and people involved. Without the cooperation of everyone from railroads, buses, and local government ……, it is not possible to create a plan. Therefore, creating a system for inter-organizational coordination and decision-making is also an important part of my current job,” says Hishida.
Driven by interaction with a variety of people
While enrolled in graduate school, he visited Vietnam as part of his research, and it was this experience that shaped Hishida into the person he is today.
I stayed in Vietnam for a total of six months over a two-year period and participated in activities with the city of Da Nang, the Da Nang University of Technology, and NPOs. I had some difficulties that are unique to a foreign country, but more than that, I was impressed by the great kindness I received from the Vietnamese people involved.
I still treasure a marble tropical fish figurine that was given to me by the principal of the local elementary school where we worked, who said, ‘You can think of me as your Vietnamese father.
Mr. Hishida, fourth from the left, says that what he learned in Vietnam during his graduate school days is still being used today.
After graduation, he joined Nippon Koei, a general construction consultant company. After working on domestic projects, he requested to be transferred to the Overseas Business Department and has been stationed in Bangkok for six years. He is now in his sixth year in Bangkok. He is busy not only with JICA projects in South Asia and Latin America, but also with promoting private sector projects in Southeast Asia.
I honestly think that international cooperation work is one of the hardest jobs because it requires frequent overseas business trips and local assignments. Even so, I believe that those who are involved in this industry, including myself, have a love for this job while experiencing the joy of working with a variety of people from overseas.
With an awareness of the connection between the other country and our own country.
Mr. Hishida is involved not only in JICA projects, but also in projects from private clients. In doing so, he says that he is particularly conscious of working on private client work to solve client issues from a “global” perspective, and on JICA’s international cooperation projects from an “international” perspective.
In the case of JICA’s international cooperation projects, the government officials who build the country are our partners, so we face the challenges before us by considering ‘what is best for the country. In doing so, I pursue higher quality work and results as a consultant, and at the same time, I am aware of the international relationship between Japan and the partner country, and I hope that the project will leave a good impression of Japan.
That is why I believe that what is needed is a sense of “being close” to the other party. In particular, I try to work with a strong sense of contribution to both the other country and my own country.
Forming a research team with group company members in Latin America for the TOD project in Panama (Mr. Hishida is second from the right)
Mr. Hishida reiterates that building a relationship of trust with counterparts is essential for any project. Institution building is more difficult to understand than infrastructure construction because it is invisible. That is why, he says, the most rewarding part of his job is when he feels a deepening of understanding and cooperation among the parties involved, which were initially disparate.
As for the consultant team, I am still learning as a young business leader. As a team leader, I make decisions from a bird’s eye view and set policy, but I also listen carefully to the opinions of team members, including senior staff and local experts, and try to draw out their knowledge to the maximum extent possible. That is why I am trying to create an environment that encourages team members to make suggestions without hesitation.
Getting people to like their own country will lead to peace.
In order to create a place where people can easily work as equals as a team, regardless of nationality or position, Mr. Hishida has been consciously trying to keep an “open mind” for some time.
When working together for the first time, I think everyone approaches each other with trepidation. In such a situation, I first take down my own walls so that I don’t build strange walls against the other person. You have to believe that nothing unpleasant will happen.
The process of gradually deepening mutual understanding with people from different cultures and with different ways of thinking is really interesting. That is why I tell my juniors to start with me.
Of all the jobs in international cooperation, Hishida says he chose consulting because he wanted to work in the field.
I believe that contributing directly to the development of the other country leads to mutual trust, which in turn leads to people having a good impression of their own country or, more simply, even liking it. In the end, I believe that the accumulation of such things leads to peace.”
Mr. Hishida says he truly enjoys working with people from various countries and backgrounds. The projects I have been involved in are all over the world, and I have colleagues in each of them, and they are all working hard in their respective countries today, so I can do my best. That’s why I feel like I can do my best. Armed with the power of her love, she vows to make further strides as a dependable leader.
Nozomi Hishida
A consultant with Nippon Koei Co. After working on urban policy and crisis management planning in Japan, he was sent to the Development Policy Program at the Graduate School of Policy Studies (GRIPS) before joining the Development Planning Department. Mainly involved in urban planning and development in Southeast Asia for government agencies, JICA, local governments, and private companies, especially in study work related to the promotion of public transportation oriented development (TOD). 2018-present stationed in Bangkok. Currently, he is engaged in JICA’s TOD promotion study and technical cooperation projects in Bangladesh, Panama, and other countries as a chief of operation.
Nippon Koei Co.
A general construction and development consulting firm, we have been engaged in solving social issues through the development of social infrastructures as a leading construction consulting company in Japan since our establishment in 1946. The company has been engaged in solving social issues as a leading construction consulting company in Japan since its establishment in 1946.
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