The Asian Development Bank (ADB), an international financial institution represented by Dr. Nair, is accepting bids from three consulting firms on an upcoming project. Each consulting firm is represented by a group of students, which must develop and present its plan. The entire process is flowcharted through to final plan implementation, with students following the explanation while preparing their presentations.
Dr. Nair dynamically explains the process, branching off to discuss his experiences in other countries, giving the course a distinct, inimitable flow. While at first glance, these digressions may appear irrelevant to the course, on the contrary they contain valuable nuggets of information. Viewing a presentation well represents this subject. Each group has only 15 minutes to make its presentation. Students are very serious in their presenting, even assuming titles and qualifications, in effort to simulate an environment close to the real thing. After the presentations are complete, students have to field difficult questions, such as “How are local and national government and private enterprise involved in this project?” or “How will you collect information on-site, where the communications infrastructure is still underdeveloped?” After announcing the winning group, Professor Nair commented “It is important to explain, as concretely and simply as possible, how the project is advanced, scheduling, financing analysis and what government and private business will have to do. Other crucial points are to stress the practical utility of the project, and emphasize the advantages of the consulting company and experience in the local region.” |
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SHELTON,
Douglas Alan
（GSA 1, USA） |
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| I think the academic environment of the APU graduate school is just wonderful, because it lets me continue my study of the Japanese language while at the same time learning about international relations and international cooperation in English. Professor Nair brings commitment and experience to his lectures, and I learn a lot from him. Thanks to his lectures, I have a better idea now of what approach is most effective when providing support in an industrializing nation, and what problems are likely to be encountered. After program completion I plan to work in a government or other organization providing development assistance, or an international NPO, doing work involving Japan. Consulting firms work very closely with assistance organizations and NPOs, so I am confident that what I learn here will be invaluable in the future. |
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