Ritsumeikan Academy
Competency Framework Special Website

I never studied economics before. But now when i got enrolled in Economics, I had to cover a lot of basic concepts. Most of the course was totally new for me. I didn't give up and challanged myself to keep working hard. I wasn't quite satisfied with my grades in 1st semester but I took it as goal to get better grades in 2nd semester. I set goals and timelines to achieve those goals. And I did pretty well in 2nd semester. This is how I think I gained competence in taking initiative and fulfilling them.

During my nearly two years at the Graduate School of International Relations at Ritsumeikan University, I have developed resilience through the rigorous research work assigned by my supervisor. These projects were often challenging, requiring me to deeply engage with complex academic materials and manage tight deadlines. Initially, balancing multiple responsibilities while maintaining the quality of my work felt overwhelming. However, I gradually learned to break tasks into manageable parts, prioritize effectively, and seek clarification from my supervisor when needed. This approach not only enhanced my understanding of the research topics but also significantly improved my time management skills. By staying disciplined and adapting to feedback, I successfully completed each assignment on time. These experiences have strengthened my ability to recover from difficulties and approach future challenges with greater confidence and efficiency.

When I first got into AISLab, I had to decide which research topic I would work on. That includes learning about my preferences, my abilities, and my future goals. I made the plan and proposed it to the professor, and received some feedback; the whole process involved me being very proactive in defining the tasks and goals. I reflect on that goal constantly to keep everything on track. I achieved 2 papers published after one year in the master's program; I think it mainly reflects how I took the initiative.

Over the past year at the Intelligence Computer Entertainment Laboratory, I've grown significantly in my ability to set and pursue goals independently. During our lab seminars led by my professor, I consistently pushed beyond assigned tasks. I began proposing my research ideas, designing experiments, and working late into the night to see them through. When faced with setbacks or unexpected results, I didn't give up. Instead, I adjusted my approach and kept going. This self-driven attitude led to several breakthroughs in our game AI projects. My initiative caught the attention of my peers and my professor, who encouraged me to present my findings at a conference. This experience taught me the value of self-motivation and perseverance in academic research.

As a student pursuing a doctoral degree, we were required to think proactively, identify problems around us, and propose effective solutions. Being a Doctoral Student automatically positioned me as a "senior" student in the laboratory, making it essential to become a role model that students from other levels could look up to. With limited time and the high expectations of producing novel research, I often had to take the lead in starting discussions and setting clear goals right from the start. When discussing research topics with my professor, the conversation dynamic shifted from directives like "You should do this to obtain this" to more collaborative conversations such as "What do you think we should do to obtain this?" this kind of approach consistently challenged and strengthened my initiative mindset.

When I was swimming, sometimes I was still a little bit away from the finish line, and at that time I felt a certain amount of fatigue, but I would still keep swimming to the finish line.