【Report】Summary of the lecture by Seiko Sugita 5 June 2025

Title: Career Development in Development

5 June 2025

On June 5, 2025, Dr. Seiko Sugita, a former Programme Specialist at UNESCO, gave a presentation at Ritsumeikan University on her experience working at the United Nations.

She began her presentation by sharing her personal and professional journey. She told the audience that after completing her PhD, she realized that academia was not for her and that she wanted to work in an environment that had a more practical impact on community development. This aspiration eventually led her to take a position at UNESCO.

Dr. Sugita then explained what UNESCO does in Lebanon. As a development-focused organization, UNESCO has longer time horizons on its projects and emphasizes community development, such as education, rather than helping people meet their biological needs for survival.

As advice to the students who seek to work at an international organization, the former UN official emphasized that one must be willing to learn new languages, build an extensive network with others, and identify one’s unique strengths. She encouraged students to reflect on their life’s journey and think about the purpose of life. She also stressed the importance of leadership qualities—i.e., the ability to secure funding, network with others, lead group projects, navigate political sensitivities, and articulate a clear vision—to succeed in the United Nations.

Dr. Sugita illustrated the importance of these points by drawing on her experience as a UNESCO officer organizing a ministerial meeting of Arab states, coordinating a project in Syria, and bringing experts from various fields to UNESCO.

She advised the students seeking a career at international organizations to build confidence, patience, a willingness to learn, courage, and gratitude for life. She closed off her presentation by sharing a quote by Mark Twain: “To succeed in life, you need two things: ignorance and confidence.”

The presentation concluded with a lively Q&A session. Students asked various questions about topics such as Lebanon's domestic situation, the reforms required for the United Nations, and what collective decision-making processes look like in UNESCO.