Tokyo Metropolitan University

GLIDe Faculty Member
International Politics

Shunsaku Komatsuzaki

GLIDe is a faculty that develops individuals who can transform people and society and make an impact on the world. We are aiming for a future in which, 20 years from now, many GLIDe graduates will be among those changing the world. Tokyo is home to countless seeds of innovation with the potential to reach the world. For those of you who feel that you are not creative, let us acquire specialized knowledge at GLIDe, along with the ways of innovation needed to put it to use, and take flight into the world! For those of you who want to put innovation into action right away, let us make use of the wide range of human and material resources, networks, and opportunities that GLIDe offers, and keep taking on challenges together with your peers! Your field of specialization and your strengths or weaknesses do not matter. If GLIDe’s goals resonate with you, we warmly invite you to learn with us!

GLIDe Faculty Member
Development Economics

Minakshi Keeni

Hello and welcome to GLIDe. I am Dr. Minakshi Keeni, Associate Professor in Development Economics, and I am pleased to introduce a program grounded in the philosophy of “co-creation.” At GLIDe, we approach development economics as a collaborative process of understanding and addressing global challenges such as poverty, inequality, migration, and sustainability.
Our program emphasizes interdisciplinary learning, combining economic theory with real-world applications and policy engagement. Students are encouraged to work across cultures and disciplines to co-create solutions that are inclusive, evidence-based, and impactful.
We expect our students to be curious, analytical, and socially conscious—ready to engage with complex development issues and contribute meaningfully to society. Together, through collaboration and innovation, we aim to shape a more equitable and sustainable future.
Great ideas often start with simple conversations, so let’s talk, think, and create something meaningful together!

GLIDe Faculty Member
Urban Science

Saritha Padiyedath Gopalan

At GLIDe, we aim to foster a new generation of leaders who can collaboratively address complex global challenges. I mainly focus on water resources management, water-related hazards, and broader hydrological processes, issues that are becoming increasingly critical under climate change and rapid urbanization. Addressing these challenges requires interdisciplinary knowledge, innovative thinking, and international collaboration.

GLIDe offers unique opportunities such as domestic study experiences, industry internships, and project-based learning with global partner universities. Through these opportunities, you will explore how water-related challenges affect societies and environments across different regions and further connect scientific knowledge with real-world applications.

We welcome curious, open-minded, and motivated students to create positive change in society. By learning together in a diverse and dynamic environment, you will develop the skills and mindset needed to co-create solutions for a changing world and help shape the future.
We look forward to learning and working together at GLIDe.

GLIDe Faculty Member
Ecological Conservation

Shigeto Otsuka

A wide range of problems are occurring on this irreplaceable Earth. Climate change, disasters, and environmental destruction are caused by human activities. We still do not know how to truly solve these problems. The four years of university are not merely a period of preparation for employment. They are an excellent opportunity to cultivate the ability to think deeply for yourself about “why such problems occur in the world.” I hope you will learn the wisdom handed down by the generations before us and generate new ideas. And please don’t just master your specialized field; cultivate the ability to engage with and sympathize with people from diverse backgrounds across different areas. It is your curiosity and initiative that will determine Earth's future. We will support your efforts to take on the challenge of solving these problems.

GLIDe Faculty Member
Regional Society

Ayumi Sugimoto

Precisely because different values and cultures meet within them, both challenges and possibilities emerge.
Each of us engages with regional communities through our daily lives, work, and travel, and relationships with others― and in doing so, we also help shape them.
When we turn our attention to the people living on the ground, even global issues reveal deep connections to local communities.
Based in Tokyo, this faculty engages with the dynamism of regional communities while collaborating with universities and companies across Japan and worldwide. Moving beyond the boundaries of the humanities and sciences, we take a practical approach to issues that range from local realities to global challenges.
Through this learning, students cultivate the ability to work with people of diverse values and cultural backgrounds to imagine and create new forms of society together.
We invite you to join us in deepening inquiry, sharing questions, and exploring the future as active participants in society.

GLIDe Faculty Member
Urban Science

Hyunyoung Lee

I believe one of GLIDe’s strengths is that students can develop the ability to study a specific field in depth while also understanding it broadly in relation to other fields and society.
This kind of learning requires an attitude of engaging in dialogue with people in different positions and thinking, while connecting diverse perspectives.
For example, in energy management, learning about technology is of course important, but it is also important to consider how that technology is accepted, operated, and expanded within local communities.
I hope we can cultivate together the ability to move among diverse perspectives, such as policies and systems, markets, and people’s behavior, to identify the essence of issues across fields, envision improvements, and create new value.
Learning in English is also an important means of broadening this kind of perspective.
We welcome students who are motivated to engage in this kind of learning.

GLIDe Faculty Member
International Politics

Yoshiko Naiki

My lecture and seminar are driven by basic questions: Who are governors of the globe? How do they govern the globe? Actually, these are not new questions. We have been tackling these questions for a long time. One big difference from the past is technological innovation (AI, facial recognition, blockchain etc). We can ask additional questions: How are new technologies reshaping the globe? Who wields power in technological changes? Is the power in hands of global digital corporations? Then, what is the role of international law in the digital age? To address these issues, a good start is to imagine how you are connected to the global society. Consider “global supply chains.” You are one important actor as consumers across global supply chains. Currently, global supply chains are also managed by a digital infrastructure with data sharing technologies. Join us if you are interested in technology, sustainability, and governance!