Mr. Toriumi Yoji learned about the Fulbright Program through an internet search. He explains, "I decided to leave my job and go study abroad with my family, so my financial circumstances would have been difficult without the scholarship. Coverage of tuition and living expenses as well as the extensive network of the Fulbright Program were very attractive.”

Mr. Toriumi’s academic discipline in urban planning during his undergraduate years and his work experiences at the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) led him to pursue urban science. He had his research topic as “Development management enabling sound urbanization in developing countries.” Data science and machine learning methods are areas attracting attention these days and he had the idea of incorporating them into his research.

He studied at Harvard University but also took classes at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), as he found out that Harvard students could cross-register at MIT. There was an enormous amount of readings for each topic from each university, but his motivation and enthusiasm did not fade away. He focused on studying spatial analysis software for data science and programming languages used in research methods. It was when he was at a park or a museum, where he was able to relax and enjoy time with his family.

While studying in the U.S., he realized that it is common in American society to build one’s own career path instead of working at one company until retirement. He explains, “My study abroad experience opened my eyes about career-building. You acquire new skills and find a job that matches with the skills. Then you refine those skills to further advance in your career.”

Upon return to Japan, he advises those who are thinking of studying abroad, "Even if you don't know the exact timing of studying abroad, keep brushing up on your English skills, and start preparing for the application such as essays and recommendation letters. When the time comes for you to apply, all you need to do is to submit them."

Mr. Toriumi is now exploring the emerging field of urban science, the fusion of urban planning and data science.