Marcos Sadao Maekawa
Brazil
CAREER Enrolled in April 2008; Completed master’s degree in March 2010 /
Enrolled in April 2010; Withdrawal from the doctoral program with the completion of course requirements in March 2013, awarded doctoral degree in February 2016
I came to Japan after majoring in Architecture and Urbanism in Brazil. When I entered KMD’s first batch of students in 2008, I had a 12-year career in graphic design and a question in mind: how can design make the world a better place?
I joined the real project Global Education, and my interest was to design online programs to connect classrooms worldwide. My research focused on global citizenship education, which opened doors for collaboration with schools in Japan and abroad and organizations such as UNESCO.
After earning master’s and Ph.D. degrees, I re-joined KMD as a senior assistant professor in 2016. For five years, I coordinated the global programs GID, CEMS, and KMD-Stanford.
Currently, I am a research and education development project officer at the APNIC Foundation. This non-profit, based in Australia, supports internet infrastructure-related initiatives in the Asia Pacific. My roles include bridging teams in Japan and our headquarters and providing consultancy to project activities. My KMD experience (master, doctoral, faculty) broadened my vision of design and empowered me to celebrate diversity and collaboration, which are fundamental for working in global environments.
(This article was written in March 2023.)