Takehito Kamata has been recognized by the College of Education and Human Development with its Distinguished International Alumni Award. 

Kamata earned his Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development in 2018. He is now an assistant professor at Sophia University in Japan. He conducts research on international collaborative research and is involved in a wide range of international collaborative initiatives and projects such as the Strategic Alliance of Catholic Research Universities (SACRU), the MIRAI 2.0 (Swedish and Japanese universities), and other international initiatives to promote internationalization in higher education across nations.

CEHD spoke to Kamata about his time at UMN.

What is your favorite memory from the University of Minnesota?

The University of Minnesota was a welcoming and inclusive community for my wife Richiko and me all the time. As an international graduate student with my family, I was very glad to gain many wonderful intercultural experiences through on-campus events and programs. Joining the Power Play Club and supporting the Minnesota Golden Gophers Women's Hockey, joining the Homecoming events, and participating in Halloween Party at Eastcliff and Eastcliff Winter Open House were meaningful, fun, and memorable experiences for us. In addition, being part of the leadership team of the Council of International Graduate Students (CIGS) provided wonderful professional advancement opportunities to me to understand the significance of international diversity, discuss various emerging challenges with my colleagues from different academic backgrounds in the Graduate School, and refine my engaged communication skills across academic and professional disciplines.

What was the impact and benefit of your educational experience in CEHD?

In CEHD, I was fortunate to gain comprehensive engaged intercultural learning experience and learn from administrators, faculty and staff members, and alumni members. Participating in the CEHD Homecoming Pre-Parade Tailgate Party & Parade, organizing CEHD Alumni Society meetings and events, organizing and joining the CEHD Gopher Road Trip 2019 with CEHD faculty members have enhanced my understanding of diversity. I learned the significance of engaged intercultural, intergenerational, interdisciplinary, and international communication across academic and professional disciplines through these events. Because of my extensive educational experience in CEHD, as a faculty member and as a university research administrator at Sophia University, I can establish and cultivate trusted relationships with institutional leaders, leaders in academic societies, and leading professionals from different parts of the world.

What professor(s) or course(s) were most influential during your time in the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD)?

Professor Melissa S. Anderson and Professor Darwin D. Hendel were the most influential during my time in CEHD. In the course Surviving in Research, by Professor Anderson, I learned the significance of responsible conduct of research in scientific research and the scientific research enterprise structure at the global, institutional, and individual levels. It was a great learning experience for me to learn with doctoral candidates and students from different academic disciplines within the University of Minnesota. In the courses Higher Education in the United States and International Higher Education by Professor Hendel, I learned the historical development of and contemporary issues in higher education in the United States and other nations. Understanding critical perspectives on the higher education literature and various social factors that had influenced current higher education helped me analyze emerging challenges in higher education research across the world. My learning experience in these courses have shaped my current academic mindset to create a Faculty Development seminar program, Research Integrity, and establish a course, International Higher Education, at Sophia University in Japan.