Voices from senior staff №3　

Research Promotion Division <N. Y (Female employee) [Recruited in April 20]

■Introducing my current job

We mainly operate under three pillars.

1. Contract and reporting affairs related to research projects of the government and related organizations
2. Research expense distribution administration for external funds (joint research, donations, etc.)
3. Accounting work related to intellectual property (inventions, etc.)

■What has been difficult so far?

When I first transferred to my current department, I was in charge of intellectual property management. When it came to intellectual property, I only had prior knowledge of keywords such as ``patent'' and ``trademark registration,'' so I found work involving specialized terms to be gibberish.
I thought I had to find a way out of this situation, so I took on the challenge of taking the ``Intellectual Property Management Skills Test Level 3''. While studying for the exam, I was able to acquire the necessary knowledge that I was able to use in my future work.
Furthermore, because I took advantage of the corporate support system, I was able to pay half of the examination fee.

■What made you happy?

As I was in charge of teaching in the Educational Affairs Division of my previous department, I often interacted with students who were studying for the teaching profession, and I was able to work in a situation where they remembered my name. That alone makes me happy, but I was also very happy when an alumnus visited me and visited my current department. I myself was at a time when I was losing confidence in my work, so I can't tell you how much encouragement I received from a graduate student who said, "Thanks to Mr. Y, I'm now a teacher!" For me, it was the starting point that made me feel ``I'm so glad I became a university employee!''
One of the great things about my current affiliation is that I am able to support advanced research by faculty members who are said to be candidates for the Nobel Prize.

■What do you usually keep in mind?

I try to respond according to the other person's position.
On top of that, we need to maintain equality, so we strive to respond in accordance with established rules.
Also, no matter what kind of work I do, I approach it with the mindset that there are students ahead of me. When dealing with faculty members, it is said that by doing so, the faculty members' research will advance, and that research will be returned to the students. When dealing with staff, we believe that by ensuring smooth work execution, we will be supporting students.

■What's the atmosphere like at work?

The Coordination Section is the department that handles contracts and reports on external funds. The duties vary depending on the person in charge, but because the content is often cross-sectional, there is a lively exchange of opinions between staff members. I think this is a department where there is an atmosphere of mutual cooperation, and the teamwork of the staff shines through.

■What made you want to apply?

When I was worried about my future career path, I thought about ``where did I get help?'' and ``what would I enjoy doing?'' and then I decided.
One of the opportunities was that I felt closer to the staff through my experiences as a student. Through my experience working part-time in the student support department and serving on the executive committee for university festivals, entrance ceremonies, and graduation ceremonies, I have seen the people who support the university behind the scenes. All of the staff members put the students first in their work, and I learned a lot about their attitude as staff members.

■What is the difference between the image you had at the beginning and after joining the company?

Even a new employee was entrusted with a responsible job. During my first year, I prepared for the "Teacher's License Renewal Course."

■What kind of work would you like to do in the future?

Every job is a necessary task, so there are many things I would like to be involved in, but I hope that someday I will be able to work in a department where I can deal with students again.

■What are your future aspirations?

I would like to carry out my work while keeping an eye on higher education as a whole, rather than focusing on a narrow perspective.

■A message to everyone aiming to become a corporate employee

Corporate work is diverse, and even after many years, it feels refreshing to take on a new job.
As a staff member, I would be happy if we could work together to make graduates leaving universities and technical colleges feel that they were glad to study here.

■Schedule for a day

(As of March 25)