Alumni Profile: Daisuke Kageyama, MPP'23

“I’ve always been passionate about disaster prevention,” said Daisuke Kageyama, MPP’23. “I grew up in Shizuoka Prefecture—a beautiful city surrounded by mountains—and unfortunately located near an active volcano. Between the volcano and the potential for earthquakes, the city is exposed to a huge disaster risk. When I was young, researchers said that there was about an 80% chance that we would be hit with a potentially devastating earthquake within 30 years, and I remember the horrible fear of staying in this high-risk disaster region. Fortunately, the earthquake has not happened so far, but we are still exposed to natural disaster risks exacerbated by climate change.”

This experience motivated Kageyama to study forestry with a minor in erosion control engineering at Hokkaido University in Japan as an undergraduate. After graduating, he spent five years as a civil engineer with the Government of Japan as Chief of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism, where he focused on natural disaster response and prevention. He went on to become Assistant Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where he helped develop a $4.5 billion financial aid package for developing countries in response to Covid-19.

In 2021, he earned sponsorship from the Government of Japan to pursue his Master of Public Policy (MPP) at the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy.

“I saw Harris' evidence-based approach to policy analysis as an invaluable tool,” Kageyama said. “The ability to interpret data and use evidence persuasively is critical, especially when expressing the urgency of climate change issues with the public. We need policies to not only respond to, but prevent, natural disasters.” 

Now, in his role as a Planning Officer, Kageyama combines his undergraduate engineering and natural sciences skills with the social science and economics skills he developed at Harris. “On one hand, I calibrate and run simulations to analyze river flow erosion and flooding issues. On the other hand, I present information and resolution options to stakeholders, including communities potentially impacted by climate change issues.”

Returning to Hokkaido, he added, was an unexpected benefit. “Hokkaido is famous for its nature—and its erosion control system. As I earned my bachelor’s here, returning as a professional who supervises and plans their disaster prevention is really a privilege—I always wanted to give back to the area.”

Kageyama said one of the biggest skills he gained at Harris was effectively translating information to different audiences. “Research Associate Professor Kimberly Wolske’s work on climate change communication was inspiring. She examines the behavioral dimensions of energy issues to improve the design of public-facing policies and programs, and that really changed the way I think. I am better prepared to synthesize and distill data from scientists and policymakers and share that with diverse stakeholders—including impacted communities.”

Kageyama added, “Prior to Harris, I didn't have any social science or psychology skills. I arrived in a civil engineering silo and couldn't think outside of my own experiences, even though I thought I was. However, between the coursework and such a diverse student body, that changed dramatically. In the classroom, I was exposed to many different approaches to solving issues, and my classmates brought a breadth of experience to every conversation.”

Kageyama said he continues to draw inspiration from his former classmates. “I made a lot of friends from around the world during my time at UChicago, and sometimes they travel to Japan, and we share updates over a cup of tea. It’s amazing to be part of this community—their passion for their work motivates me to achieve more in my career.”