Daiwa Scholars 1999

Dr Victoria James

Victoria James completed a BA (Hons) degree in Modern History and English at Merton College, University of Oxford in 1995. At the time of applying for the Scholarship, she aspired to a career in academic work, journalism and creative writing. Victoria’s homestay while in Japan was in Hokkaido, and her work placement was at Sophia University where she was Editorial Assistant for Monumenta Nipponica.

She is currently an author.

Victoria is working on the the Dark Gifts trilogy, a dystopian story set in Britain. The first book, Gilded Cage  was published in the UK in 2017 by PanMacmillan and in the US/Canada by PenguinRandomHouse/DelRey, in December 2016. Tarnished City, the second of Vic James’s electrifying Dark Gifts Trilogy was published in September 2017. Bright Ruin, concluding the trilogy, was published in June 2018  (http://www.vicjames.co.uk/books).

Sanctuary was published in 2019.

Ian Paterson

Ian Paterson completed a BSc (Hons) degree in Engineering at the University of Cambridge in 1992. At the time of applying for the Scholarship, he was employed as a geotechnical engineer with particular expertise in soil mechanics at Ove Arup & Partners.

His homestay while in Japan was in Matsumoto City in Nagano Prefecture. His work placement was with Pacific Consultants International, where he continues to work.

Dr John Pinney

John Pinney completed a BSc (Hons) degree in Physics at Sheffield University in 1999. At the time of applying for the Scholarship, John hoped to pursue a doctorate in theoretical physics. His homestay in Japan was in Takayama shi in Gifu Prefecture.

His work placement was with the Particle Theory Group at Tokyo Metropolitan University. He is a Royal Society Fellow at Imperial College, London.

Dr Ian Rapley

Ian Rapley completed a Master’s degree in Mathematics at Lincoln College, University of Oxford in 1999. His homestay in Japan was in Naoiri Machi (Taketa City) in Oita Prefecture, and his work placement was at the Tokyo Institute of Technology.

In the summer of 2015 he was a UK Arts and Humanities Research Council International Placement Scheme fellow at the National Institute for the Humanities in Kyoto.

He is a historian of modern Japan, focusing on the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, and is based at the Department of History at Cardiff University, where he is a lecturer in East Asian Studies.

Christopher Sachno

Christopher Sachno completed a BSc (Hons) in Electronic Engineering with Applied Physics at Durham University in 1999. At the time of applying for the Scholarship, he hoped to pursue a doctorate with a view to working in industry.

His homestay in Japan was in Hiratsuka City in Kanagawa Prefecture and his work placement was with NTT DoCoMo. Chris now works for Apple Inc. in Japan.

Anna Strongman

Anna Strongman completed a BA (Hons) degree in History at Gonville and Caius College, University of Cambridge in 1998 and an MPhil in Social and Economic Industry in June 1999. At the time of applying for the Scholarship, she hoped to pursue a career in Welfare Administration.

Anna’s homestay was in Kakunodate Machi (Senboku City) in Akita Prefecture. Her work placement was at the Japan Productivity Centre, where she conducted research into the labour market.

Back in London, Anna has been working as Managing Partner of leading UK property developer Argent Services LLP. In July 2020 she was appointed the new CEO of Oxford University Development Ltd (OUD).

Craig Thompson

Craig Thompson completed a BA (Hons) degree in Contemporary East European Studies at the School of Slavonic and East European Studies, University of London in 1998. At the time of applying for the Scholarship, he aspired to a career in journalism or as a producer of radio or television news programmes.

Craig’s homestay while in Japan was in Tokushima City in Tokushima Prefecture. His work placements were at the Institute for International Policy Studies, Japan and at the Institute for International Affairs, Keio University. He has been working as a consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers.