Daiwa Scholars 2013

James Fisher

James Fisher completed a BA (Hons) degree in Law with European Law at the University of Oxford in 2013. He has a long-standing interest in Japan and believes that a working knowledge of Japanese corporate work and commercial priorities would allow him to specialise in Japan-related legal work. He aspires to a career as a barrister. He took Japanese evening classes during his year abroad at Leiden University in the Netherlands.

James’s homestay in Japan was in Arai City in Kagoshima Prefecture. His work placement was at Hogan Lovells and at Tokyo University’s Law Department. James worked as Associate Professor of Law at the University of Tokyo, and is currently Associate Professor at Sophia University in Tokyo.

You can read more about James in the “Scholars Experiences” section of the website.

John Lingi

John Lingi was awarded a BSc (Hons) in Physics at Imperial College London in 2012 and in 2013 completed an MSc degree in Physics, also at Imperial College. His interest in Japan was sparked by the language and he has been studying Japanese while at university. He was part of a group of volunteers who assisted the Japanese Olympic Committee and its guests who were staying at Imperial College during the 2012 Olympic Games. He hopes to complete a PhD in Quantum Physics at a Japanese university with a view to a career with an industrial firm.

John’s homestay in Japan was in Hioki City in Kagoshima Prefecture. His work placement was at S. Soga + Co. Patents and Trademarks.

John completed an MSc in Computing Science at Imperial College in September 2019. He worked as a Machine Learning Engineer at Babylon Health, and currently works as an AI / Machine learning engineer at Spotify.

James McCormac

James McCormac completed an MSci degree in Theoretical Physics at Imperial College London in 2013. While at university, he has been studying Japanese as an extracurricular subject and assisted the Japanese Olympic team while they were staying at Imperial College during the 2012 Olympic Games. He has a professional interest in Japan’s technological advancements and aspires to complete a PhD in Quantum Information, make connections with scientists in Japan and develop the next generation of computer technology with a view to running his own business.

James’s homestay in Japan was in two different cities, Miyazaki City and Hyuga City in Miyazaki Prefecture. His work placement was at the University of Tokyo’s Department of Engineering.

Dr Benjamin Outram

Benjamin Outram was awarded an MPhys degree in Physics at the University of Manchester in 2009 and completed a DPhil in Engineering Science at the University of Oxford in 2013. He aims to forge collaborations with some of the most influential scientists in the field of flexoelectric liquid crystal materials who work in Japan, with a view to combining an academic career with entrepreneurial activities. He has a GCSE in Japanese.

Benjamin’s homestay in Japan was in Kanoya City in Kagoshima Prefecture. His work placement was at Keio University’s Graduate School of Media Design.

Following the Scholarship, Ben received a Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) fellowship (2015 to 2017) to study at  Keio University, researching virtual reality, media technology, and haptic devices, in collaboration with UCL in London.

He is currently an independent and freelance scientist, engineer, technologist, artist and science author living and working in England

Natasha Pulley

Natasha Pulley has a BA (Hons) in English from the University of Oxford, and in 2012 she completed an MA in Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia. She has a long-standing interest in Japan and in Japanese literature. Amongst her aims are to continue as a novelist, to complete a PhD in Comparative Literature at UEA, and to promote the study of Japanese literature in the UK.

Natasha’s homestay in Japan was in Shari City in  Hokkaido. Her work placement was at Waseda University’s Faculty of International Research and Education, School of International Liberal Studies.

In July 2015, Natasha published her first novel, The Watchmaker of Filigree Street to wide acclaim.

Her second novel, The Bedlam Stacks waspublished in July 2017 and The Lost Future of Pepperharrow in 2020.

More information on Natasha can be found via these links below:

• About the author
• The Skinny reviews The Watchmaker of Filigree Street
• The New York Times reviews The Watchmaker of Filigree Street 
• The Watchmaker of Filigree Street mentioned in The Guardian
• The Watchmaker of Filigree Street is a Betty Trask Award finalist
• Natasha talking about the Daiwa Scholarships and The Lost Future of Pepperharrow in June 2020 for Exeter Library here 

Dr Rebecca Voelcker

Becca Voelcker was awarded a BA (Hons) degree in Fine Art at Goldsmiths, University of London in 2012, and completed an MPhil in Screen Media and Cultures at the University of Cambridge in 2013. She is interested in Japanese visual culture and film directors including Hirokazu Koreeda, Hiroshi Teshigahara and Yasujiro Ozu. She hopes to complete a PhD before pursuing a career as a film and art curator and researcher.

Becca’s homestay in Japan was in Ishigaki City in Okinawa Prefecture. Her work placement was at Tokyo  Metropolitan Museum of Photography and at the University of Tokyo’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences.

In March 2021, Becca was awarded a PhD (Film and Visual Studies) by Harvard University,  presenting her doctoral dissertation, Land Cinema in the Neoliberal Age, which she’s now hoping to turn into a book.

She is currently Postdoctoral Researcher at Central Saint Martins, University of The Arts London

You can read more about Becca in the “Scholars Experiences” section of the website.