Waseda WeeklyWaseda Weekly

In front of the Social & Human Capital Research Institute, Building 121, Waseda Campus

What's graduate school like? Currently, Waseda University has 21 graduate schools. In this edition of "Graduate Student's Research!", we introduce the campus life of Kusano, who is diligently conducting research in Graduate School of Economics. We'll share not only why he decided to go to graduate school, but also the allure of academics and how he spends his days.

Don't let go of the questions that arise in your daily life and learning; delve deeper until you are satisfied.

Akifumi Kusano, 3rd year doctoral student, Graduate School of Economics

Systems and policies related to healthcare and nursing care affect people's lives. In the laboratory of Professor Haruko Noguchi (Faculty of Political Science and Economics Professor), where I belong, we are working on policy evaluation using big data in medical and nursing care. As a research method, we use a technique called 'causal inference' to examine whether a particular system or event truly changed people's lives.

My motivation for starting research stemmed from my experience as a civil servant, where I was involved in social security policies such as healthcare and long-term care. I felt that evidence is essential for better policies, and I wondered what I could do myself, so I decided to enroll in Graduate School of Economics.

My research so far has focused on the relationship between caregiving and work, and obstetric care. In the area of caregiving and work, I analyzed how the work style and mental health of families change when a spouse suffers a stroke, using large-scale follow-up data. In my research on obstetric care, I investigated how the decline in the number of obstetric and gynecological departments handling deliveries in hospitals in rural areas affects doctors' practice and the health of newborns. Both are topics that are currently attracting attention in the field of social security.

This type of research is expected to provide clues when considering policies on how to support family caregivers and how to optimally allocate limited medical resources.

Left: Discussing research topics with colleagues from the same research project.
Right: Poster used for a presentation at an academic conference. Typically, it takes about a year from the start of research to presenting at a conference, and the research I'm currently submitting to an academic journal has been ongoing for about three years.

I find research interesting in combining themes that are attracting attention in social security with themes where a causal relationship can be established. No matter how important a question is, it is difficult to put it into a paper unless the conditions are in place to accurately extract the cause-and-effect relationship. When I happen to find a situation where the conditions are met within a theme of high public interest, I feel a sense of accomplishment in my research. Furthermore, when I can complete research after painstaking work such as reviewing previous research and preparing data, I feel a sense of achievement.

This is a picture from when I presented at the Sixth World Labor Conference in Toronto, Canada, in June 2025.

My research begins with the "why?" questions that arise spontaneously in my daily life and learning. I want to persistently tackle questions that, while socially important, don't immediately become papers. I encourage all of you to cherish the "why" questions you encounter, not only during your time at university but also after graduation.

Daily Schedule

A photo taken while hiking, a hobby of mine.

• 07:00 Wake up
• 09:00 Checking several journals and processing data in the university lab (I get off the train one stop early and walk to the lab when commuting by train).
• 12:00 Lunch
• 13:00 Data processing, thesis writing (If I meet classmates on campus, I'll chat with them about my research topic)
• 18:00 Arrive home and have dinner
• 23:00 Go to bed