{"id":89390,"date":"2026-09-15T10:15:55","date_gmt":"2026-09-15T01:15:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.waseda.jp\/top\/en\/?p=89390"},"modified":"2026-09-15T11:03:16","modified_gmt":"2026-09-15T02:03:16","slug":"an-interview-with-admin-staff-raimu-mabuchi-supporting-students-independence-from-waseda-to-the-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.waseda.jp\/top\/en\/news\/89390","title":{"rendered":"An Interview with Admin Staff Raimu Mabuchi: Supporting Student\u2019s Independence From Waseda to the World"},"content":{"rendered":"

Every year, thousands of students arrive at\u00a0Waseda\u00a0while thousands leave for study abroad. As its efforts for internationalization continue to grow, the University offers many study programs in English and supports both inbound and outbound students. But behind these international programs\u00a0and\u00a0student support\u00a0systems\u00a0are administrative staff that work relentlessly, unbeknownst to students.\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Raimu\u00a0Mabuchi<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0a\u00a0Waseda\u00a0alum who continues to work\u00a0at the University\u00a0as an administrative staff\u00a0member, has been working to support students both from\u00a0the\u00a0School of Political Science and Economics (SPSE<\/span>)<\/span>\u00a0and now those who want to study abroad.\u00a0His experience as a teaching assistant for\u00a0a<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>sport\u00a0journalism\u00a0seminar back in his university days inspired him to work in higher education,\u00a0and\u00a0collaboration\u00a0has become\u00a0a key part of how he views\u00a0administrative work at\u00a0Waseda<\/span>.\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

After two months of training at Indiana University in the USA, a transformative study abroad experience for him, Mabuchi-san\u00a0returned to\u00a0Waseda\u00a0with the determination to\u00a0establish\u00a0the Academic Advisor program at SPSE. Now working for the Center\u00a0for\u00a0International Education\u00a0(CIE), his experience and story\u00a0embody\u00a0the value of a global\u00a0Waseda\u00a0that the University is striving for. This shows that\u00a0Waseda’s\u00a0internationalization depends not only on students and faculty, but also on administrative staff who design and sustain these opportunities \u202f \u202f\u00a0<\/span> \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The following interview has been edited and condensed.<\/span><\/i><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In the\u00a0interview, I will refer\u00a0to Raimu Mabuchi\u00a0as\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/b>\u201c<\/span><\/i><\/b>Mabuchi-san<\/span><\/i><\/b>\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/b>,\u00a0as I did in our interview.<\/span><\/i><\/b>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Student Life at\u00a0Waseda<\/span><\/i><\/b>:<\/span><\/i><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

Hi Mabuchi-san, could you briefly introduce yourself?<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Hi, my name is Raimu Mabuchi, a current staff member at the Center\u00a0for\u00a0International Education and previously I worked as a member of the School of Political Science and Economics Office. I started working as an administrative\u00a0staff\u00a0after I graduated from\u00a0Waseda\u2019s\u00a0School of Education. Currently, I am working as a student exchange program coordinator to help students with the process of studying abroad from and to\u00a0Waseda<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Why did you choose\u00a0Waseda\u00a0University?<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I\u00a0actually chose<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Waseda\u00a0because I found out about Twinkle, a circle (student club) that focuses on K-pop dance, when I was a high school student. And I am currently the \u201c<\/span>kaichou<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/i>\u4f1a\u9577<\/span>\u201d (mentor) for the circle.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Additionally, I was interested in human studies, a field that was famous at\u00a0Waseda, a school known for its\u00a0rigour. I tried hard to enter\u00a0Waseda<\/span>.\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Was there anything that inspired you to work in higher education?\u202f<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

During my sophomore year, I worked as a teaching assistant for a Global Education Center class: Sport Journalism Seminar. This class was different from traditional Japanese classes in-terms of lecture style and content. One of the professors was a member of the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC) and the other professor was an editor for Haruki Murakami.\u00a0During the course of\u00a0this class, I had to book an appointment with an athlete to interview them. With the professor\u2019s connections,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>I had the opportunity to meet Olympic athletes, sports journalists, and\u00a0student-athletes. Finally,\u00a0I independently\u00a0arranged an interview with a baseball glove craftsman, learned about the process of making baseball gloves, and\u00a0wrote\u00a0an article based on the interview.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This class focused more on practical experiences such as\u00a0writing\u00a0an article, conducting an\u00a0interview\u00a0and completing a reflection which left an impression on me. Inspired by the process of preparation and paperwork for the opportunities to collaborate with staff, my mind shifted towards the administrative side. I realized that\u00a0the administration\u00a0is a player to organize big opportunities for collaboration.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"

Mabuchi-san during the interview<\/p><\/div>\n

Experience at Indiana University:<\/span><\/i><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

How does\u00a0Waseda\u00a0support\u00a0you\u00a0to\u00a0develop your skills and understanding<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/i>as an administrative staff member\u00a0to\u00a0better\u00a0support\u00a0students<\/span><\/i>?\u00a0<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As a university administrative staff\u00a0member<\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>Waseda\u00a0provides<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>kenshu<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/i>\u7814\u4fee<\/span>\u00a0(training programs) for staff. I applied with a specific intention in mind: to go to the country\u00a0that birthed\u00a0academic\u00a0advising. I wanted to study more about academic advising. Indiana University (IU) and\u00a0Waseda\u00a0University have had\u00a0a relationship lasting\u00a0100 years since the first exchange program. As someone who had never been\u00a0to study\u00a0abroad, I wanted to understand the difficulties that international students go through to be able to provide the most holistic student support. Hence, I asked the\u00a0International\u00a0Office for\u00a0my\u00a0training program to be at IU for two months.\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

During my time at IU, I joined their Advising & Major Exploration Service team\u00a0and\u00a0Academic Services\u00a0for\u00a0Indiana University Athletics. The problem I saw and tried to solve at IU was helping first-year students\u00a0to become\u00a0independent, specifically the transition from high school to university.\u00a0Academic advising, more than providing options, is for students to learn about\u00a0<\/span>how to find a pathway, think about\u202ftheir career and major.\u00a0The biggest takeaway for students is to know how to develop that by themselves.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"

Mabuchi-san\u00a0and his mentors from the Office for International Service.<\/p><\/div>\n

How did the experiences shape your viewpoint on how\u00a0Waseda\u00a0can continue to grow student support?<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

One of the most memorable times was when I\u00a0got to attend\u00a0the Institute for Curriculum and Campus Internationalization (ICCI) workshop with many school deans\u00a0and administrative\u00a0managers\u00a0in charge of international fields\u00a0from around the world. I was just a university staff\u00a0member\u00a0but I got to learn about frameworks to encourage student mobility, campus\u00a0globalization\u00a0and exchange thoughts. It was so exciting for me.\u00a0The experience opened me up to the possibility of working in an international context within higher education.\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"

Mabuchi-san at ICCI, with team members from all over the world.<\/p><\/div>\n

Additionally, my experience moving abroad also showed me how international students at\u00a0Waseda\u00a0also face multiple challenging situations such as\u00a0submitting\u00a0paperwork at town offices or dealing with cultural differences. While I was able to understand these challenging situations for both ingoing and outgoing students from\u00a0Waseda, I also recognized the invaluable experiences that studying abroad provides. Returning to\u00a0Waseda, I am determined to\u00a0adapt\u00a0the ideas that I learnt\u00a0to\u00a0Waseda\u00a0University. This starts with my establishment of the Academic Advising Service for the SPSE Office.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

SPSE Office & Academic Advising:<\/span><\/i><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

Given your time at IU, how has that motivated you to run the Academic Advising Service? What did you feel excited about with the service?<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I first started academic advising\u202fby myself, but the office is trying to do it holistically.\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

My main work at the office before I moved was the start of the Academic Advising Service given by the office for EDP\u00a0(English degree program)\u00a0students. At first, the students were only interested\u00a0in\u00a0the<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>free\u00a0lunch that we offered. But as the session went on, they turned their interest to the\u00a0group\u00a0session content. Through these group sessions, we want to encourage students to know how and where to find the resources as they continue to study independently. The exact timing that students\u2019 habits change during the group session excited and motivated me to continue.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"

Mabuchi-san hosting an Academic Advising session for SPSE students.<\/p><\/div>\n

Through these group sessions, the office was able to gradually become more open to holding conversations and rewarding student support through which more staff were able to think creatively. Before, it was hard for staff who never had academic advising\u00a0to offer\u00a0the service to students in need. By the time I moved to the CIE, I was glad that the SPSE office had an increasingly positive attitude towards student support.\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"

Mabuchi-san hosting Academic Advising in Japanese.<\/p><\/div>\n

Center for International Education\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/b>&\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/b>Waseda\u2019s\u00a0Growing Collaborations:<\/span><\/i><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

What is your current role at the\u00a0CIE\u00a0and how does it reflect\u00a0Waseda\u2019s\u00a0growing international collaboration?<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The experience I had at IU showed me how important it is for students to have the support they need for studying abroad. From having the idea\u00a0to\u00a0wanting to study abroad, finding the information, surviving the screening to preparation,\u00a0arriving\u00a0and studying in a new country.\u00a0Through this process, students go through and build their independence, which connects to my academic advising work.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Waseda’s\u00a0goal is to have 100% of its\u00a0students\u00a0experience studying abroad at least once before graduation by 2032. I translated it into my own purpose: to give opportunities to every\u00a0studentwho\u00a0wishes to study abroad, especially for those who wanted to but\u00a0couldn\u2019t.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>In addition,\u00a0I believe it\u00a0is also important to create opportunities for students who have not yet developed an interest in studying abroad to discover\u00a0its\u00a0value.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0I thought my experience in academic advising could be useful in the context of\u00a0study\u00a0abroad. At CIE, I also have the chance to accept inbound students, and it is all connected because they share the same struggles coming to Japan.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Students do not need to have everything figured out before considering\u00a0study\u00a0abroad. Just as in academic advising,\u00a0what matters most<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>is offering the kind of support that enables students to take the first step, learn what opportunities are available, and gradually find their own\u00a0path<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I also realized the importance of intercultural experiences. Working with CIE staff, I hope to work\u00a0on\u00a0more collaboration with ICC (the Intercultural Communication Center) or other school programs to encourage student mobility.\u00a0I believe that\u00a0is how my vision connects to the university goals and value of internationalization, through working at CIE.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"

Mabuchi-san working at the CIE office.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

His\u00a0Vision\u00a0For\u00a0the Future of Student Support and Internationalization at\u00a0Waseda<\/span><\/i><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

Do you have any future vision for student support and internationalization at\u00a0Waseda<\/span><\/i>?<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

From\u00a0the\u00a0collaboration perspective, I hope to accomplish student\u00a0mobility as a whole. We aim to understand the needs of students and reflect that into the programs that\u00a0Waseda\u00a0offers.\u00a0For instance, my mission is to promote and help students understand the value and join many programs, like leadership programs, that the University hosts and offers.\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Furthermore, I hope that Academic Advising can be expanded\u00a0university-wide. For now, there has been a project\u00a0team university-wide\u00a0working in each school office, discussing how to\u00a0develop student support and improve\u00a0the efficiency. I believe that in the future, the quality of communication from offices to students can increase through the work that will be done on the project starting this fall. While\u00a0Waseda\u00a0is still in the current preparation process,\u00a0I believe that the SPSE academic advising service\u00a0is still\u00a0germinating but\u00a0will bloom soon.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

My thoughts\u00a0as a\u00a0current\u00a0international student\u00a0in SPSE<\/span><\/i><\/b>:<\/span><\/i><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

I met Mabuchi-san\u00a0through the\u202fAcademic Advising service and was fortunate to be able to talk with Mabuchi-san\u00a0about his experiences at\u00a0Waseda\u00a0and received guidance from him. Through the interview, I got to appreciate more of the work that happens behind the scenes. Administrative staff at\u00a0Waseda\u00a0play a crucial role in ensuring that many programs, especially for international students and for students to study abroad, can happen. These opportunities not only provide students with valuable experiences but also help them to cultivate\u00a0the independence\u00a0to get through four years of university. With that, I am excited for more collaboration and international opportunities that\u00a0Waseda\u00a0can provide to its students.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

About the author<\/span><\/b>:<\/span><\/b>\u00a0Bao Khue Le<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

Hi! My name is Bao Khue Le, a\u00a0second-year\u00a0undergraduate student\u00a0majoring in\u00a0economics<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>at\u00a0Waseda\u2019s\u00a0School of Political Science and Economics.\u00a0Besides being a Student Contributor, I am a debater in\u00a0the<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Waseda\u00a0Association of Debaters, a member of\u00a0the\u00a0Waseda\u00a0Economic and\u00a0Finance Forum\u00a0and\u00a0TEDxWasedaU. In Tokyo, I love to roam around the streets to find\u00a0good food\u00a0and search for good\u00a0h\u014djicha<\/span>!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Every year, thousands of students arrive at\u00a0Waseda\u00a0while thousands leave for study abroad. As its efforts for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":89395,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[81],"tags":[370,351,376,302],"class_list":["post-89390","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-contributor-en","tag-educational-support-en","tag-international","tag-student_support-en"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.waseda.jp\/top\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89390","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.waseda.jp\/top\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.waseda.jp\/top\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.waseda.jp\/top\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.waseda.jp\/top\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=89390"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.waseda.jp\/top\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89390\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":89405,"href":"https:\/\/www.waseda.jp\/top\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89390\/revisions\/89405"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.waseda.jp\/top\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/89395"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.waseda.jp\/top\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=89390"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.waseda.jp\/top\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=89390"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.waseda.jp\/top\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=89390"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}