For the 67^th Find-Your-Role-Model Session, we hosted Dr. Tsuyoshi Kawakami, a graduate of Tokyo Medical Dental University (TMDU) who has been working as a Senior Specialist on Occupational Health and Labor Inspection from the International Labour Organization (ILO) Decent Work Technical Support Team for South Asia.

After graduating from TMDU in 1984, Dr. Kawakami began his career in the Institute of Occupational Safety and Health and Institute for Science of Labour, where he studied the health and safety of various workplaces in Japan and other Asian nations and created training programs for improving occupational safety and health until 1991 and 2000, respectively. In 2000, he joined the ILO team in Bangkok and then Geneva headquarters. He is currently stationed at the India/ Southern Asia office, where he is applying participatory approaches of improving occupational safety and health, promoting the ILO Conventions, and strengthening the national policy-legislative frameworks and labour inspection systems in South Asia.

Dr. Kawakami began his talk by sharing a couple of episodes that were essential in shaping his current career. He told about his life changing encounters with amazing classmates in TMDU and research mentors that ultimately led him to pursue a career in occupational health and labour inspection from the viewpoint of preventive medicine. His experiences made us realize the importance of assertiveness needed to find relevant issues through one’s own experience and encounters with wonderful role models in setting future career goals.

Additionally, Dr. Kawakami taught us important tips to keep in mind while working at an international organization. He emphasized the importance of respect for the local culture and to be as careful as possible to avoid any rude actions. He also mentioned that, for a productive cooperation with people from different cultural backgrounds, we need to think by ourselves, not as educators, but as mediators who guide productive discussion between stakeholders on an equal footing. He concluded that a productive partnership that facilitates mutual learning is essential for global cooperation.

At the end of the session, Dr. Kawakami gave the audience a couple of important messages. He told us to cherish every moment and every encounter with people we meet in everyday life, to take actions that would lead us to discover unsolved issues, and to broaden perspectives outside the realm of medicine and try to keep searching for relevant issues.

Dr. Tsuyoshi Kawakami, who has been working globally from the viewpoint of preventive medicine, shared invaluable episodes and lessons that were filled with energy and passion that gave courage to all of us, especially those who plan to pursue a career in global health, to take the first step to pave our career paths as global leaders.