August 2025, Hiroshima, Japan – “The one-week course [of the Programme for Global Human Resource Development for Peacebuilding and Development] was intense yet engaging, providing an opportunity to reflect on my career journey thus far…This experience, along with connecting with global cohorts, will undoubtedly be an asset in my long-term career,” says Akiko Hasegawa, Finance Officer in the Budget, Performance Review, and Strategic Planning (BPS) Vice Presidency at the World Bank. She joined the Bank in early 2025 in pursuit of her goal to strengthen results on the ground by enhancing the efficiency of the financial and operations management, which she believes will ultimately contribute to a better world.

Akiko started her career in the private sector and joined the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in 2018 as a Junior Professional Officer. 

She enjoyed the evolution of her responsibilities, from junior-level to mid-level leadership, including managing teams and engaging with more diverse stakeholders. As she looked ahead, she felt the need for a breakthrough to transition from mid-level to senior leadership - a shift that would require not only new skills but also a different mindset. At the same time, changes in her personal life encouraged her to explore a new working style. 

I’ve always dedicated myself fully to my work and truly enjoy what I do …However, thinking ahead, I began to feel that a change in my working style and mindset would be necessary – one that would allow me to continue contributing meaningfully without compromising on other important aspects of life. People say, career is like a marathon, not a sprint, and I wanted to reflect on what that truly means in my own context.

—Akiko Hasegawa, Mid-Career Course alum of the Programme for Global Human Resource Development for Peacebuilding and Development, Japan

Akiko felt she would need to shift her mindset, but day-to-day responsibilities left little time to reflect on her future. 

She then had an opportunity to join the Mid-Career Course, part of the Programme for Global Human Resource Development for Peacebuilding and Development of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, held in Hiroshima, Japan, in January 2025. Hiroshima University implemented the Programme, in collaboration with UNITAR.

During the week-long course, she found herself reflecting deeply: What am I aiming for, what do I want to be in the near future, and what are my values and priorities to make it happen?