Alumni

Graduates of the Development Studies Ph.D. Program have gone on to careers in developing countries, in development assistance agencies, in foundations and voluntary organizations, and in universities' research centers and academic departments.

Some locations of positions held globally include UNICEF, FAO, the Inter-American Foundation, the World Bank, CARE, U.S. Agency for International Development, U.S. State Department, Habitat for Humanity, and various NGOs and government ministries.

Featured Alumni Story
TAKAYOSHI KUSAGO (‘96) http://www.glocol.osaka-u.ac.jp/en/staff/kusago/index.html From 1996 to 2009, I worked for international organizations and universities and have pursued my career in search of clues to make social and economic system better for people’s well-being. Thinking of well-being requires a rather comprehensive understanding of development – economic well-being, social well-being, cultural well-being, and environmental well-being. This interdisciplinary program and diversity on campus in Madison does influence my life, of course, in a positive manner. Over the last several years, I have paid special attention to “development measures” based on subjective data, aiming at finding an alternative to conventional economic and social indicators which are all based on objective data. This research has brought me to be acquainted with research work on subjective well-beings, happiness, life satisfaction, and quality of life. I do field work over this subject in Bhutan, Japan and Nepal. These are again very much cross-disciplinary in nature and I have no hesitation to moving into a new direction to combine economics, sociology and psychology since I was well prepared. This gives good evidence how precious my learning experiences were through the Development Studies Program.

Featured Alumni Story

TAKAYOSHI KUSAGO (‘96)

http://www.glocol.osaka-u.ac.jp/en/staff/kusago/index.html

From 1996 to 2009, I worked for international organizations and universities and have pursued my career in search of clues to make social and economic system better for people’s well-being. Thinking of well-being requires a rather comprehensive understanding of development – economic well-being, social well-being, cultural well-being, and environmental well-being. This interdisciplinary program and diversity on campus in Madison does influence my life, of course, in a positive manner.

Over the last several years, I have paid special attention to “development measures” based on subjective data, aiming at finding an alternative to conventional economic and social indicators which are all based on objective data. This research has brought me to be acquainted with research work on subjective well-beings, happiness, life satisfaction, and quality of life. I do field work over this subject in Bhutan, Japan and Nepal. These are again very much cross-disciplinary in nature and I have no hesitation to moving into a new direction to combine economics, sociology and psychology since I was well prepared. This gives good evidence how precious my learning experiences were through the Development Studies Program.