Below is a transcript of remarks by Miku Yamada, MIP '23, at the diploma ceremony for Ford Dorsey Master's in International Policy graduates on June 18, 2023.
 

At Stanford, this MIP cohort quickly became my family. We became a family, not only because we had classes together every single day for the first quarter, but because despite all of our differences, we shared a collective desire to make the world, with all of its imperfections and inequalities, a better place for all to live in. 

When I think back to the first quarter, most of my memories are being in the MIP studio, or one of the study rooms in the dorms, either trying to flip probability trees, or struggling to understand how to calculate the Balance of Payments. But these are now fond memories, because through all these grueling work sessions, I developed a support system that carried me throughout my Stanford experience. 

While I learned a great deal from the classes I took, I learned equally as much, if not more, from my classmates. At the Friday discussions hosted by Taimur, we exchanged opinions on a broad range of topics, from cryptocurrency to critical race theory, encouraging each other to look at these issues from multiple lenses. We challenged the assumptions we had each internalized, and together, we boldly envisioned what we could do once we stepped out of our comfort zones. It was these discussions that inspired me to take classes I would not have considered otherwise, on topics ranging from energy to tech platform policy. 

We mastered our specializations and delved into new interests. Some of us, like Tanvi and Daniel, started out focusing on issues in development and governance, but fell in love with the exciting intersection of technology and policy. Angela immersed herself in the innovation ecosystem at Stanford as the first non-STEM Threshold Venture Fellow. Munashe and Dulguun took the opportunity to study at the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna to further broaden their perspective on policy issues. Omar and Corinna pursued their passions in space policy and food systems, unearthing amazing opportunities.

Not only were these two years a time of learning, many of us dedicated our time to creating social impact. Arden’s work on helping resettle high-risk Afghan refugees, and Francesca’s work with the Stanford’s Jail and Prison Education Project are two prime examples of this. Shiro was awarded the Stanford Impact Founder Fellowship to build human capital for climate-adaptive farms in sub-Saharan Africa. The 20+ units of cyber policy electives were not enough for Caroline and Ilari, and so they devoted their time out of class to tackle online safety challenges at the Stanford Internet Observatory.

Throughout our journey, we experienced many joyous moments, which we celebrated together. We welcomed Brian’s beautiful daughter Lena. Joyce hosted us to celebrate the Lunar New Year, as we welcomed the year of the tiger, and then the year of the rabbit. I will never forget listening to Jasdeep read us his beautiful poem, and the harmonies of Caroline, Corinna, and Ben among the flickering flames at campfire night. We cheered on as Rosie performed in the Law School musical two years in a row, even as an expecting mom. We travelled around the world to conduct fieldwork for our capstone projects. I had the pleasure of witnessing Jonathan and Omar fall in love with the food in Tokyo and Hanoi, and especially the wonder that is Japanese 7-11s. We also celebrated the 40th anniversary of the IPS/ MIP program, together with our inspiring alumni.

However, these past two years have not always been easy. As much as grad school is an immensely rewarding time, it is also a challenging time. It is challenging because we are constantly tackling questions to which there are no answers to. It is challenging because it is a time of uncertainty, and it is difficult to measure how much we have grown. Throughout these two years, many of us have suffered personal losses, and wished we were closer to home. As policy students, it is especially devastating to see the ideals we strive for being destroyed by anger, fear, and greed. We watched in horror and disbelief as Russia invaded Ukraine, and many innocent civilians lost their lives. We saw Covid-19 continuing its rampage, impacting communities and people dear to us. 

Even so, we made it through. We supported each other through the lows. Here I was constantly surrounded by friends who gave me more kindness and love than I could ever return. I was struck so many times at how beautiful and powerful it is when we choose to be selfless, and choose to empower others. 

Now it is time for us to each embark on our separate journeys. Some of us, Chubing, Joyce, Suman, Anna and Luis will further expand their interdisciplinary learning at Stanford. Others, like Jonathan and Ben, will start their careers applying their policy skills in consulting. Yet others, including myself, will work in government to develop policies from the public sector.

We will continue to face challenges. As we learned from the Problem-Solving Framework, making changes is not an easy task, and it is not something we can do on our own. It takes time and hard work- but now we are equipped with the tools we need and a community of caring and inspiring friends all around the world. 

The most important lesson I have learned through Stanford, is to truly care about the problems we aim to solve, and to approach them with love. Sometimes it seems easier not to care, when caring too much about things that never seem to get better breaks your heart. Sometimes it is difficult to love, because it is too painful to watch the people and the things we love being hurt. Still, I hope we have the strength to always choose empathy and love. When we believe in a cause, and when we love a community, we can make an impact, deeper and larger than we could even imagine. Knowing each and every one of you, I am confident that we are ready to go out and tackle even the most difficult obstacles, with hope, compassion, and love. 

I want to end by sharing one of my favorite Japanese phrases: 「一期一会」(ichigo ichie). It roughly translates into “one chance in a lifetime”, and means that we should treasure each encounter and each moment in our life, because no moment is repeatable. Let us cherish all the encounters we make in our life. Let us never take a moment or an opportunity for granted. I especially hope that you will all remember this very moment as a time of joy and gratitude.

Now, please join me in congratulating the graduates of the MIP Class of 2023!

Following an impromptu video shoot of the audience and brief introduction, Dr. Fukuyama turned the time over to FSI Director Michael McFaul, who delivered the keynote remarks to the graduating class.

Dr. McFaul reflected on the unique journey the 2022 class, from beginning with Zoom classes and remote learning to finally reconvening in-person for projects like the Policy Change Studio capstones and events like former president Barack Obama’s visit to FSI in April 2022.

“You all look better in three dimensions compared to two dimensions,” McFaul assured everyone. He went on to share four lessons he hopes will resonate with the newest FSI alumni:

1. Do Something, Don’t Be Something

The first lesson Dr. McFaul imparted to the graduates was to frame their goals and careers in terms of actions, not titles.

“Don’t think of your career as a place to be,” he said. “Think of your career as an action verb. Figure out what you want to do, then fit the jobs, the companies, and future degrees around those action verbs, not the other way around.” He stressed that any particular job title matters much less than a commitment to a mission, a set of values, or clear, concrete policy things you want to do.

2. Embrace both Uncertainty and Rejection

Speaking from his personal experience, Dr. McFaul shared how his first career plan following his DPhil degree from Oxford ended as a complete bust. As a fresh, young academic, he applied to 22 jobs, and was rejected from all of them. But while his immediate plans may have stalled, the rejections gave him a front row seat to the 1990-91 protests in Moscow, the fall of the Soviet Union, and the burgeoning calls for democratic change in Russia, all which altered the course of his academic, professional, and political life.

“From uncertainty can come opportunity, and from setbacks can come second — and dare I say, better  — chances,” he reminded the graduates.

3. Continue to Invest in Connections

McFaul’s third piece of advice was a cautionary story of what not to do. “After my time at Stanford and Oxford, I didn’t invest time in maintaining friendships, and I regret that,” he candidly told the audience.

He stressed that these connections are not only for the purpose of networking and professional development, though those kinds of connections can lead to instrumental things. But more importantly, McFaul advised the students to develop and nurture relationships with fantastic, interesting people for the sake of allowing those connections to enrich and deepen the well-being and richness of their lives.

4. Keep in Touch with Stanford

Looking across the crowd, Dr. McFaul said, “Most of you are second years. Some of you are fifth years. I am a forty-first year student here at Stanford. I really love learning, and there’s no better place to learn than Stanford.”

He urged the graduates to remain active and invested in the community they have been a part of the last two years. “You have access to some of the most talented professors in the world. Use it! Don’t forget about it,” counseled McFaul.

On to the Future

Building on Dr. McFaul’s remarks, Soomin Jun, the student speaker at the diploma ceremony, asked her fellow classmates to look to the future with a determination to stand up for values and rights, and to not lose the compassion and empathy that have bonded them together as a cohort.

“Let’s not forget to humble ourselves and do good for those next to us and in our communities,” she said. Jun continued, “Let’s not forget that we are far more capable of achieving anything beyond anyone’s imagination. Voice up and stand up for your values and ideas.”

As the 2022 class moves on from their time as MIP students at FSI, five will be staying at Stanford to pursue further studies in political science, environment and resources, public policy, and journalism. Others will remain in the greater Bay Area working on technology policy, energy policy, digital privacy, and statistical programming. Others are heading from the West Coast to the East to work in government, international development, and policy analysis, while four of the class members will be continuing their military careers in Texas, Washington State, Kentucky, and Kosovo.

Wherever they’re bound, the Master’s of International Policy Class of 2022 will not soon be forgotten.

“This class is special to me,” Michael McFaul said. “We here at FSI and MIP have tried to lean into you, and you have repeatedly shown that you are a special class and special group of people together at a special time, and we all feel bonded with you.”

In a congratulatory note written to the graduating cohort, Tom Fingar, the Shorenstein Fellow at the Asia-Pacific Research Center (APARC), similarly encouraged the students to lean into the unique perspective they’ve gained from their experiences during this year.

“This year was extraordinary in many ways, but the disruptions and coping mechanisms of the COVID pandemic may be more indicative of the world you will inherit than the one we are leaving behind. Discovering new ways to do normal things has prepared you for whatever comes next as well as or better than any other experiences and accomplishments might have. Go forth with confidence that you are ready for whatever lies ahead.”

For most of the MIP graduates, what lies ahead are careers in government, the military, technology, clean energy, law, diplomacy, and research which will take them afield to Washington D.C., New York, Los Angeles, Texas, Florida, the United Kingdom, Ukraine, Belgium, Sudan and the United Arab Emirates in the coming months. For some, there are a few more years of school as they work to complete joint degrees in additional areas of policy and governance.

For all, the shared experiences of the last fifteen months have created a unique bond. Corie Wieland, a graduating second-year student and the president of the International Policy Student Association, affirmed to her fellow graduates that, “Whether in one month, one year, or ten years, all of us will always be merely a Zoom call or group chat away. No matter the time zone or the country, our friendships have already proven true.”

That commitment and gratitude to the MIP community is shared throughout the Class of ‘21. Anna Nguyen Yip, a specialist in cyber policy and security, says that despite the upheaval of the past year, she feels prepared to move out of the classroom and into the world. 

“As I am graduating from Stanford, I am more confident than ever to embark on the next chapter of my career,” said Nguyen Yip. "This has been the perfect opportunity to combine my passions in education, frontier technologies, and public policy. I will be eternally grateful for the amazing experience I had at MIP.”

“I would encourage students without work experience — who are coming straight from undergrad — to apply!

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“I think that challenging preconceptions about what the MIP program can offer you is really important because 

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“It's easy to apply to grad school because a lot of other people are doing it and because you've been thinking about it for awhile, but it's

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“Talk to students — don't be hesitant to reach out to people in the program. I think the nature of a policy

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“When an opportunity is presented to you, go for it! There are a lot of really interesting things going on at Stanford.

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Twenty-two members of the Ford Dorsey Master’s in International Policy (MIP) Class of 2020 graduated in the program’s first virtual celebration on June 14. The event was held on Zoom in lieu of a formal graduation ceremony, which will be held by the University on campus at a later date. Five additional students in the Class of 2020 plan to graduate at the end of Summer Quarter, while four others will remain at Stanford for another year to pursue joint or dual degrees.

Students in the MIP Class of 2020 are unique in several ways: they’re the first to graduate under the leadership of Francis Fukuyama, who became head of the program in July 2019. They’re also the first to go through the program’s revamped curriculum from start to finish, which includes a new specialization track on cyber policy and a redesigned capstone project.

The 17 women and 14 men in the  cohort come from 14 different countries. Some will stay in the Bay Area, while others are heading to places including New York City, Los Angeles, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and beyond. The graduates are starting or continuing careers in government, technology, philanthropy, impact investing, and research.

Students elected cybersecurity expert Alex Stamos, who is the director of the Stanford Internet Observatory, to speak at the celebration. Stamos told the graduates that he admires their grit and purpose, noting that many of them have worked for organizations such as the Peace Corps, the Army and the UN, and have come into contact with a reality that most people spend most of their lives avoiding.

"This is a group of people who have put themselves in situations where they knew the scales would be lifted from their eyes, and that the immense challenges of our planet would become manifest,” Stamos said. “You've all chosen to create situations where you could fail. And through both your failures and successes, you have granted yourself grit, which is something that can't be taught.”

Fukuyama concluded the celebration by telling the graduates that he imagines the post-2020 word moving in two different directions: one in which nationalism, xenophobia and polarization lead to international and domestic conflict, and another that includes policies and institutions that are more inclusive and fair.

“I suspect that both of these things are likely to happen, at different times and in different places around the world,” Fukuyama said. “It will be up to you — the Class of 2020 — to do what you can to make sure that we don’t succumb to threats and fears, but rather seize the opportunities to make the world a better place.”

On the spacious new lawn outside of Encina Hall, members of the Ford Dorsey Master’s in International Policy (MIP) Class of 2019 officially became Stanford graduates. Established at the Freeman Spogli Institute in 1982, the MIP program trains future leaders in cyber policy and security, global health, governance and development, international security and energy and the environment.

The 15 women and four men in this year’s cohort come from 10 different countries. Some will stay in the Bay Area, while others will move on to places including Paraguay, Mexico and Singapore to work in fields such as consulting, technology and government. Students and faculty elected Manuel Ramos Maqueda — a member of the graduating class — to speak at the graduation ceremony. A transcript of his speech is below:

Student speaker Manuel Ramos Maqueda addresses his classmates at the MIP graduation ceremony June 16, 2019. Photo: Freeman Spogli Institute

Manuel Ramos Maqueda: Graduates, parents and families from all over the world, esteemed faculty and administration: good afternoon, annyeonghaseyo, kon'nichiwa, privet, buenas tardes, merhaba, nǐ hǎo.

These would have been the only words my parents would have understood had they come to our graduation. My father always dreamt that his son could learn what he didn’t have the opportunity to learn, which is why he encouraged me to learn English. So, before anything else, I take this moment to thank them — our parents and families — for providing us with the tools and opportunities that would allow us — that would allow me— to spend the two most inspiring years of my life with this incredible group of people.

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First Day in Encina Hall
Do you remember our first day in that building, Encina Hall? As I struggled with my English, I was quite intimidated to meet the deputy director of our program, Professor Kathryn Stoner, as well as the former intermediator between Obama and Putin as U.S. Ambassador to Russia, Ambassador McFaul. Professor McFaul said two things then that I still remember. One is that by just spending the next two years learning from each other, even if we did not take a single class, we would leave with a vast new breadth of knowledge. Then, he said that our program was going to become, if it wasn’t already, the best policy program not in the U.S., but in the world!

I was like, “Wow, those are two big statements.” In this program we have learned to believe in evidence-based policy making. Two years have passed, and at this point we have the evidence to analyze whether these statements were true. It is my goal to evaluate them in this speech. First, have I really learned that much from my peers? And second, is this truly becoming the best policy program in the world?

The Classmates 
Let’s start with my classmates.

To me, the beginning of our program was the bootcamp. But not the one in September. Instead, the one in the Fall quarter — more specifically, Chonira’s class. That class was the preparation for two intense and highly rewarding years at Stanford.

For the first assignment, Juan and I stayed up with Kerem almost the entire night working on it. We had been in the library for hours, skipped dinner, no sunlight, ready to give up on this one killer assignment, then Juan looks to Kerem and says, “You know this is actually a weekly assignment, right?” Kerem almost had a heart attack.

You would think that after that amount of work, Kerem would never take another one of Chonira’s classes. Well, not only did he take all of her other classes, but he even ended up asking for a Directed Reading with Chonira this year.

This commitment to challenging ourselves, and loving the process of learning, is a characteristic that I am proud to say I learned from my classmates. And not just from Kerem, but also from Rose, and the hours she would put in on the data science track for something she believed in; Drew, Nikki and Sneha, who pretty much gave their lives to “Design for Extreme Affordability;” and through the many of us who floated for hours in the frigid Russian River in an exercise of survival training. I have learned from all of you that no matter how much effort and how many hours something might involve, if you believe in it, you should fight for it, and you will make it happen (as we made it to the camp site).

After our intense fall quarter of the first year, the winter cold brought our community closer together. First, on our trip to Tahoe, where we learned playing Pictionary that chickens have four legs. Then, on our trip to Korea, where, in one of those magic moments of life, we ran into Elizabeth Warren at the DMZ on the same day that Kim Jong Un visited China for the first time. We had the privilege of listening to the powerful stories of North Korean defectors; learned so much from our government allies, Soo Yeon and Amb Stephens; and even participated in a cultural immersion with dancing contests in a drag bar, with soju, of course.

However, what I truly remember from these trips is how much our community bonded. We created a system of support where, no matter the circumstances, we would all be there for each other. For example, MC made sure that each of us would feel included, becoming a second mother to many of us. In each of these trips, coming to the hotel at the end of the day started to feel like actually coming home. Our time together has shown that no matter where or when we see each other in the future, I know our friendships will remain as if no time ever passed.

Apart from our commitment to challenge ourselves and the system of support we generated, I really love that everyone in our program is fully free to be what they want and who they want to be. An example has been the “fireside chats” organized by Mackenzie. With full openness and no judgments, this was a place where everything one said would be safe. We learned about people’s fears and toughest times – cases of anxiety and depression, family struggles – but also about our cherished dreams and aspirations.

When there have been escalations in conflict between our countries, such as the recent case of India and Pakistan, our classmates from these countries decide to get together to prove how dialogue and respect can deescalate tensions. I have honestly felt that this program is based on real cooperation rather than forceful competition. I believe these are the policymakers we need for a future of peace and cooperation.

To conclude this point, I’ll briefly say to your families, whether they are here or not: as a classmate, I believe you should be proud of your sons and daughters. Not for the title they are receiving today, but for the wonderful people they are. They have been the main source of my learning in the past two years, and I say to all of you, thank you.

Professor McFaul, you were right – when I consider the aforementioned variables in my regression, the results are statistically significant at the 99% confidence level. This program would be worth it alone just for how much I have learned from them.

The Program
Let’s now evaluate the second big statement: is our policy program that incredible? The core of a program are generally its faculty and its values.

In terms of faculty, I believe there is a unique aspect of FSI — it strives to bridge the gap between policy and academia. As professors Francis Fukuyama and Jeremy Weinstein have taught us, we not only know how to design evidence-based policy solutions, but also how to actually make things happen in the real world. I could also mention the other wonderful professors at FSI with whom we had faculty dinners organized by our queen, Nicole, but then this speech would never end.

A second, unique aspect of our program comes from our access to the broader Stanford network, which has bridged the gap between the technical and the policy realms. Our world requires policymakers who know how to make use of data and algorithms for good, to understand the science behind climate change, to consider the health implications of humanitarian crises, or to understand the risks of twin-deficits in the macroeconomic situation of a country. By combining classes in the engineering, business, law and design schools, we have become policymakers who understand the deeper, technical issues of our societies. We are now prepared to use science and technology for the progress of humanity.

A third crucial aspect of our program is the people who keep it running. Ambassador McFaul and Professor Stoner have helped us find the right direction for the program. Thanks very much, Ambassador McFaul, for the excitement every time we would get a story “off the record.” And Professor Stoner, for leading us throughout our practicum projects and our time here. We might have given you some headaches, but probably not as many as we have given Jonathan, Kristin and Meghan. An example of this is how throughout the past week, we have all been bombarding Jonathan asking whether we would graduate. As usual, Jonathan’s response was, calm down, it will be fine. You have all kept the ship floating in the right direction, with a positive attitude and a warm smile, and I would like to thank you for it.

Student Values
Finally, I think what really makes a program absolutely unique is its values. I don’t think any other program had someone like Mackenzie, who interviewed all of the members of her cohort to fully understand their motivations and beliefs. In brief, we indicated that we empathize with humanity, we are open to the new and we remain mission-oriented.

We empathize with humanity because we try to understand and address the needs of those who we may have never met in circumstances we may have never faced.

As I like to put it, we would like to represent the voices of those who cannot be heard. Within each of our nations, but also across borders. We have seen this in our program as many classmates went to the border with Mexico to support people fleeing from conflict, or how others fight to save our planet from the threat of climate change.

We are open to the new because we seek out new experiences and approach new ideas with an open mind.

This program has been a great training for this. How much we’ve learned from each other’s cultures: we celebrated the Chinese New Year, and even learned from Jessica how, in China, parents would post their children’s resumes in squares to find them a future spouse. We have celebrated Ramadan, and we, the internationals, have even experienced how to have an American tailgate, and tried to learn the rules of an American football game – still not there yet. 

We are, and will remain, mission-oriented, because we feel a sense of duty to execute on our unique personal missions. That means taking a long view and not letting the minor challenges take us down. Even though sometimes we might not have a clear sense of our next steps, and we even might feel lost, we will consider the bigger picture and what inspires us, and remain committed to that vision.

Those values are the unifying theme of our cohort and will remain the essentials of our toolbox as we leave Stanford.

Overall, I think it is safe to say that our program bridges the gap between policy and research, between the technical skills and the domain knowledge, between D.C. and Silicon Valley, and perhaps even between China, Russia and the U.S. I may not know other programs that well. However, with our values, faculty and staff, and of course the killer classmates we have, I feel safe to say that this is becoming the best policy program not only in the U.S., but in the world.

The Transformation
In the world of public speaking it is well known that there is no pleasure you can give an audience that compares to the pleasure they get when the speech is over. However, I have one last thought to share, so you can look forward to experiencing that pleasure in about three minutes from now.

I think the only aspect missing from my analysis is that we cannot think of ourselves and the program in a static way. We live in a dynamic world. This program has transformed us, and we will keep transforming the world as we move on.

I came to this program aware of how globalization exposes us to the vast inequalities that separate regions of the world. However, until now I perhaps didn’t fully understand the complexities and intricacies of the big challenges we aim to address. For example, after doing my research I now better understand what causes malaria and how to prevent it. Through my classmates’ research, I have been exposed to the big power competition in the era of AI, to ways of promoting financial inclusion in Tanzania, and expanding zero-emission policies in the U.S. that are vital for our planet. Perhaps more importantly, I have learned the tricks to be part of the citizenship and residency-by-investment program, and will be able to move to an idyllic island when I decide to retire [joking].

This program has really transformed me. I have spent way too many hours in front of RStudio, lost too much sleep, and even gained some weight. After meeting Nicole, I thought that I would also start waking up at 5 a.m. and running 10 miles every morning. But hey, my theory of the change didn’t go that far. But really, this program has given us the tool to make a real change in our futures. We are now fully aware of the crucial challenges of our planet, we have the evidence required to know how to deal with them and we will use the tools we learned to address them.

With these tools, we have the potential to change the world. MC, Julie and Nicole are already doing so from Kenya and DC. Some of us, such as Vivien, Mackenzie, Annie and Nancy loved the Bay too much to let it go, and they will be leveraging the power of tech from California. Nikki and Isabelle are soon moving to Mexico and Paraguay to contribute to the communities there. Drew decided to follow his dreams in Singapore. Many of you will contribute to a peaceful and prosperous world from your foreign ministries. And we might even have among us a future Hollywood producer, and perhaps the next president of Argentina.

Overall, I am extremely grateful to my classmates, the program and the transformation we have experienced throughout these past two years. In my case, this is all thanks to previous generations who fought to provide me with the opportunities they didn’t have. I am confident that, equipped with the tools learned and the values developed, each and all of us will work to provide future generations, all over the world, with a better chance to follow their dreams than the one the current generation has. As we have learned here at Stanford, the challenges we face are increasingly complex, increasingly global, increasingly daunting. But I have seen the potential of each of you — of all of us — and I know that we will not stop until we make it. I truly believe in you — in us — to realize our potential. I am excited to see what comes next.

Thank you very much, and happy graduation!