The Hiroshima Global Peace Plan is ambitious in its aims of global nuclear abolition and peacebuilding. But for Governor Yuzaki, the architect behind the plan, ‘the name of Hiroshima is a strength of Hiroshima’, and the prefecture is uniquely placed to lead in the journey to nuclear disarmament. The Governor, a member of the School’s International Advisory Board, reflected on the Plan as well as his career more generally during his Master Class on the 26 October.
He described to students the sense of responsibility as well as opportunity that has motivated him in each stage of his career. A law graduate who also has an MBA from Harvard, Governor Yuzaki ran his own private sector company, ACCA networks, before returning to public service in 2008. For him, the public interest can be pursued in a number of ways, including through entrepreneurship. He told students that his broadband business was ‘more a public interest study than my own pursuit’, as it addressed Japan’s failure to keep up with other developed countries in networking technology.
‘I appreciated Governor Yuzaki’s candour during his talk’, said MPP student Erin Hespe. ‘His experience – in both business and government – highlights the similarities found in these two areas of international engagement, and what lessons each ought to learn from the other’. For example, Governor Yuzaki suggested increasing the use of competition mechanisms to counter the moral hazard inherent in election cycles. He emphasised to students the benefits of leaders with many skills and areas of knowledge, and encouraged them to learn from both public and private sectors in order to effectively lead in the future.
Hidehiko Yuzaki is the Governor of Hiroshima Prefecture and a member of the Blavatnik’s School International Advisory Board. He served in the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and as Deputy Director of the Nuclear Industry Division, Agency for Natural Resources and Energy, before founding ACCA Networks Co. He holds a Master of Business Administration from Stanford University and graduated from the University of Tokyo, Faculty of Law.
