Professor Yoshimasa Shirai
Field of Specialization: Theoretical Economics International Economics(Interviewer: 関川 亮 )Interview with Professor of the Seminar Committee, Faculty of Economics"Specializes in the construction and analysis of economic dynamic models that take into accountlabor market movements"
Q. Please tell us about the research that you specialize in.
My current work at the institute is narrowly focused on constructing and analyzing
economic dynamic models that take into account labor market movements inmacroeconomics, but my interests are wide-ranging.
"The Various Studies and Broadened Interests Undertaken in International Trade.""Q. Please tell us how you came to decide to do such research.
I was very interested in international trade at first because it was the specialty of the professor ofmy seminar. In the 1980s, economies of scale were introduced into international trade theory andanalysis was advanced. Research dealing with issues such as bargaining among firms, which iscalled market structure analysis, was very active, and I had to work on industrial organization
theory in order to conduct international trade. I had to study game theory as an analytical tool
used in industrial organization theory, so I began studying industrial organization theory andgame theory during my undergraduate and graduate years. My master's thesis was a mixture ofindustrial organization theory and international trade. My master's thesis was on the theory ofinternational competition in research and development, which was a mixture of industrialorganization theory and international trade. After that, I studied at Northwestern University in
the U.S., gradually became interested in dynamic models of economic growth and game theory
issues over time, and ended up doing my doctoral thesis on constructing models of economic
growth and endogenous economic fluctuations. As an extension of that, I am very interested inanalyzing general equilibrium models that take into account the labor market dynamics I
mentioned earlier.
"An International Economy Inseparable from the Domestic Economy"
Q. What is the significance of studying international economics?
I am sure you are all familiar with the term "globalization," but when you understand thedomestic economy, you have no choice but to consider the economic activities of other countries.
When you start a business in Japan, for example, you are not only dealing with your domestic
competitors, but also with other competitors outside of Japan, similar services, how newtechnologies progress outside of Japan, and even if you create something unique to Japan, it canbe sold all over the world these days. Even if you create something unique to Japan, it can besold all over the world these days. In short, even if we think about domestic issues, we have toconsider the international economy. I think international economics is indispensable. My student
years were dominated by clubs in the first and second years and seminars in the third and fourthyears.
Q. Tell us about your student days.
When I was a student, I was involved in clubs. I was a member of a music circle, the Jazz
Society, and I was active in performing in music circles. I was also involved in seminars. I
studied in the seminars, and those two things were important. In the first and second years ofcollege, the circle played a major role, and in the third and fourth years, seminar activities wereby far the most important part of student life.

If Only I Could Create an Opportunity to Arouse the Students' Motivation."
Q. Please tell us about Professor Shirai's educational philosophy.
What I think is important when I teach seminar students is the motivation for students to study
and do things. I believe that as long as there is motivation, everyone will study on their own,
search for things, and read deeply. I hope that I can provide materials that will arouse such
motivation. It is more interesting to look at things with curiosity, so I would like to explain how I
myself became interested in things and thought about them. I am also looking for ways to create
opportunities for students to think more deeply about what they are interested in and to continue
their studies, including their way of thinking.

Joint Research in the Third Year Centered on the Writing of a Thesis, and a Graduation Thesis in
the Fourth Year.
Q. What kind of activities do you do in your seminar?
I think the goal of every seminar is the same: to write a graduation thesis. Writing a thesis is thevery activity of a scholar, and I think it is the best thing a university professor can teach. Many
people want to learn about actual business, but university professors, including myself, are notgood at that. What university professors are best at is writing thesis papers.
But in fact, this work has a great deal in common with business. The most important thing for auniversity professor is to discover and solve problems that people are not yet aware of, and to
make them widely known to the public. In order to have the significance of one's researchrecognized, marketing must be done, issues must be explained logically, and discoveries must be
made scientifically. Scholars are always thinking about how to communicate to readers in a clear
and appealing manner, so I think it would be good to learn those things from university
professors who are scholars.

The best model for writing that paper is a paper published by a professional researcher. There are
actually a lot of useful things in these papers, and I would like students to learn about them in theseminar. Next, we have them form a joint group to actually write the paper, and in the third year,
they work together to write the paper, which is the content part of the paper. At the end of their
third year, they will have a seminar on international economics at other universities and present
the results of their research. This is the main activity of the third year students, and the fourthyear students write their thesis. The fourth year students do their thesis, and then repeat theprocess on an individual basis.

“I Want Students to be Curious, to Look, and to Think.”
Q. What are you looking for in second-year students who want to join the Shirai Seminar?
Curiosity, that's all I ask for. I want them to be curious about anything they see, and to think
about it. I don't think it's a good attitude to say, "Please tell me about this. I don't want them to belike, "Please tell me about this. I think it would be best if the seminar activities were approachedwith that kind of attitude.
“Make the most of the university's resources in your student life!
Q. Finally, do you have a message for second-year students?
Why don't you use the university's resources to the fullest? There are three main resources. The
first is teachers. There are a lot of excellent people here, so don't worry about the fact that they
are not your seminar professors or the professors who took your classes, but just talk to theprofessors who are involved in the things you are interested in. I think it is very important to use
the class in such a way. You should not just listen to the class, but actively go and ask the teacher
with a purpose, and communicate with the teacher to the extent that you do not become anuisance by saying, "I will tell you this properly. The second is to use databases and other library
resources, such as magazines and books, which have already been digitized. Keio has spent a lotof money on electronic databases, so if you use them to the best of your ability, I think you caneasily recover your tuition fees (laughs). So you should definitely use them. I am sure that you
will realize how much it costs after you go out into the world, so I suggest that you use theresources while you still have them so that they do not become a treasured possession. The thirdis friends. I think that is one of the human resources. I think it is important to have fun just torelax, but I also think it is important to share your thoughts with your friends and see theirreactions, or to try activities together. I am sure there are many people who are doing very goodthings, such as engaging in various social activities together. In fact, it is possible to do all threethings I just mentioned at the same time. You could go to the teacher's office with your friends
and use these electronic resources to do more and more activities. I think it would be good to use
schools in this way.

Editor's PostscriptSince the seminar to which I belong often deals with domestic systems, I found it refreshing tohear about the topic of international economics in contrast to domestic systems.
In the interview, he talked not only about himself and the activities of his seminar, but also about
how universities are used. While there has been a lot of discussion about the state of universities
in recent years, I think that what he said was very informative and provided me with anopportunity to deepen my own thinking. I hope this interview will be helpful to all readers,including second-year students who are about to enter the seminar.
Finally, I would like to thank Professor Shirai for taking time out of his busy schedule to talkwith us. I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere appreciation. Thank you verymuch.