Fellow:Haruka Oizumi


Name Haruka Oizumi School (Cohort) Sophia University (2021 cohort) Majoring in International Relations Country Japan Email Special:EmailUser/Hoizumi0419

Bio

Haruka Oizumi (she/her/hers) is a student at Sophia University in Tokyo, Japan. She is part of the Department of Global Studies, within the Sophia Program for Sustainable Futures (SPSF), majoring in International Relations. Her academic focus is on social sustainability and social issues, particularly within the realm of international relations. Haruka is passionate about gender and sexuality topics, which she explores through her studies.

Haruka has a culturally diverse background, having been born in Germany and also lived in China, Hong Kong, Japan, and Thailand. This multicultural upbringing has fostered her love for travel and experiencing new environments, allowing her to build a wealth of diverse experiences and connections.

Her bachelor's dissertation, titled "Heteronormativity as Lived Experiences of Gay Undergraduate Students in Japan", examines the pervasive notion of heteronormativity—the idea that heterosexuality is the norm and preferred sexual orientation. Through interviews with gay undergraduate youths born and raised in Japan, her research diverges into how and where heteronormativity impacts non-heterosexual youths in their daily lives.

Beyond academic pursuits, Haruka is a part of UIF Sophia, a student body in Sophia University dedicated to creating spaces for students to use the design thinking process as a way of sparking creative and innovative solutions to real-life problems. Through UIF Sophia, Haruka has designed and facilitated five in-person design thinking workshops in both Japanese and English, engaging participants ranging from middle school students to university staff members, totaling 150 participants. The topics of these workshops range from sense of belonging to youth empowerment. Haruka also organized a two-day bilingual event at Sophia University focusing on campus sustainability and waste reduction through design thinking, attended by approximately 90 participants.

Achievements

Vice President of debate club at Senzoku Gakuen High School

Vice President of photography club at Senzoku Gakuen High School

Spring Greenery Cup by High School Parliamentary Debate Union of Japan 2018

Participated as a member of the debate team from Senzoku Gakuen High School.
Competed as the third speaker, with responsibilities including attentive analysis of preceding speakers, identifying weaknesses in the opposing team's arguments, synthesizing and summarizing our team's key points, and articulating the rationale for our team's victory.

Japan Metropolitan Model United Nations Press Team 2018

Conducted interviews with participants, delegates, and facilitators throughout the 2-day JMMUN event.
Observed the conferences to gather insights and perspectives.
Created a comprehensive newspaper article documenting the event, published by the 2nd day.

All Kanagawa High School English Debate Competition 2018

Participated as a member of the debate team from Senzoku Gakuen High School.
Competed as the third speaker, with responsibilities including attentive analysis of preceding speakers, identifying weaknesses in the opposing team's arguments, synthesizing and summarizing our team's key points, and articulating the rationale for our team's victory.

Singapore Model United Nations 2019

Participated as the delegate of Iran in the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW).

2022 Hult Prize Foundation competitor

Designed a sustainable fashion business proposal focusing on empowering local workers and enhancing accessibility and inclusivity.
Received 3 months of business training in pitching skills and social entrepreneurship.
Pitched and delivered the sustainable and inclusive fashion business proposal to 5 judges from the sustainable fashion and textile industry and professional services industry, in front of 65 participants.

Yotsuya Hatch competitor (2023)

Pitched and delivered UIF Sophia’s mission to 200 participants and judges in Japanese, promoting brand recognition and constructing a brand identity.
Received coaching from professionals in entrepreneurship in Japanese.