Palauan obtains master’s degree from Sophia U

TOKYO—Elchung Gladys Hideyos of Palau was recently awarded a master’s degree in Global Environmental Studies from Sophia University.

She excelled during her two years of study in Tokyo, earning the highest marks of any student from the Micronesia region who has attended the historic Jesuit university as an APIC-Sophia University-Micronesia Conservation Trust Bill Raynor Micronesia Challenge Scholar. Hideyos’ thesis examined the role of women in fisheries management, conservation and policy in Palau.

Professor Anne McDonald of Sophia University’s Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies praised Hideyos for her scholarship and commitment as a graduate student. “Your work was academically brilliant but done with heart and love of your country and people. I know you will go on to do great things for Palau and Micronesia, attaining goals you might never thought were possible, but are! You have what it takes to make a difference in the world. In fact, you’ve already started,” McDonald said.

Elchung Gladys Hideyos of Palau obtains her master’s degree in Global Environmental Studies from Sophia University in Tokyo, Japan. (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)

Hideyos began her advanced studies shortly before the global novel coronavirus pandemic led to a series of emergency decrees in Tokyo. She completed her studies with a mix of traditional classroom work and remote learning via a computer from her dormitory room. Hideyos earned her bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies in 2018 from Chaminade University in Honolulu.

Hideyos said she was thankful for the opportunity to study in Japan. “Even with the challenges I faced in the last two years, I would say that this experience has opened my mind and humbled me. I learned a lot and was able to make connections with people from around the world, which is amazing being from such a small island country in the Pacific. I’m very grateful for this opportunity that was created for us Micronesian graduates,” she said.

Four graduate students from the Micronesia-region are studying at the Tokyo university on an APIC-Sophia University-Micronesia Conservation Trust Scholarship. Five students, including Hideyos, have graduated with master’s degrees. The highly competitive scholarship is funded by Sophia University, the Association for Promotion of International Cooperation, a Tokyo-based private foundation, and the Micronesia Conservation Trust’s Bill Raynor Micronesia Challenge Scholarship Fund. This is the fourth year that the all-expenses-paid scholarships are being offered.

APIC, Sophia University, and MCT partner to select current professionals from the Micronesia region to pursue graduate level degrees. Sophia University has committed to providing full tuition scholarships, APIC covers travel, room and board and a monthly allowance, and MCT, through the Bill Raynor Micronesia Challenge Scholarship Fund, covers the cost of internships for the scholars.

The scholarship aims to produce professionals who contribute to the development of effective conservation of Micronesia’s biodiversity, climate change adaptation and mitigation, among other environmental issues contributing to the promotion of sustainable livelihoods across the region. The scholars focus on developing leadership and technical skills and/or majors that enhance their ability to carry out work in conservation, climate adaptation and sustainable development in Micronesia. So far all the student scholars have returned to their home countries and assumed leading positions in the workforce. (PR)