{"id":49458,"date":"2025-03-28T10:01:48","date_gmt":"2025-03-28T02:01:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tum-asia.edu.sg\/?p=49458"},"modified":"2025-03-28T10:06:24","modified_gmt":"2025-03-28T02:06:24","slug":"from-daad-scholarship-to-discovery-reimagining-the-journey-from-finance-to-mobility","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tum-asia.edu.sg\/cn\/stories\/from-daad-scholarship-to-discovery-reimagining-the-journey-from-finance-to-mobility\/","title":{"rendered":"From DAAD Scholarship to Discovery: Reimagining the Journey from Finance to Mobility"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"49458\" class=\"elementor elementor-49458\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1e60e79 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"1e60e79\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3d4f3421 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"3d4f3421\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"588\" src=\"https:\/\/tum-asia.edu.sg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Haru-DAAD-1024x588.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-49461\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/tum-asia.edu.sg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Haru-DAAD-1024x588.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/tum-asia.edu.sg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Haru-DAAD-300x172.jpg 300w, https:\/\/tum-asia.edu.sg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Haru-DAAD-709x407.jpg 709w, https:\/\/tum-asia.edu.sg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Haru-DAAD-768x441.jpg 768w, https:\/\/tum-asia.edu.sg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Haru-DAAD-18x10.jpg 18w, https:\/\/tum-asia.edu.sg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Haru-DAAD.jpg 1350w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"widget-image-caption wp-caption-text\">Haruhiko Yokota, TUM Asia Student, Master of Science in Rail and Urban Transport and Ms. Annette Himmelsbach, DAAD Singapore<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2dcc16f7 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"2dcc16f7\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h5 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Since childhood, maps and transport networks had always captivated Haru's imagination. Yet, his journey wasn't a straightforward path. After completing his undergraduate degree in Urban Systems and Computer Science, he initially carved out a career in finance. It was during this professional chapter that he encountered inspiring colleagues who encouraged him to develop deep expertise in a specialised field.<\/h5>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7222d3c5 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"7222d3c5\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>A Leap of Passion<\/strong><\/p><p>Leaving a stable job to pursue a master&#8217;s degree was no small decision. When Haru shared his plans with his parents, their response was revelatory. &#8220;While surprised,&#8221; he recalls, &#8220;they said they had sensed my urge to return to academia.&#8221; This moment crystallised his conviction, confirming that his passion for transportation had always been simmering beneath the surface.<\/p><p><strong>The DAAD Scholarship: A Transformative Opportunity<\/strong><\/p><p>The scholarship was a lifeline that transformed his educational journey. &#8220;One major concern I had was the financial impact of leaving my job,&#8221; Haru explains. With no income and a negative cash flow each month, the scholarship alleviated his financial worries, allowing him to dedicate himself entirely to academic growth.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f380e19 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"f380e19\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"889\" height=\"592\" src=\"https:\/\/tum-asia.edu.sg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/DAAD-Award-202503.png\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-49218\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/tum-asia.edu.sg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/DAAD-Award-202503.png 889w, https:\/\/tum-asia.edu.sg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/DAAD-Award-202503-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/tum-asia.edu.sg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/DAAD-Award-202503-611x407.png 611w, https:\/\/tum-asia.edu.sg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/DAAD-Award-202503-768x511.png 768w, https:\/\/tum-asia.edu.sg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/DAAD-Award-202503-18x12.png 18w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 889px) 100vw, 889px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"widget-image-caption wp-caption-text\">DAAD Scholarship Recipients, TUM Asia Students and Ms Annette Himmelsbach, DAAD Singapore<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-fa3ba6d elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"fa3ba6d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>A New Perspective<\/strong><\/p><p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/tum-asia.edu.sg\/cn\/graduate-studies\/master-rail-and-urban-transport\/\"><strong>\u94c1\u8def\u4e0e\u57ce\u5e02\u4ea4\u901a\u7406\u5b66\u7855\u58eb<\/strong><\/a> programme proved to be intensely challenging. Some days comprised 7-8 hours of classes, and in his first semester alone, Haru sat for 13 exams. A standout moment came during an outdoor exercise collecting traffic data\u2014a hands-on experience that brought theoretical concepts to life.<\/p><p>&#8220;Having previously worked in an office environment, I hadn&#8217;t considered the role of fieldwork in my studies. Realising that my programme involves hands-on experiences like this has made me excited about the places I will explore in the future.&#8221;<\/p><p>Perhaps most surprisingly, Haru discovered a genuine love for studying. Once considered too distracting for study sessions, he now found joy in continuous learning. &#8220;Now that I feel a strong sense of responsibility for my education and am pursuing a field I am passionate about, studying has become not just manageable but enjoyable,&#8221; he shares.<\/p><p><strong>Beyond the Classroom<\/strong><\/p><p>The journey has fundamentally changed Haru&#8217;s perspective. He now pays closer attention to everyday details\u2014from traffic light timing to MRT network design. &#8220;The concepts we study are highly applicable to real life,&#8221; he reflects, &#8220;making me curious about the decision-making processes that shape the built environment.&#8221;<\/p><p><span style=\"background-color: var(--bs-body-bg); color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; font-size: var(--bs-body-font-size); font-weight: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-weight );\">Looking ahead, Haru&#8217;s goals extend beyond personal achievement. He aims to develop specialised expertise in transportation, with a particular focus on mobility solutions for ageing societies like Japan. His ultimate aspiration is to contribute to the educational side of the field, believing that training future professionals is key to creating sustainable long-term improvements.<\/span><\/p><p><strong>A Message of Inspiration<\/strong><\/p><p>To prospective students, Haru offers a simple yet powerful piece of advice: &#8220;If your passion aligns with what you want to achieve in life, go for it. The programme is rigorous but rewarding, and pursuing what truly interests you will make the challenges worthwhile.&#8221;<\/p><p><strong>Discover our <a href=\"https:\/\/tum-asia.edu.sg\/cn\/graduate-studies\/master-rail-and-urban-transport\/\">\u94c1\u8def\u4e0e\u57ce\u5e02\u4ea4\u901a\u7406\u5b66\u7855\u58eb<\/a>, explore available <a href=\"https:\/\/tum-asia.edu.sg\/cn\/admissions\/graduate-studies\/scholarships\/\">\u5956\u5b66\u91d1\u5217\u8868<\/a>, and take the next step toward achieving your academic and career goals!<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Since childhood, maps and transport networks had always captivated Haru&#8217;s imagination. Yet, his journey wasn&#8217;t a straightforward path.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":49461,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-49458","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stories"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>TUM Asia<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Discover inspiring student stories from TUM Asia. Learn how our students navigate their academic journeys, and shape their futures in engineering, technology, and beyond.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/tum-asia.edu.sg\/cn\/stories\/from-daad-scholarship-to-discovery-reimagining-the-journey-from-finance-to-mobility\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"zh_CN\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"From DAAD Scholarship to Discovery: Reimagining the Journey from Finance to Mobility - TUM Asia\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Discover inspiring student stories from TUM Asia. Learn how our students navigate their academic journeys, and shape their futures in engineering, technology, and beyond.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/tum-asia.edu.sg\/cn\/stories\/from-daad-scholarship-to-discovery-reimagining-the-journey-from-finance-to-mobility\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"TUM Asia\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/tum.asia\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-03-28T02:01:48+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-03-28T02:06:24+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/tum-asia.edu.sg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Haru-DAAD.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1350\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"775\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"valerie.lim\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"\u4f5c\u8005\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"valerie.lim\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"\u9884\u8ba1\u9605\u8bfb\u65f6\u95f4\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 \u5206\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"TUM Asia","description":"Discover inspiring student stories from TUM Asia. 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