Dr. Arnab Dasgupta received JF Fellowship for the year 2017-18. His work was focused on the teleological differences between immigration policy as conceived by the state of Japan and civil society organisations working to help migrant workers access services and rights.
According to Dr. Arnab, the scholarship allows scholars to conduct fieldwork, collect materials, and interact with leading professionals in the field of research. When asked how the scholarship affected his research, he responded with how it allowed him to collect key materials related to his research, as well as enabled him to conduct in-person interviews with several leading scholars of immigration policy. It also had an added effect of allowing him to engage in participant observation.
When asked about memories from his time in Japan, reminiscing about his past, he shared about him enjoying the fellows meeting in Tokyo, as well as the Joint Fellows’ 花見会 (hanamikai, flower-viewing party) at Shinjuku Gyoen.