Yumi Uemura SP '03 -- A View from the Bahrain Embassy in Japan

Assisting the Ambassador
and Promoting Bahrain's Economic Potential

As a staff member of the Bahrain Embassy, Uemura visited the country for the annual meeting of Bahrain's Economic Development Board. She took this photograph of the Bahrain Financial Harbor in Manama, the capital.

A chance to meet prominent people and visit new lands -- that's been some of the exciting advantages for Yumi Uemura SP '03 in her job at the Bahrain Embassy to Japan (in Tokyo). "I get to go places and meet people I would never be able to," says Uemura, executive secretary to the Bahrain ambassador. The list of the people she has encountered includes his royal highness the crown prince of Bahrain, the Bahrain foreign minister, diplomats from other countries, Japanese politicians, prominent professors and business figures from respective fields.

An Unexpected Job and Opportunities

As a speech communication major at St. Kate's, Uemura never expected to end up at an embassy. "I saw the job posting on the Internet and sent out my resume, but I never thought I would be called. At the interview I even told the Ambassador and the head of the Economic Section that I knew little about the country." The Kingdom of Bahrain is a cluster of 33 islands in the Arabian Gulf off the coast of Saudi Arabia. The four main islands are linked to each other and Saudi Arabia by a causeway system. Like many countries in the Arabian Gulf, Bahrain had colonial ties to the United Kingdom until it declared independence in 1971. The nation is still working on becoming more well known in the international community and developing a diversified economic presence. Uemura's initial job title was economic liaison to Bahrain.

Uemura attributes her facility with English and international education at St. Kate's as some reasons she was hired. "My college life at St. Kate's enabled me to better interact and work with people from different cultures and backgrounds." Uemura first graduated from Nanzan Junior College in Nagoya in Japan, a two-year Catholic college for women. Nanzan has five sister schools in the United States to which students can transfer after graduation. "I chose St. Kate's because it was the only college that offered a major in speech communication. When I first started, I was most impressed by the energy and enthusiasm of the women -- and the range of students: international students, part-time students, student moms, students with disabilities are only a few examples of the super women I saw."

On the Cultural Learning Fast Track
At the embassy, Uemura quickly demonstrated her outstanding qualities. Within months, she was helping to host the crown prince of Bahrain, the foreign minister, and their economic delegation to Japan. "It was the biggest event and busiest time of my life since leaving St. Kate's. I was literally eating and sleeping at the embassy for the week before the delegation arrived, and once they arrived, I was locked in the same hotel as they were to be on call for 24 hours. Although it was a crazy two weeks, I enjoyed working on it and was honored to be part of this big event."

Uemura (below, fourth from right), with the embassy delegation, makes her first visit to the Kingdom of Bahrain.

Uemura also utilized her marketing and communication skills, calling on Japanese companies and scheduling appointments to make presentations on the Kingdom of Bahrain and its economic potential. "Bahrain is not well-recognized in the Japanese business community as an investment destination," she explains, "so our primary focus was to introduce the country and all the incentives Bahrain has to offer. This was actually the most difficult part of my job because I always had to start from very general information, such as where the country is located -- or that Bahrain is not Dubai!"

Women in Bahrain

In the course of her job, Uemura discovered more about the state of women and women's leadership in the country. "Although it is true that women just got the vote in 2002, many women have professional roles in society and business, "says Uemura. "My former boss in Bahrain, the director of business development, is a woman. The wife of our Ambassador is a famous doctor with a specialty in diabetics. Compared to the United States or a lot of European countries, women's role in Bahrain might be limited, but for a Middle Eastern country, the position of women is far advanced." Even the Bahraini ambassador to the United States is a woman, Her Excellency Ms. Houda Nonoo -- the first woman in this position. "She is also the first Jewish ambassador of any Arab countries," Uemura adds, "which shows how Bahrain is liberal compared to other Arab countries." The status of Bahraini women is improving at a rapid pace. A 2001 study showed that though women were under-represented proportionally in Bahrain's professional workforce, females outnumbered males in intermediate and secondary schools. In 2004, the United Nations named Bahrain as the nation in the forefront of educating girls and women in the Arab world, and the Bahraini education system now includes The Royal University for Women, which began in 2005-2006 and graduated its first students in spring 2009.

Uemura met several prominent women from Bahrain and the Middle East during the 2009 Arab Japan Week Exposition, where varied arts, foods, and products of Arab countries were presented. Uemura and her colleagues hosted the Bahrain booth, greeting visitors, which included a member of the Japanese Imperial Family, Princess Takamado.

Princess Takamado (below, with the hat) sits surrounded by the wives of the Arab Ambassadors who came to the Arab Japan Week Exposition to explore the booths, taste the foods, and enjoy the dances and other cultural performances.

Not All Glamour, But Always International

Of course, the everyday work of the embassy is not always this exciting. "People may have a wrong idea that embassy work is glamorous, but it is actually more conservative," Uemura observes. "You have to understand and accept the culture and rules of the embassy's country because you are in its extraterritorial area." But even everyday activities have an exotic international flavor. "It's a fun place if you feel comfortable working in a 'different' situation. Being able to do well under extreme pressure is also key for this job as sometimes you work with or for national guests or royal personages."

Uemura's boss, Ambassador Dr. Khalil Hassan (below, left) shakes the hand of the Bahrain minister of foreign affairs, Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Khalifa.

Uemura has succeeded so well that she is now the administrative assistant to His Excellency Dr. Khalil Hassan, the ambassador of Bahrain to Japan. She serves as his liaison with the ministry departments in Bahrain and in Japan and with delegations to and from Bahrain. She often writes letters to high-ranking officials for the ambassador, who then approves them. "Of course, the letters are guided by his instructions and signed by him, but the fact that I am often the one initially composing the letters that will be read by these officials makes me feel I am doing an important job," says Uemura. She manages the ambassador's work flow and applies her varied communication and leadership skills to make his work more successful, increasing the good will, understanding, and economic ties between the Kingdom of Bahrain and Japan, and the world.

"I really feel that this is a job where I can utilize what I have gained at St. Kate's," Uemura said, "and if it were not for St. Kate's I would never have gotten into this embassy work." With such an international job as a launching point, it is clear that Uemura is not destined for a dull career.