Middlebury Institute graduates discuss where they work today, how the Institute helped them get there, and what advice they’d give to current and future MIIS students.
My name is Sayaka Shingu and I graduated with my MA in Nonproliferation and Terrorism Studies from the Middlebury Institute in 2013.
In my role at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tokyo, I am in charge of the highest level of diplomatic agreements for global nonproliferation, like the United Nations’ Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and UNSCR 1540 and the U.S. State Department’s Proliferation Security Initiative. I also serve as head of research for the entire Disarmament, Nonproliferation, and Science department. I consider this my dream job!
My most memorable experience in this role was participating in the negotiations at the third PrepCon of the NPT Review Conference. This was my most exciting experience in the sense that I was able to leverage my expertise and experience developed at Middlebury Institute, such as the NPT simulation.
Completing my thesis and United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) internship as part of the nonproliferation and terrorism studies degree were some of my most valuable experiences at Middlebury Institute. For those who would like to earn a PhD in the future, I highly recommend writing a thesis.
I consider the semester-long NPT simulation to be the most valuable part of my Institute education. The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) is a landmark international treaty—the only binding commitment in a multilateral treaty to the goal of nuclear disarmament by the nuclear-weapons states. It entered into force in 1970 and there is a review of the treaty that takes place every five years called NPT PrepCom. Many Institute alumni participate in this or support.
This signature role-playing course led by Dr. Bill Potter uniquely prepared me to participate in the real thing. In spring 2025, I was a part of negotiations during the third session of the Preparatory Committee for the 2026 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) at the UN Headquarters in New York.
Both as a student at Middlebury Institute and after graduation, I completed a variety of focused internships and fellowships in the nonproliferation field. Studying English at the Middlebury Institute also expanded the opportunities available to me in this field.
While still a student, I was an intern of the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs in 2013.
My nonproliferation career began in 2022 with a two-year fellowship in the Japan-U.S. partnership program at the Research Institute for Peace and Security. I was also simultaneously a fellow of the Arms Control Negotiation Academy from 2021 to 2022.
Next I served as a 2023 fellow of the first-ever cohort of a new initiative from the Mansfield Foundation in Washington, D.C. This fellowship, called the Next Generation of U.S.-Japan Nuclear Policy Experts, gave me the opportunity to meet with D.C.-based experts in nuclear policy, from organizations like the U.S. Department of Defense, the Embassy of Japan, Nuclear Threat Initiative, and the United States Naval Academy.
I am currently halfway through a three-year fellowship with the Center for Strategic and International Studies called the Mid-Career Cadre of Project on Nuclear Issues. This opportunity is available to a small group of professionals who have seven years or more of experience in the nonproliferation field.
Networking has been very valuable to me as I built my career. Many people whom I built relationships with at the Middlebury Institute have recommended me for the positions that have allowed me to advance in my expertise and build my career in this field.
Cyrus Jabbari shares how he was able to bring together his political science background and niche skills honed at Middlebury Institute to serve as the first-ever data chief for his office.
On the 80th anniversary of the Trinity nuclear test explosion in Alamogordo, New Mexico, Nobel Laureates and nuclear experts convened to call on world leaders to take immediate and meaningful action to prevent nuclear war. The group outlined thirteen urgent and achievable policy recommendations.
Middlebury Institute alum Aleksandra Zubenko interned at the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA), supporting global disarmament and nonproliferation to promote global security.
