Hiroko Imamura

❍ Field of current or former occupation: Law
❍ Email: [email protected]

Question: What is your current occupation and where do you live? Please briefly describe your duties and responsibilities. How long have you been at this position?

Hiroko Imamura: After graduating from Columbia University School of Law, I worked as a corporate lawyer in a New York City law firm for several years.
Then I joined the World Bank in Washington, D.C. as legal counsel. (For my senior year Winter Study at Williams, I took a course about the World Bank taught by Williams alumnus and former World Bank legal counsel Mr. Eugene Webb ’41; ever since then working at the World Bank had become one of my career goals.)
At the World Bank, I first worked on its internal corporate affairs, such as interpretation and application of its charter documents, privileges and immunities stemming from its international public organization status, policies and procedures for its governing boards and committees. Then I worked on the World Bank’s lending projects in the South Asia and Middle East Regions, providing legal advice to the World Bank staff in planning and implementing development projects in countries such as India, Iraq and Nepal.

I retired from the World Bank about six years ago after working there for 17 years. I currently live in Great Falls, VA.

Question: Did studying German language and culture at Williams College help you in your professional and personal development? If yes, then how were German Studies useful to you? What opportunities and challenges did the German major open up for you both specific to your current occupation and more generally?

Hiroko Imamura: While working at the law firm, I had opportunities to travel to Germany and to work with the firm’s clients and lawyers there, which I enjoyed enormously. At the World Bank, my responsibilities centered on developing countries in South Asia and Middle East, so I did not have any opportunity to work on matters related to Germany.

Question: Please share your advice or recommendation about the German department at Williams to a prospective student who is considering taking courses or majoring in our program.

Hiroko Imamura: I majored in German (in addition to Psychology) due to my fascination with German studies even though I did not plan to pursue a career in the field. Studying German at Williams, including my junior year semester abroad at the University of Tubingen, enabled me to obtain a lifelong appreciation for German language, literature, music, people and culture. In addition, due primarily to the small size of the German Department and the high caliber of its professors, I was able to develop close relationships with the professors and to benefit from their top notch advice. For these reasons, I highly recommend taking courses and/or majoring in German at Williams.

Question: Would you be willing to serve as a contact person for current students of German about your career or life path? If so, how should students contact you?

Hiroko Imamura: Yes, they can contact me by email. My email address is [email protected]