Candidate Profiles
MAGIS Candidates, 2007 - 2009

Koudai Nakagawa

A native of Los Angeles and the son of Japanese immigrants, Koudai Nakagawa first came to the University of California after having served in Iraq as a Corporal in the United States Marine Corps.  His experiences overseas helped influence his academic interests and served to strengthen his patriotism.

Koudai earned his B.A. degree at the UC Los Angeles with a major in Political Science and a Minor in Middle Eastern and North African studies.  As a MAGIS candidate, Koudai’s research interests lie primarily in the Middle East and Transcaucasia, wherein he hopes to deepen his understanding of how religion, culture, and history help to shape the politics of the region. He also hopes to further his knowledge of how NGOs operate and their impact on the international community. 

This summer, Koudai has chosen to intern with the Clinton Global Initiative's foreign policy desk in New York City. Following his assignment in New York City,  Koudai will be heading overseas on the behest of the Clinton Foundation to conduct research for his thesis.