Michiko Yoshida is the Director of the Global Networking and Engagement, Office of International Affairs and Global Network, Chulalongkorn University. Since 2019, she has been supporting Chulalongkorn University’s global engagement efforts in the context of its expanding public role to build a sustainable society. With 34 years of experience in the non-profit sector promoting international intellectual and cultural exchanges, she is committed to the co-creation of knowledge that cultivates empathy and a culture of mutual respect amongst peoples. Cutting across boundaries, she facilitates international intellectual exchanges, dialogues, and collaborations among academics, civil society actors, policymakers, and community stakeholders. Together with key international partners, Michiko spearheads several initiatives that promote transdisciplinary and multi-stakeholder engagements through university efforts at national/regional/global levels. She is the Program Director of the APRU SDG Education for Global Citizenship program; a co-convener of the regional platform Civic Engagement 4.0～Dignity, Justice, Sustainability, which launched “Training the Trainers for Engaged Social Service in a Borderless World” (training for displaced teachers from Myanmar) in 2023; and the Project Director of the CU-UNESCO Futures Literacy Project in which Chulalongkorn University established its UNESCO Chair for Resource Governance and Futures Literacy.

President Kohei Itoh graduated from Keio University and received his MS and PhD in Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. He joined Keio as a faculty member in 1995 and became a full professor in 2007. He was the dean of the Faculty and Graduate School of Science and Technology between 2017 and 2019, and is the current chairperson of the Japanese government’s Quantum Technology Innovation expert panel.

His main research area is quantum computing, quantum sensing, and quantum physics, leading to over 360 journal publications. He is an executive member of the Council for Science, Technology and Innovation (CSTI) as well as a council member of the Science Council of Japan. He has served on numerous executive boards including the Physical Society of Japan and the Japan Society of Applied Physics. He leads various quantum information projects as the program director of Quantum Information Technology in the MEXT Quantum Leap Flagship Program.

He received the Japan IBM Prize in 2006 and the JSPS (Japan Society for the Promotion of Science) Prize in 2009. He is also a fellow of American Physical Society and a fellow of the Japan Society of Applied Physics.

Akiyo Ito Okuda is the Vice-President for Student Affairs, and Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at Keio University in Tokyo, Japan. She also serves as director for the Office for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and is a professor of English and American Studies within Keio. She received her master’s degree in English (1993) and her doctorate degree in African American Literature (2005) from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She also has a master’s and bachelor’s degree from the Department of English at Keio University.

As a Vice-President at Keio University and director of the Office for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, Professor Okuda has promoted initiatives such as Unconscious Bias Training, a family care support program (KIND) for staff, and barrier-free resources for disabled students. Previously she was a counselor and vice-chairperson of the Keio University Harassment Prevention Committee. In her current position she has coordinated workshops and moderated events at Keio that foster awareness within the university about violence against women, assertive communication skills, and LGBTQ+ issues. Throughout her tenure as a Vice-President, she has been active in inviting various scholars and leaders to give presentations at Keio during events such as the “2023 Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Week.”

Vice-President Okuda’s research focuses on turn-of-the-century writings on race and racial representations.

Hisayo Ogushi is the Dean of the International Center and Professor in Department of English, Faculty of Letters at Keio University. She received her Ph.D. in Literature from Keio in 2001. Throughout her scholarly pursuits, she has devoted herself to a diverse range of research interests, with a particular focus on 19th-century American literature, gender studies, and women’s literature. She studied at the University of Oregon as an exchange student during her undergraduate years at Keio, where she first experienced a global academic milieu alongside fellow international students. Additionally, she conducted research at Brown University as a visiting scholar and at the Five College Women’s Studies Research Center as a research associate. Among her academic accomplishments, she authored Hybrid Romance: Captivity and Hybridity in the American Literary Tradition (Shohaku-sha, 2002) and Unstoppable Girls: Exploring Shojo Manga’s Imaginative Realm (Shohaku-sha, 2021, Nishiwaki Juzaburo Academic Award).

Professor Motohiro Tsuchiya is the Vice-President for Global Engagement at Keio University. Prior to his current appointment, he served as dean of the Keio University Faculty of Policy Management. He earned his BA in political science, MA in international relations, and PhD in media and governance, all from Keio University. He is a member of the Japanese government’s Cybersecurity Strategic Headquarters and is a guest editorialist for Nikkei. He has authored or co-authored over 40 books, including The Very Long Game: 25 Case Studies on the Global State of Defense AI (Springer 2024).

Natalie Konomi is a Professor and Manager at Kyushu University’s Global Strategies Office and has been serving as Vice President for International Affairs and Diversity since October 2022. She also leads the International Education Navigation Center, Kyushu University. With over 20 years in academia, Natalie has been pivotal in promoting cross-cultural understanding and internationalization across Japanese universities and local communities. Holding degrees from Augsburg University, Germany, and Nagoya University, Japan, her research spans organizational management, strategic alliances, and intercultural communication.

Throughout her impactful career, Natalie has held significant positions, including Director of the International Center at Kitami Institute of Technology and Vice Director of Nagoya University’s European Center. Her dedication to global engagement was recognized with the Hokkaido Social Contribution Award for her role in a JICA-funded health project that connected Kitami city, Japan, with Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Natalie’s commitment to fostering intercultural awareness aligns with her goal of promoting inclusive dialogues and equipping individuals with the skills necessary for success in our interconnected world. She is dedicated to inspiring future global citizens and emphasizes the importance of education and understanding in shaping a harmonious future.

Patricia Montano’s professional career has developed between Information Technology Management and Internationalization. During her 31 years at Tecnológico de Monterrey she has collaborated in academics as well as in administrative posts always related to the international development of the university. Patricia Montano obtained two Master degrees, an MBA from EGADE Business School with specialization in Global e-Management and a Master in Information Technologies Management, both at Tecnologico de Monterrey. She has been a speaker at several international conferences. As Director for International Innovation and Networks at Tecnológico de Monterrey she is responsible for designing new formats for student’s international experiences, new paths for the university’s internationalization as well as for the university activities at consortia. Her experience in the development of programs for the internationalization of the faculty and the growth of the international cooperation of academics in teaching-learning tasks has had an impact on the advancement of internationalization at home for both students and professors, achieving that more than 18,000 students and more than 1,000 professors, both Mexican and international, get involved in online collaborations facilitating the understanding of cultures and the discussion on topics of common interest based on the UN SDG.

Professor Helen Sullivan is a political sociologist and public policy scholar whose work explores state-society relationships, and their interactions with public policy systems. She is the author/editor of nine books, including Collaboration and Public Policy. Agency in the Pursuit of Public Purpose (2022).  Educated in the humanities and social sciences she holds degrees in Modern History and Political Science (BA Comb. Hons), Women’s Studies (MA), and Public Policy (PhD). She currently serves as Dean of the College of Asia and the Pacific at the Australian National University.

Helen’s career is defined by a sustained commitment to bridging the gap between research and practice. She has designed and led multiple innovations in the UK and Australia. In 2013 she established the Melbourne School of Government – a multi-disciplinary School that broke new ground through its integration of engagement and impact with research and teaching.  Between 2017 and 2021 she was Director of the Crawford School of Public Policy at the ANU, Asia and the Pacific’s leading graduate public policy school.

Helen’s research has received ‘Best Paper/Publication’ awards from global academic societies including the Public Management Research Association and the International Research Society for Public Management. In 2003 Helen was awarded a Fellowship of the (now) Higher Education Academy in recognition of her innovative and interactive teaching. In 2017 she was made a National Fellow of the Institute of Public Administration Australia in recognition of her significant contribution to public policy practice.

Professor Alan K.L. Chan is the Provost and J.S. Lee Professor of Chinese Culture at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK). Professor Chan began his academic career in Canada, after completing his PhD at the University of Toronto. Prior to joining CUHK, Professor Chan was Professor and Associate Provost at the National University of Singapore (NUS). While at NUS, Professor Chan twice received the Teaching Excellence Award. From 2009 to 2019 he served as Dean of the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences and Vice-President at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) Singapore. His research focuses on Chinese intellectual history and hermeneutics. Professor Chan has published widely and developed an online course on “Explorations in Confucian Philosophy,” which has drawn over 10,000 learners on Coursera while on offer at NTU. He is currently a member of the Hong Kong University Grants Committee and serves on a number of other Boards.

Prof. Yike Guo is the Provost of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) and Chair Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering. He is a world-renowned computer scientist who has led several large-scale AI and data science research projects in Hong Kong, UK and other European countries. He was the Vice-President (Research and Development) of Hong Kong Baptist University and the founding Director of the Institute of Data Science at Imperial College London’s six global institutes. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering (FREng), a Fellow of the European Academy of Sciences (MAE), a Fellow of the Hong Kong Academy of Engineering Sciences (FHKEng), a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (FIEEE), a Fellow of the British Computer Society (FBCS), and a Fellow of the Chinese Institute for Engineering Intelligence (FCAAI).

Prof. Yike Guo won the 2022 Wu Wenjun Artificial Intelligence Science and Technology Award for Outstanding Contribution Award, which is considered to be the highest honor in the field of intelligent science and technology in China.

Adrian Little is Professor of Political Theory at the University of Melbourne where he has served as Pro Vice Chancellor International and APRU Senior International Leader since 2018. He moved to Melbourne from the University of London in 2004 and went on to serve for a decade as the Head of the School of Social and Political Sciences.

Adrian is the author of seven books and (co-)editor of three others on topics including contemporary political and social philosophy, Indigenous politics, borders and mobility, political conflict and democracy. His most recent book is Temporal Politics: Contested Pasts, Uncertain Futures (Edinburgh University Press, 2022). In recognition of his contribution to global research in his field, Adrian was elected as a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia in 2020.

Within APRU, Adrian is the founder and co-convenor (with Noelani Puniwai, University of Hawai’i Manoa) of the Indigenous and First Nations Knowledges Network which will have its fourth annual meeting (one virtual and three in-person) at the Universidad de Chile in November 2024. The previous two meetings were held at the University of Melbourne and in Chiapas, Mexico hosted by Tec de Monterrey.

As a ‘first-in-family’ university student, Adrian is committed to equity and widening participation in international education. He works to create opportunities for greater access to tertiary institutions for marginalised groups in society, as well as recognition of diverse cultures and knowledge systems.

Takako Izumi is a Professor at the International Research Institute of Disaster Science (IRIDeS) and Graduated School of International Cultural Studies at Tohoku University, Japan. Her research focuses on international disaster risk reduction (DRR) strategies, humanitarian assistance, and DRR initiatives at the local and community levels.

She serves as director of the Multi-Hazards (MH) program, started in 2013 by the Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU), a consortium of 60 leading research institutions in the Pacific Rim.

Before joining Tohoku University, she spent more than 15 years working in the fields of DRR, disaster response, recovery, and development with NGOs and various United Nations agencies, including UN-Habitat, UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), UN Office of the Recovery Coordinator for Ache and Nias (UNORC), and UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR).

Since May 2015, she has been serving as a member of the Asian-Pacific Science and Technology Advisory Group (APSTAG) established by UNDRR to support the efforts of governments and stakeholders in the implementation of the Sendai Framework for DRR.

She holds a Ph.D. in Global Environmental Studies from Kyoto University, Japan.

Toshiya Ueki is the Executive Vice President for General Affairs, International Affairs, and Academic Resources of Tohoku University and is also a Professor of International Law at the Faculty and Graduate School of Law. Prof. Ueki served as the Dean of the Faculty and Graduate School of Law (2004-2006) and from 2006 he has been an Executive Vice President of Tohoku University. He has authored or co-authored articles on international law and written many books on the subject. He has been recognized for his exceptional work in the fields of transnational / international law and for his studies on the theory of international law related to international organizations. For his outstanding academic achievements, he was awarded the 27th Adachi Mineichiro Memorial Award in 1994. From 1988 to 1990 he was a Visiting Fellow at the Research Centre for International Law at the University of Cambridge, UK, and from 1996 to 1997 he was a Visiting Scholar at the Harvard-Yenching Institute at Harvard University, USA. Prof. Ueki is a member of a number of distinguished academic societies including the Japanese Society of International Law and the International Law Association, and from May 2020 to May 2023 he served as the President of the Japanese Association of World Law and from June 2022 he is serving as the President of the Japanese Society of International Law. As EVP of Tohoku University, Prof. Ueki strives to develop Tohoku University’s international relationships, academic affairs, and its global network through active participation in international academic consortia and other global activities.

Joanna Regulska, vice provost and dean of Global Affairs and distinguished professor of gender, sexuality and women’s studies at the University of California, Davis, has led large-scale programs that transform institutions, establish partnerships, and substantially improve global services for over 30 years. 

Regulska oversees Global Affairs at UC Davis, where she strives to provide all students with global learning experiences through a Provost’s Priority of Global Education for All; engage faculty, staff and students with the UN Sustainable Development Goals as part of UC Davis’ commitment to solving global challenges; and help promote understanding and address global inequities.

Regulska serves on the board of directors for NAFSA: Association of International Educators as the vice president for public policy and practice. In 2022, she was honored with the Charles Klasek Award for outstanding service to the field of international higher education from the Association of International Education Administrators. In 2021, Regulska was named an inaugural member of the National Academy for International Education and in 2019, she was honored with the first-ever Senior International Officer Award from the Institute of International Education. 

A respected scholar, Regulska’s research concentrates on women’s political activism, grassroots mobilization, decentralization, democracy and democratization, with a focus on Europe and the Caucasus.

Cindy Fan is UCLA’s Vice Provost for International Studies and Global Engagement, and is the first woman and Asian American to hold that position. She is also Professor of Geography. As SIO, she provides strategic leadership for the university’s international partnerships and agreements, represents UCLA globally, promotes international education and research, and oversees the 27 interdisciplinary research centers and eight degree programs within the International Institute. She also leads the Global Goal of UCLA’s Strategic Plan. Dr. Fan received her PhD from the Ohio State University. Internationally known for her research on migration and split households, gender, and regional development in China, she has numerous publications including the pioneering book China on the Move. She has delivered numerous keynotes around the world, and has received the UCLA Distinguished Teaching Award, Distinguished Scholar Awards from the American Association of Geographers, an American Council on Education Fellowship, major grants from the Mellon Foundation, Henry Luce Foundation and National Science Foundation, and an Honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of Bristol. Dr. Fan is an elected member of the National Academy of International Education.

Eleanor “Elly” Vandegrift is the Director of the Global Studies Institute at the University of Oregon in the Division of Global Engagement. She supports faculty and student global research engagement that promotes academic excellence at the University of Oregon and with global partners. As biology faculty, Elly earned multiple teaching awards for leading biology, pedagogy, and interdisciplinary courses focused on improving science literacy. She has worked with local, national, and international STEM education organizations dedicated to supporting faculty professional development and improving student learning. Elly is the author of several articles about STEM education reform and educational development. As GSI Director, she leverages a track record landing and running grants, gifts and contracts; direct work with international donors and funding agencies; as well as curricular, pedagogical and programmatic innovation in global contexts. Elly co-taught the APRU Teaching and Learning in Virtual Environments online series and co-leads the APRU Student Climate Change Simulation. Elly trained as an ecologist at Earlham College and Oregon State University.

Mellissa Withers is an academic who has turned her passion for other cultures and women’s empowerment into a full-time adventure. She serves as Professor and Director of Pedagogical Enrichment and Training in the Department of Population and Public Health Sciences at the University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine, where she teaches global health-related courses. She is also the director of the APRU Global Health Program. Her work focuses on a broad range of global health issues, including sexual and reproductive health, women’s empowerment, migrant health, and mental health, with a particular emphasis on community participatory research and qualitative methodology.

She earned her Ph.D. in Community Health Sciences from the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health in Los Angeles, USA in 2009 with an emphasis on medical anthropology. Her dissertation explored fertility intentions in Bali, Indonesia, where she immersed herself in the local culture for 15 months. She also earned a Master’s in Health Sciences from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Department of International Health, and a B.A. degree in Global Development from UC Berkeley.

Dr. Withers’ has traveled to more than 75 countries and has lived in Mexico, Costa Rica, and Indonesia. Her research is informed by her international experiences and commitment to understanding diverse health challenges. Outside of her professional pursuits, you might find her salsa dancing, kayaking, practicing yoga, or planning her next trip, reflecting her vibrant and dynamic approach to life and work.

Laura Hassink is Managing Director Journals for Elsevier, overseeing 2750 journals and publishing over 600,000 research articles annually. She is committed to promoting diversity and equity in research. Laura has been instrumental in accelerating Elsevier’s substantial progress in open access publishing, now offering more than 800 gold open access journals. During her 27 years with Elsevier, she held positions in Strategy, Product, Business Development and Publishing. Laura served on the board of the Dutch Publishers Association and is currently a board member of STM, the global trade association for academic publishers. She has a genuine passion for understanding the needs of research communities and upholding high standards of quality and integrity in scholarly communications.

Prof. Schneider was elected as APRU’s 5th Chief Executive and took up the role from January 2023. A native of Germany, Prof. Schneider studied at the University of Zurich, the University of Basel and the École Pratique des Hautes Études in Paris. He earned his degrees (Lizentiat 1990; Dr. phil. 1996; Habilitation 1999), all in Egyptology, from the University of Basel. Throughout his career, he has held academic and administrative positions in four global regions – North America; Asia; Europe; the Middle East. He was a Lecturer in Egyptology at the University of Zurich (2000-3), a Junior Research Professor of the Swiss National Science Foundation at the University of Basel (2001-5), Professor and inaugural holder of the Chair in Egyptology at Swansea University, Wales (2005-7), before joining the University of British Columbia. He held Visiting Professorships at the University of Vienna (1999), the University of Heidelberg (2003-4) and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (2018). He was a Visiting Scholar at New York University (2006), the University of California, Berkeley (2012), the Institute of Archaeology of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing (2016) and Shanghai University (2018, International Masters Program). And from 2018-20, Prof. Schneider served the Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) in Shenzhen, China’s fastest-rising new STEM university, as Associate Vice President (International), spearheading its internationalization efforts. Recently, Prof. Schneider has founded PALAC – a new consortium of liberal arts colleges focused on experimental learning in the liberal arts across multiple economies in Asia and North America.

In addition to his Executive Directorship of the PALAC consortium and the Associate Vice President position at SUSTech (in which functions he has engaged with a large number of APRU member institutions), Prof. Schneider has acquired significant leadership experience at the departmental level (Acting Department Chair; Director of Graduate Studies; Chair of Egyptology) and university level (Senator on the UBC Senate, 2014-8). He oversaw specific strategic projects and initiatives as Special Advisor to the Vice-Provost and Dean, Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies, at UBC (2015-7) and as Advisor to the President at Quest University Canada (2016-17).

Prof. Schneider has acquired a broad knowledge of the spectrum of disciplines represented by APRU member institutions, as a humanities scholar who has also worked for a STEM research university. He has been a consultant, adjudicator and reviewer for universities, funding agencies and publishers in North America, China, Europe, Israel, and Australia, as well as an executive editor of academic periodicals. His own scholarship (160 publications, among which 7 authored books and 7 edited books) focuses on cultural and linguistic interconnections in the Near East, the environmental history of Egypt, and the history of the humanities in Nazi Germany.