Profile

• Director, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES)
  Professor, School of Policy Studies, Kwansei Gakuin University）

Graduated from Kobe University, School of Business Administration in 1956. Current position is Professor of Economics at School of Policy Studies, Kwansei Gakuin University. Previous full-time affiliations are: Kobe University and Osaka University with various visiting positions at University of Rochester, Brookings Institution, London School of Economics and Political Science, and University of Pennsylvania.Current research field is Environmental Economics with emphasis on Environmental Policy and Management. Advising national and regional environmental councils. Awarded Matsunaga Prize (1978), Nikkei Prize for Excellent Books on Economics (1982), and Purple Ribbon Medal (2000), among others.

• Executive Director of the Asian Disaster Reduction Center (ADRC)
  Professor Emeritus of the University of Toky

Dr. Itoh graduated from the Department of Architecture of the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Tokyo in 1957, and completed the doctoral course in Architecture of the Graduate School of Engineering at the University of Tokyo in 1962. After working as professor in the university's Department of Urban Engineering, he became professor at Keio University in 1992. In 1994, he became professor at the Graduate School of Media and Governance at Keio University. Since 2001, he has been professor at Waseda University.Dr. Itoh's specialties are urban disaster reduction and urban planning. His major published works include Shimin Sanka no Toshi Keikaku (Urban Planning with Citizen Participation), Teigen, Toshi Sozo (Proposal for City Creation), and Tokyo no Gurando Dezain (A Grand Design for Tokyo). Dr. Itoh is a member of the Committee for the Promotion of Urban Renewal (Tokyo metropolitan area), and is Chairman of the Japan Society of Urban and Regional Planners.

• Co Chairman, Kansai Association of Corporate Executives (Kansai Keizai Doyukai)

Mr. Kazuaki Tsuda graduated from Osaka University (LL.B in law) in 1957 and employed to Kotobukiya Company (Kotobukiya Company turned into "Suntory Limited" in 1963). He was appointed General Manager of London Branch in 1975, Director in 1977, Managing Director in 1983, Senior Managing Director in 1989 and is currently Executive Vice President since March 1995. He has served in his present position as Co-Chairman, Kansai Association of Corporate Executives (Kansai Keizai Doyukai) since May 2000 and also serves as Executive Director(Chairman of Committee on Cultural Promotion), Kansai Economic Federation (Kansai Keizai Rengokai) as well as Counselor, Osaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

• Professor Emeritus, Seikei University

Professor Ryokichi Hirono, M.A. in Economics, did postgraduate studies at the University of Chicago, U.S.A. He currently holds teaching positions as Professor, Graduate School of International Studies, Teikyo University/ Visiting Professor, Graduate Institute of Policy Studies/ Adjunct Professor, Management Academy, Ulaanbaatar/ Visiting Professor, Graduate School of Foreign Language and Studies, Sophia University and External Cooperating Fellow, Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Kyoto University.
He serves on government advisory committees in the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as on the board of directors of a number of non-government organizations including foundations. Included among others are: the Japan Evaluation Society, the Japan Society for International Development, the Institute for Global Environment Strategies, Global Environment Foundation, Asia-Pacific Research Council, Japan-ASEAN Association and International Management Association of Japan, etc.
Overseas, Professor Hirono also serves as Chairperson, the Committee for Development Policy, Economic and Social Commission, United Nations and member, International Advisory Board, the Philippine Institute for Development Studies, Makati, Philippines and the African Institute for Development and Strategic Studies, Ibadan, Nigeria.Written many books and contributed many articles in academic and professional journals in Japan and abroad.

• Director, Institute for Tropical Biology and Conservation, Universiti Malaysia Sabah

Associate Professor Datin Dr. Maryati Mohamed is an entomologist (Ecology and Taxonomy) and teaches subjects such as Conservation Biology, Environment and Conservation, Biogeography, Systematics, Animal Diversity. Her research interest is in the science of biodiversity which includes evaluating changes of biodiversity in relation to environment changes, especially the forest and freshwater ecosystems. She has published more than 50 papers. Her international linkages spreads from Europe to Asia Pacific. Through this linkages and collaboration she has secured several international funding for research. She is one of the conveners for programme 3 of DIVERSITAS, an international organization under UNESCO based in Paris. Currently she is the Chairman of ANeT (a forum for the study of ant in Asia).She has been awarded a medal by the King of Malaysia (KMN) and another medal by the Governor of Sabah (ASDK) for her commitment and effort in conservation.