Profile

Former Prime Minister of Japan

Graduated from Waseda University in 1959. After working for a private company, became the Prime Minister’s Chief Secretary in 1977. Elected to the House of Representatives in 1990, and continued to serve as a member until 2012. During that period, was appointed to various positions, such as Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, and Director of the Foreign Affairs Division of the LDP. Became Chief Cabinet Secretary in 2000, and Minister of State for Gender Equality in 2001. Served as Chief Cabinet Secretary for three-and-a-half years in the Mori and Koizumi cabinets. Inaugurated as Prime Minister of Japan in 2007. During his tenure of office as Prime Minister, worked on environmental problems to establish a sustainable society, and explored a new relationship between Japan and China. Is currently active at conferences on international affairs, such as the Asia Forum.

President, National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS)

Born in Ehime Prefecture in 1950, he graduated from the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Tokyo in 1972. After serving as a professor’s assistant and then as an assistant professor at the University of Tokyo, he earned a Ph.D. from Cornell University in 1986, and was appointed as an assistant professor at the same university in 1987. After serving as an associate professor and then as a professor at Cornell University, he was appointed as a professor at the Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Kyoto University in 1996. He was then appointed both as vice president and professor at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS) in 2005. Since 2007 he has served as president of the Institute of Developing Economies, Japan External Trade Organization (IDE-JETRO). He also served as editor-in-chief at nippon.com from 2011 to 2014. After serving as a full-time executive member of the Council for Science and Technology Policy (present Council for Science, Technology and Innovation), Cabinet Office, Government of Japan from 2009 to 2010, he served as a part-time executive member of the same organization from 2011 to 2013. In 2011, he was appointed as president of GRIPS. He specializes in politics and political history in Asia and international relations, and has authored many publications. He received a Masayoshi Ohira Memorial Prize for An Age in Motion: Popular Radicalism in Java, 1912–1926 (Cornell University Press, 1990), a Suntory Prize for Social Sciences and Humanities for Indonesia: Kokka to seiji (Government and Politics in Indonesia) (Libroport, 1992), and the first Yomiuri-Yoshino Sakuzo Award for Umi no teikoku (The Making of a Region) (Chuokoron-Shinsha, 2000). He also received a Medal with Purple Ribbon in 2007 for his outstanding contribution to academic development in Japan.

Associate Professor, The University of Adelaide

Associate Professor Shandre M. Thangavelu is currently the Regional Director (Southeast Asia) at Centre for International Economic Studies, Institute of International Trade, University of Adelaide, Australia. Professor Shandre Thangavelu is also a Research Fellow at Leverhulme Centre for Research on Globalisation and Economic Policy (GEP), University of Nottingham; and Faculty (Research) Associate at Institute of Policy Studies at LKY School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore. Associate Professor Shandre Thangavelu is also appointed into the Governing Board for the Work, Safety, Health Institute (WSHI) of Singapore. He is also the member of the Competition Commission in Singapore. Shandre Thangavelu was also appointed as the Managing Editor for Asian Economic Journal (AEJ) in 2009. Associate Professor Shandre Thangavelu is an active researcher on human capital development, technology transfer, foreign direct investment, trade, government infrastructure investment, productivity and economic growth. He has written extensively in technology transfer and economic growth and has published his research in major international journals. He has also worked on several international projects commissioned by UNDP, World Bank, ASEAN Secretariat, APEC, and Asian Productivity Organization (APO). Associate Professor Shandre Thangavelu is also an active researcher on education, training and labour market policy in Singapore and ASEAN and has nearly 15 years of experience in labour market policies attached as the Senior Consultant to Ministry of Manpower. In 2013, Associate Professor Shandre Thangavelu was engaged by UNDP to undertake a study on “Human Capital Dynamics and Industrial Policy for Cambodia”.He obtained his graduate degrees from Queen’s University, Canada.

Vice President, Kyoto Notre Dame University

After studying doctoral course at the Law School of Kyoto University, he joined the Centre of Southeast Asian Studies, Kyoto University as assistant professor in 1981. He then moved to the Faculty of General Education, Okayama University as associate professor in 1987. In 1993 he joined the Graduate School of International Cooperation Studies, Kobe University as associate professor and as professor since 1996. He served as dean to the same graduate school between January 2004 and December 2005. He is currently professor emeritus at Kobe University. He was seconded to Japanese Embassy in the Philippines twice. The first assignment was political attaché from April 1992 to March 1994 and the second was Minister in charge of research and study between September 2008 and March 2010. He moved to Kyoto Notre Dame University as Vice President in January 2014. He specializes in Southeast Asian politics centering on the Philippines.