Lisa Hiwasaki

Dr Hiwasaki is an interdisciplinary social scientist who studies vulnerability and adaptive capacities of marginalized communities in the global South, with a focus on Southeast Asia. She brings to MAF 20 years of experience as an international development professional, where she worked with the UN and international research organizations. She has experience initiating and leading interdisciplinary research and scientific projects in the fields of climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction, agriculture and development, and natural resource management. She is passionate about promoting sustainable equitable development using collaborative and participatory approaches, to increase the resilience of marginalized populations, in particular: indigenous peoples, ethnic minorities, and women. During her career she has worked in Japan, France, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Canada. Integrity and respect for diversity are key values which she promotes through her research and in her personal life.

Building on her experience over the years to integrate social equity and valorize the use of local & indigenous knowledge into international development programming and projects, Dr Hiwasaki’s current research program is on the interface between global changes and sustainable equitable development. She is analyzing how Southeast Asian States understand and implement global processes such as the Sustainable Development Goals. Her field research in coastal areas of Southeast Asia will use the political ecology lens, and will explore how marginalized groups are impacted by changes in their surroundings, and how these groups negotiate their situation vis-à-vis development under such changes.

Education

• Ph.D. in International Development, Yokohama National University, Japan
• M.A. in Anthropology, University of British Columbia, Canada
• B.A. in Sociology and Anthropology, Carleton College, Minnesota

Companies

• Assistant Professor, International Development University of Rhode Island (2021)
• Membre associée Institut EDS - Université Laval (2019)
• Program Leader, Climate Change International Development Research Centre (IDRC) (2017 — 2020)
• Social Scientist & Humidtropics Central Mekong Manager World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) (2014 — 2017)
• Programme Specialist for Small Islands and Indigenous Knowledge UNESCO (2010 — 2014)
• Visiting Research Fellow Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (2013 — 2013)
• Associate Programme Specialist UNESCO (2004 — 2010)
• Research Associate Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) (2001 — 2004)