Dr Ria Shibata earned her Masters degree in global studies from Sophia University, and Ph.D. in peace and conflict studies from the University of Otago, New Zealand.
She is the Centre’s first Senior Research Fellow, with the support of Toda Peace Institute (Tokyo). She is also a Visiting Scholar at the University of Auckland.
Her primary research interest is in conflict resolution and reconciliation in Northeast Asia with particular focus on the intricate aspects of national identity, historical memory, and competitive victimhood. One of her interests lies in understanding the way collective memories of historical traumas shape a group’s identity, often acting as impediments in restoring damaged relationships between the aggrieved and the aggressor.
www.otago.ac.nz/ncpacs/index.html