Tokyo
東京

Become a Member
会員になる
About Tokyo
YPFP 東京とは

Founded in 2021, Tokyo is the newest YPFP branch and the first in Asia, reinforcing a commitment to truly global leadership. Providing a nexus of engagement for scholars, students, professionals, and thought leaders across sectors, Tokyo connects people from around the world with those living in and interested in Asia.

 

2021年に設立されたYPFP東京支部は、最も新しいYPFP支部であり、グローバルリーダーシップの強化に向けて開設されたアジア初の支部です。学者、学生、専門家、ソートリーダーなど、さまざまな分野の人々が集う場所であり、世界中の人々とアジアに住む人やアジアに関心のある人たちをつなげます。

Volunteer With Us
ボランティアになる
2y%6tD7+QYKZiAesxdPGbQ_thumb_7ad
Discussion Groups
ディスカッショングループ

Peer-led communities that offer members an opportunity to gain in depth knowledge of a particular region or subject.

特定の地域やテーマについての深い知識を得る機会を提供する、仲間同士のコミュニティ。

d3u7OHqlSPGND6d0kjqsbA_thumb_7ae
International Research
国際研究

Project-based opportunities to build and refine skills, while sharing and contributing to research in your field of interest.

プロジェクトを基として、自身が興味のある分野に関する研究に取り組みそれを共有しながら、スキルを獲得し磨いていく機会。

YPFP Tokyo Upcoming Events & Projects
YPFP東京のこれからのイベント・プロジェクト

2023 LCOY Japan Save the Date
Call for 2023 LCOY Japan Youth DelegateS And Steering Committee members Guidelines & application

🌱 Register here for ALL the 2023 LCOY Japan Days! 2023 LCOYジャパン全日程の事前登録はこちら！🌱
Day 1: https://members.ypfp.org/event-5406504
Day 2: https://members.ypfp.org/event-5411471
Day 3: https://members.ypfp.org/event-5411487
Day 4: https://members.ypfp.org/event-5411505

Young Professionals in Foreign PolicyTokyo, in partnership with Climate Youth Japan (CYJ), is pleased to announce our second year of official United Nations endorsement to organise and host a 2023 Local Conference of Youth (LCOY) for Japan, leading up to COP28. Our LCOY aims to provide a platform for youth and communities of all ages to engage with experts, young changemakers, and stakeholders.

See our 2023 LCOY Japan Concept Note here.

YPFP Tokyo and Climate Youth Japan will co-convene Japan’s LCOY programming during the following dates:
23rd (Saturday) September, 2023
24th (Sunday) September, 2023
30th (Saturday) September, 2023
1st (Sunday) October, 2023

Participants are invited to join our digital, in-person and hybrid events to learn more about climate change, sustainability issues and youth climate actions in Japan and beyond. Registration will open soon!

Apply to be a Youth Delegate at our 2023 LCOY Japan:
https://forms.gle/yF1bzagQmZebnhix6

For more information about LCOY Youth Delegates, please click here.

Apply to be a Steering Committee member at our 2023 LCOY Japan:
https://forms.gle/jToLMEhiuxxsGJZg6

For more information about LCOY Steering Committee members, please click here.

On the Road to COP28

On the Road to COP28: Driving Youth Climate Action in Japan - Reflections on COP27

Young Professionals in Foreign Policy Tokyo is pleased to announce this timely youth-focused dialogue: 'On the Road to COP28: Driving Youth Climate Action in Japan - Reflections on COP27 with Climate Youth Japan (CYJ)' on August 26th at 6:00 pm Japan Time. With momentum gaining for COP28 in the U.A.E, Climate Youth Japan delegates will present highlights from CYJ's COP27 report and share key priorities for Japanese youth at this year's COP28. In addition, you will hear from Climate Youth Japan delegates on pathways for Japanese youth to act for a more sustainable and climate-friendly future.

Please use this registration link to RSVP! The event is free and open to the public and for youth of all ages:
https://forms.gle/R324GHB69NqfkYJk8

W1

Check out our YPFP Tokyo Policy Brief and outcomes of our involvement in the UN 2023 Water Conference!

Earlier this year, Young Professionals in Foreign Policy - Tokyo received our special accreditation as a stakeholder to the UN 2023 Water Conference, which entrusted us with the privilege of sending a small group of representatives to attend the Conference in-person at UN headquarters in New York. To make the most of this opportunity, we decided to expand the program to include knowledge-sharing and capacity building within the priority areas set by the UN 2023 Water Conference. We recruited a group of 15 delegates, led by Dr. Purvi Zaveri and Jay Makhijani, who met regularly to exchange views and deepen their understanding of water issues. The outcome was a policy briefing published ahead of the Conference, where 9 of our 15 delegates were able to contribute in-person.

You can find our Policy Brief “YPFP Tokyo x UN 2023 Water Conference Taskforce Policy Brief, Conference Activities, and Reflections” here: https://www.ypfp.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/YPFP-Water-Policy-Draft-5.06.2023-FINAL.pdf

YPFP Tokyo's Past Events

YPFP東京の過去のイベント

ywp

YPFP Tokyo is proud to partner with International Water Association Young Water Professionals, Youth and Young Water Professionals Platform (YYPP) by Global Water Partnership South Asia for a 'Digital Get-Together' on Perspectives from Asia-Pacific youth on the UN 2023 Water Conference. At the event, participants will learn about the United Nations 2023 Water Conference and youth engagement during the event from the perspectives and experiences of young professionals from the Asia-Pacific region who attended the conference in person.

This online webinar was held on 17th July, 2023, from 09:30 BST London Time (17:30 JST Japan Time).

You can find the event recording here:
https://iwa-network.org/learn/asia-pacific-youth-un-water-conference/

1

So far this year, YPFP Tokyo has been heavily involved in the G7 Japan events, publications, and Summit. The G7 Summit took place in Hiroshima on May 19-21. This year’s G7 focused on upholding the international rules-based order and expanding relations with the Global South. YPFP Tokyo was involved as a proud member of the Civil 7 Society and the Women 7 Summit. Be sure to follow our social media for more regular updates!

Check out this year’s C7 and W7 communiques here:

C7 2023 Communique

https://civil7.org/wpC7/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/C7_communique2023_0412.pdf

W7 2023 Communique

http://women7.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/W7Japan2023_Communique.pdf

W7 Digital Statement

http://women7.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/W7-Digital-Statement-for-DMM.pdf

W7 Digital Statement [Japanese]

http://women7.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/W7-Digital-Statement_Japanese.pdf

3

We are pleased to announce that our post-ICHR conference article "Youth Empowerment and the Human Rights Agenda in Contemporary Japan and Asia" has been published in the June Volume (Vol. 112) of FOCUS, a publication of HURIGHTS OSAKA.

Click the link below to access the full article and volume: https://www.hurights.or.jp/archives/focus/section1/Focus112.pdf

On March 25th to 26th, 2023, we hosted our inaugural International Conference on Human Rights (ICHR): Youth in Asia in partnership with the top university in Japan.

Find our Conference Programme here.

2

On 18th and 19th April, 2023, we hosted an incredible Northeast Asia Security Symposium (NASS) with over 250 guests, endorsement and speakers from the US Embassy, and speakers from academics and security experts in the region.

Click Here to Watch All Recorded Events on YPFP Tokyo's YouTube Channel

Tokyo Team

YPFP-Tokyo is comprised of a diverse and accomplished team of volunteer staff who work together to manage the organization’s national and global operations, develop fruitful partnerships, and, via its base in metropolitan Tokyo, engage the robust international affairs community in Asia and the world.

東京チーム

YPFP東京は、多様で優秀なボランティアで構成されており、メンバーは共に協力してチームの国内およびグローバルな運営を管理し、実りあるパートナーシップを構築し、東京という大都市を拠点に、アジアや世界の重要な国際問題コミュニティに関与しています。

Managing & Deputy Directors


Eriko Yamada
Managing Director

Managing Director, YPFP Tokyo Branch

Graduate Student, Graduate School of Education, The University of Tokyo

Eriko is an aspiring scholar in minority education who looks at marginalized students and teachers as well as school communities in Japan. She is a half-Chinese and half-Japanese graduate student at the University of Tokyo majoring in Comparative Education Sociology. Her undergraduate thesis explores how the education choices of Zainichi Korean youth in Japan shape and reflect their identities, including their agency in designing their education trajectories in search of their sense of belonging. Eriko previously served as the Deputy Director of YPFP Tokyo Branch.

Eriko was a founding member of the United Nations Major Group for Children and Youth (UN-MGCY) Global Compact for Migration (GCM) Japan Working Group and has co-authored the Japan Country Report on Youth Consultations for the UN-MGCY GCM National Reviews series in 2021. In 2022, Eriko presented at the Association for Asian Studies 2022 Annual Conference and was involved as a leading member in the 2022 ECOSOC Youth Forum and the 2022 and 2023 LCOY Japan Conference as a part of YPFP Tokyo. Through her work at YPFP Tokyo, she is committed to further connecting Japanese youth with the international world.

Eriko Yamada
山田江理子（やまだえりこ）

Managing Director

マネージングディレクター

Yuna Otsuki
Deputy Director, YPFP Tokyo Branch

Deputy Director, YPFP Tokyo

Yuna Otsuki is a high school student passionate about climate change. She enjoys conducting research related to sustainability and learning about energy laws and policies. She has been involved in the drafting of many policy proposals and is committed to having young voices heard. In college, she hopes to study chemical engineering and environmental policy to bridge the cap between science and policy.

Yuna Otsuki
大槻優奈 (おおつき ゆうな)

Deputy Director

デピュティディレクター

Chairs


Emma Macfarlane
International Relations & Human Rights Chair

International Relations & Human Rights Chair, YPFP Tokyo Branch

Emma Macfarlane is a litigation associate at a New York firm working in international disputes. From 2021-2022, she served as a Judicial Fellow under Her Excellency Judge Hilary Charlesworth at the International Court of Justice in the Hague.

Ms. Macfarlane received a J.D. from Michigan Law in 2021, where she was awarded the William W. Bishop Jr. Award for performing with distinction in the field of international law, the Kouba Prize for best paper on International Peace and Security, the Michigan Journal of International Law Award for Outstanding Scholarly Contribution, and the prize for first place in the regional Vis International Commercial Arbitration competition. She was selected by Michigan Law as a Geneva International Fellow for UNHR, in which capacity she represented two States before the UN Human Rights Council, and as a Legal Fellow for the International Commission of Jurists. During her time in law school, Ms. Macfarlane served as a board member on three journals, including the Michigan Journal of International Law, and as the President of the Michigan Women Law Students’ Association. She received a B.A. from McGill University in 2016.

Emma Macfarlane
エマ・マクファーレン

International Relations & Human Rights Chair

国際関係・人権チェア


Byron Muhlenberg
Security & Defense Chair

Security & Defense Chair, YPFP Tokyo Branch

Director of Business Operations, United States Air Force

Byron is an active-duty officer currently assigned as the Director of Business Operations to the 35th Contracting Squadron at Misawa Air Base, Japan. He oversees 45 personnel providing acquisition support to both joint and bilateral Army, Navy, and Air Force operations throughout Northern Japan and the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command. He currently holds his unlimited Contracting Officer warrant which ensures the execution of the 35th Fighter Wing's largest acquisitions. His previous assignments include the Defense Contract Management Agency, serving as the Space Systems Administrative Contracting Officer, and Yokota Air Base, Japan. He is a member of the Air Force's Language Enabled Airman Program with a target language of Japanese. He has used his language and cultural expertise in support of various bilateral and mutlilateral excercises and taskings including COPE NORTH, NORTHERN VIPER, and the Bilateral Defense Okinawa Working Group. 

Byron recieved his commission in 2014 as a distinguished graduate from the United States Air Force Academy and earned his B.S. in Biology and a minor in Japanese. He received his Master of Business Administration from the University of Southern California in 2021. He is a member of the Pacific Forum's Young Leaders Program. He currently focuses his efforts on security issues such as alliance cooperation, logistical support, and international civil-military relations. 

Byron Muhlenburg
バイロン・ミューレンバーグ

Security & Defense Co-Chair

安全保障・防衛共同チェア


Byron Muhlenberg
Security & Defense Chair

Security & Defense Co-Chair, YPFP Tokyo Branch

Public Policy Analyst, BowerGroupAsia

Eriko (Ellie) is a public policy analyst focusing on technology at BowerGroupAsia. She has strong experience in monitoring regulatory developments in the U.S. and Japanese governments.

Prior to joining BGA, she was a project manager in the government and external affairs division of Amway Japan G.K. She developed strategic plans to foster public relations with key stakeholders, including local and national governments, the media, academia, think tanks and nonprofit organizations. She analyzed domestic and foreign political and economic developments relevant to the company’s business planning.

Earlier, Eriko worked at Eurasia Group as a business associate where she managed client relations, supported coordination of projects with analysts and facilitated geopolitical risk consulting.

Eriko holds a master’s degree focused on security in the Asia-Pacific from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and a bachelor’s degree in Japanese language and literature, and political science from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

Eriko Stronach
エリコ・ストロナック

Security & Defense Co-Chair

安全保障・防衛共同チェア


Mathis Larue
Sustainability, Climate & Innovation Co-Chair

Sustainability, Climate & Innovation Co-Chair, YPFP Tokyo Branch

Mathis’s engagement is at the crossroads of climate issues, economics, and international affairs. He believes that the way to find ambitious answers regarding climate issues is through inclusion and dialogue between the private & public sectors and civil society.

His ambition is to contribute to creating the best sustainable future. It led him to study IR outside of the Western Centered Scope to deepen his understanding of regional visions of the different aspects of IR.

Mathis holds a master’s degree in Relations from the University of Ritsumeikan, Japan. He specialized in Economic and Climate diplomacy and redacted his master’s thesis on the European Union Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism. He is a former entrepreneur in the social and solidarity economy and now works at Stellantis Japan as a Market & Performance Analyst.

In his spare time, he enjoys learning new languages and practicing sports.

Mathis Larue
マティス・ラリュー

Sustainability, Climate & Innovation Co-Chair

サステナビリティ・気候・イノベーション共同チェア


Purvi Zaveri
Sustainability, Climate & Innovation Co-Chair

Sustainability, Climate & Innovation Co-Chair, YPFP Tokyo Branch

Environmental Microbiologist, Biocare Research (India) Pvt. Ltd.

Purvi Zaveri
パーヴィ・ザヴェリ

Sustainability, Climate & Innovation Co-Chair

サステナビリティ・気候・イノベーション共同チェア


Van-Thien Nguyen (Dorothie)
Sustainability, Climate & Innovation Co-Chair

Sustainability, Climate & Innovation Co-Chair, YPFP Tokyo Branch

Student, Toyo University

 

Van-Thien is currently pursuing her Bachelor’s degree in Global Innovation Studies with a strong focus on innovation, entrepreneurship and sustainability. Her thesis research, which was presented in the DRUID Conference 2023, studies the phenomenon of new idea distribution in patents and academic publications thus examining its knowledge flow.

With a deep commitment to environmental issues, Van-Thien has actively contributed to research and social projects. She co-authored the "Special Report: Youth for Climate Action in Viet Nam 2022," highlighting the significant role of young people in driving climate action and published a study on factors affecting sustainable consumer behaviors. At present, Van-Thien works as a Youth Researcher in the Youth Policy Working Group on Energy Transition and Climate Change Education. In this role, she is dedicated to contributing her research findings and insights to shape effective policies that promote energy transition and climate change education for young generations.

Joining YPFP Tokyo, Van-Thien seeks to encourage meaningful youth participation and advocate for policies driving sustainable development, ensuring young people play an active role in shaping their own future.

Van-Thien Nguyen (Dorothie)
ヴァン·ティエン·グエン

Sustainability, Climate & Innovation Co-Chair

サステナビリティ・気候・イノベーション共同チェア

Communications


Akari Takahashi
Communications Officer

Communication Officer, YPFP Tokyo Branch

Bachelor of Liberal Arts, University of Tokyo

 

Akari is a past graduate of the University of Tokyo and a future Master of Social Work student at Columbia University. Her undergraduate research focused on factors that affect the ability of social movements to subvert their entanglements with oppressive structures. Having spent her childhood across several countries, including the U.S., China, and Spain, Akari’s interest lies in the impact of globalization on different socioeconomic and racialized groups around the world and the ways in which network effects of globalization can be utilized to minimize current disparities in the distribution of security and resources. From her studies at the University of Tokyo, she has become particularly devoted to tackling the global refugee and migration crisis, believing that it is the culminated, brutal symptom of the unsustainable form of globalization that is concurrent today, in which resources are distributed highly unequally throughout the world in a way that puts refugees and migrants at the greatest risk of death. She is currently taking a gap year at her grandmother’s house in Okayama to save up for her graduate studies.

Akari Takahashi
髙橋明李（たかはし あかり)

Communications Officer

コミュニケーションオフィサー


Aiko Jane Kihara-Hunt
Communications Officer

Communications Officer, YPFP Tokyo Branch

Student, British School in Tokyo

 

Aiko Jane is a student at the British School in Tokyo. She likes art, especially digital art, and is interested in working in a multicultural environment. She is also interested in environmental issues such as climate change, ocean pollution, and animal rights / welfare.

Aiko has lived in many countries, such as Nepal, Uganda, Kenya, Italy, and now Japan. She is bilingual in English and Japanese, and is learning Spanish and French at school. 

Aiko Jane Kihara-Hunt
アイコ・ジェーン・キハラ・ハント

Communications Officer

コミュニケーションオフィサー


Haruka Ishizaki
Communications Officer

Communications Officer, YPFP Tokyo Branch

Student, Toyo Eiwa High School

 

I am a student at Toyo Eiwa High School. I am most interested in racial equality and my biggest motivator is to create a safe and fair environment for everyone. I have been working for foreign residents in Japan by helping them with Japanese language and culture learning. I am currently implementing individual research online to research the current situation of foreign residents in Japan. I hope to learn more about multicultural communication and equal racial coexistence in the future.

Haruka Ishizaki
石崎遥（いしざき はるか）

Communications Officer

コミュニケーションオフィサー

Nienke van Dijk
Communications Officer, YPFP Tokyo Branch

Communications Officer, YPFP Tokyo Branch

 

After graduating from Tilburg University (The Netherlands) with a Master of Arts in Corporate Communications and Digital Media, Nienke worked as a communications advisor in the CSR departments of a global insurance company and a consultancy firm. She moved to Tokyo to step out of her comfort zone, get to know a different culture and start a new work adventure.

While starting het first job Nienke developed a special interest and experience in sustainability and social responsibility. She specialized in community investment and coordinated corporate volunteering programs. Above all, writing and creating other forms of content is the thing she loves most. Creating trust and transparency through communication and making accessible content is what continuously motivates her.

Nienke van Dijk
ニエンカ・ヴァン・ダイク

Communications Officer

コミュニケーションオフィサー


Tommis Meyer
Communications Officer

Communications Officer, YPFP Tokyo Branch

Student

 

Tommis Meyer is a current undergraduate student pursuing a joint degree at American University in Washington, DC and Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto City. He is studying international relations. Tommis is deeply committed to US-Japan relations, advocating for continued friendship through organizations such as the Portland-Sapporo Sister City Association, and the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan. He is fluent in English and Japanese.

Tommis Meyer
トーミス・マイヤー

Communications Officer

コミュニケーションオフィサー

Membership


Helix Tsz Yuen Lo
Membership Director

Membership Director, YPFP Tokyo Branch

Master’s student, Graduate School of Arts and Science, the University of Tokyo

 

Helix is a PhD student at the University of Tokyo. He obtained his bachelor’s degree in Hong Kong with a major in political science and a minor in criminology. The experiences in engaging with and participating in political and public affairs became the sources of his interests in elections and democracy, human rights, political philosophy, and youth engagement. In 2019, he was selected for an exchange with Meiji University of Japan, where he found his interests in Japan and decided to devote himself to Japanese society in the future.

Helix had been working for the City University of Hong Kong as a research and teaching assistant for around two years. He used to work as a district developer, debate coach, and manager in different companies and organizations as well. These experiences have forged him to be a skillful, sophisticated and philosophical man, and, therefore, contribute to the YPFP Tokyo Branch. At present, he is researching political behaviour in Japan and East Asia, human rights promotions, and electoral politics. He also intends to expand his knowledge further on language skills and philosophy.

Helix Tsz Yuen Lo
羅梓源（ラヒリックスシゲン）

Membership Director

メンバーシップディレクター


Rachel Morgan
Membership Officer

Membership Officer, YPFP Tokyo Branch

 

Rachel Morgan graduated in August 2022 from the Seoul National University Graduate School of International Studies, where she majored in International Cooperation.  While pursuing her Master of Science in International Studies, she specialized in East Asian security strategy and transnational security issues. She also developed her thesis investigating the historical and regional trends affecting what she characterized as a defense-facing trajectory shift in South Korean space policy. In 2021, Rachel served as a Junior Scholar Fellow at the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where she developed research on South Korea’s prospective roles and responses to the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue. She also served as a member of the 17th Global Asia Leadership Forum, where she led sessions on US-China conflict and cooperation, digital diplomacy, and participatory democracy in Southeast Asia. 

Prior to her move to South Korea in 2020, Rachel pursued a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Asian Studies at Hendrix College, graduating in 2019.  In 2017, Rachel attended a professor-led field research trip to Japan and South Korea, where she engaged with living and nonliving artifacts of war and peace memory in East Asia.  Following this research trip, Rachel spent one year in Seoul studying on exchange at Korea University.  In 2018 she served as an International Student Ambassador to the Global Peace Youth in Seoul, where she solidified her interest in developing a career in the foreign policy and security space.

Rachel’s current areas of interest are East Asian security issues, space and cybersecurity policy, and forward-facing approaches to transnational security threats.

Rachel Morgan
レイチェル・モーガン

Membership Officer

メンバーシップオフィサー

Programming


Erin Katrina Titiheruw
Programs Officer

Programs Officer, YPFP Tokyo Branch

Bachelor of International Relations and Peace Studies, Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University

 

Erin is currently an undergraduate majoring in International Relations and Peace Studies under the Department of Asia Pacific Studies at Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University. Her undergraduate thesis revolves around geopolitical impact of US military alliances on regional organisations in Asia such as ASEAN. Due to her previous participation involved in debate and Model United Nations, she became interested in international affairs, Cold War and Post-Cold War geopolitics, and international cooperation in climate change mitigation. Erin’s interest lies in the impact of globalisation on economic development, the incentives and strategy underlying foreign relations, and in the influence of middle powers in great power rivalry. From her studies at Ritsumeikan APU and one semester abroad at Leiden University, she has expanding her research skills through her contribution to research on ESG implementation in Indonesia as well as the impact of resource exploitation on indigenous communities. On campus, she is active in the Student Library organisation, the Ritsumeikan APU Model United Nations organisation, and the Social Media Unit. She is planning to take her Masters in International Relations after graduation.

Erin Katrina Titiheruw
エリン・カトリーナ・ティティヘルウ

Programs Officer

プログラムオフィサー

Jay Makhijani
Programs Officer

Jay is a recent undergraduate focused on finance. He is an experienced professional with a demonstrated history of working in the non-profit organization management industry. Skilled in non-profit organizations, fundraising, research and development (R&D), business development, and business strategy, he has worked in various capacities. Currently, Jay is  part of the Global Policy, Diplomacy, and Sustainability (GPODS) Fellowship and part of the BIED society as a fellow for the Indo-Pacific region.

Jay Makhijani
ジェイ・マキジャニ

Programs Officer

プログラムオフィサー


Marin Ekstrom
Programs Officer

Programs Officer, YPFP Tokyo Branch

Writing Instructor, Toyo University 
Research Assistant, Central Asia Watch Project 

 

Marin is currently a Programs Officer at the Tokyo branch of Young Professionals in Foreign Policy, as well as a Writing Instructor at Toyo University and a Research Assistant with the Central Asia Watch project. Marin has extensive experience in teaching English as a foreign language. She has taught in China, Russia, Finland, and Japan and has worked with a wide range of age and ability levels. She enjoys the procedural components of language education-- that is, presenting abstract grammatical and vocabulary concepts in a manner that is clear, concrete, and applicable to real life-- as well as the intercultural exchange aspect of teaching. Marin also has a strong background in international relations. She has a Master of Arts degree in International Relations from Central European University, where she wrote her thesis on Russia and Japan's territorial dispute over the Southern Kuril Islands through the frameworks of neoclassical realism, ontological security, and two-level game theory. Her primary research interests include Eurasian integration and language rights and education. She has explored these research interests through her current work with the Central Asia Watch Project, as well as her prior experience with the e-think tank The Eurasia Research and Analysis Institute and the non-governmental organization The Institute for Cultural Relations Policy Budapest. Her shorter articles have been published by such outlets as The Diplomat, Modern Diplomacy, the Oxus Society for Central Asian Affairs, the NYU Jordan Center for the Advanced Study of Russia's blog, and the Wilson Center-Kennan Institute's blog. She has also published academic articles in the Cultural Relations Quarterly Review and the ICRP Human Rights Issues Series (currently under review). Marin is looking forward to pursuing additional research projects and becoming more actively involved in foreign policy research community both in Tokyo and beyond. 


Marin Ekstrom
マリン・エクストロム

Programs Officer

プログラムオフィサー


Patrick Saunders
Programs Officer

Programs Officer, YPFP Tokyo Branch

 

Patrick is a graduate of both a Bachelor of Commerce in International Business and a Master of International Security from the University of Adelaide, graduating in 2019 and 2021 respectively. Taking time between study in his home city he has also been a student of the Siberian Federal University in the city of Krasnoyarsk, Russia where he developed both language skills and experience on culture and security within the post-soviet space. Academically, Patrick has often found ways to bind his experiences together and pursued a multidisciplinary approach in his exploration of both traditional and non-traditional security threats. Themes such as cyber security, resource scarcity and the privatization of conflict have been regular throughout his research, giving insight into topics as diverse as the future of civil unrest in the Middle East and the re-emergence of mercenary-like organizations in the modern battlespace.

A humanitarian at heart, his passion for altruistic action and the sharing of cultures has compelled him to take on several volunteer roles around his local area, such as with Adult Multicultural Education Services (AMES) Australia where he assists in providing settlement support for newly arrived refugees. His cumulative experience has provided him a unique perspective and an appreciation of Diplomacy and Foreign Affairs as more than simply trade deals and summits but also as the expression of culture and person-to-person connections, A perspective enriched by his role as a Programs Officer with YPFP.

Patrick Saunders
パトリック・ソーンダース

Programs Officer

プログラムオフィサー


Tristan Norman
Programs Officer

Tristan Norman is a 2020 graduate from Hendrix College, USA, with a major in Social
Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and a thesis focused on social entrepreneurship, climate
adaptation, and resilience-building in Japan and China. In 2018, he was a Tomodachi
Kakehashi Inouye Scholar to Japan and studied abroad at United International College in
Zhuhai, China. Since graduating, he has been part of the UNITAR UN Young Leaders Program
in Geneva and interned at the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs at UNHQ New
York. At UNDESA, Tristan focused on youth issues related to climate change, youth mental
health and wellbeing, and emerging technologies.

Currently, Tristan lives in Japan, where he is a Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program
participant and a Programs Officer at Young Professionals in Foreign Policy (YPFP) Tokyo. At
YPFP Tokyo, Tristan was the project lead and co-organized the 2022 Local Conference of Youth
(LCOY) Japan, a UN-endorsed youth climate change conference for Japanese and Indo-Pacific
youth. He was also a USA Youth delegate for the US-UN Climate Strategy consultation in 2022,
representing Arkansas. In 2023, Tristan became part of the Global Policy Diplomacy and
Sustainability Fellowship (GPODS), based out of India, where he focuses on transboundary
climate and water risks. Additionally, he was selected for the 2023 Hiroshima-International
Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) academy on Nuclear Weapons and Global
Security, where he explores pathways to de-silo the dual existential threats of the climate crisis
and nuclear weapons.

Tristan is passionate about climate security, sustainability, global risk management, youth
leadership, and mountaineering. He wants to pursue a career in International Affairs and help
others imagine a more resilient and sustainable future.

Tristan Norman
トリスタン・ノーマン

Programs Officer

プログラムオフィサー


Yuping Ding
Programs Officer

Yuping Ding obtained her bachelor degree in international politics. With her passion on politics, Yuping has lived in five different countries for the past seven years, from Taiwan, United States, Israel, Germany to Russia. She witnessed and experienced Israeli/ Palestinian conflicts in 2019 and Ukrainian/Russian War in 2022 during her residencies in these nations. Yuping realized it is important to encourage young generations to stand up and speak up for the current situation and thus bring positive changes to the society. As a program officer at YPFP, she is ready to start the change.

Yuping Ding
ディン・ユーピン

Programs Officer

プログラムオフィサー

Founding Members & Advisors


Lauren S. Power
Founder & Advisor, YPFP Tokyo Branch

Founder & Advisor, YPFP Tokyo Branch

PhD Candidate, The University of Tokyo

LLM in Law, The University of Edinburgh

 

Lauren is an award-winning researcher, author, speaker, and advocate for women, youth, and migrants. She is a Ph.D. Candidate in International Relations at the University of Tokyo with a focus on civil society and global governance and an LLM candidate at the University of Edinburgh with a focus on human rights law.

Lauren is the Founder of Young Professionals in Foreign Policy (YPFP) Tokyo, a youth-led, youth-focused NGO that fosters international, inclusive, and intergenerational dialogue on pivotal issues for Japan and the world. After serving as YPFP Tokyo's Managing Director for the first 18 months of the organization's dynamic growth and programs, Lauren is pleased to continue her contributions now as YPFP Tokyo's Advisor.

This year, Lauren is a Women7 (W7) Japan Advisor to the 2023 G7 Japan Presidency and a Women20 (W20) U.S. Delegate to the 2023 G20 India Presidency. She has also contributed to the 2023 G7 Japan Open and Resilient Societies C7 Working Group as coordinator of the sub-working groups on Civic Space and Digital Democracy. She is currently part of C20 India in the Education and Democracy sub-working groups.

Previously, Lauren has taught at Temple University Japan as an Adjunct Professor and has worked for and in partnership with the OECD, UN-MGCY, UN-ESCAP, UN-OHCHR, and the G20 2020-2022.

Lauren Power
ローレン・パワー

YPFP Tokyo Founder & Advisor

YPFP東京創設者・アドバイザー


Chikara Uchida
Programming Co-director

Programming Advisor, YPFP Tokyo Branch

Research Associate, Toyo University

Project Researcher, University of Tokyo

 

Chikara is a researcher and lecturer on the twentieth-century Japan, and book author of the books on World History and Global History. He is a Research Associate at the Center for Sustainable Development Studies, Toyo University and Project Researcher at the University of Tokyo. He is a Programming Co- director of YPFP Tokyo Branch. Since 2017, he has been a Judge in History Category at the Global Undergraduate Awards, which is an NPO in Ireland. He is working on the history writings in the twentieth-century Japan, with special focus on historians in the 1980s.

He received his Ph.D. in 2020, and his dissertation was a monograph about the social engagements in the 1980s by a social historian on the Middle Ages. Recently he also has a keen interest in the history narrative of modern scholars on forestry and ecology. Chikara was a member of the Japan Migration Working Group of the United Nations Major Group for Children and Youth (UN-MGCY). He is a type of researcher who actively engages with real issues such as migration and refugees, while focusing on historiography in his research activities.

Chikara Uchida
内田力（うちだちから）

YPFP Tokyo Founding Member & Programming Advisor

YPFP東京創設メンバー・プログラミングアドバイザー

Volunteer with us

ボランティアになる