Dr Naoko Ishii

Dr Naoko Ishii is a professor and executive Vice President at the University of Tokyo, where she is also the inaugural Director for the Center for Global Commons, whose mission is to catalyse systems change so that humans can achieve sustainable development within planetary boundaries. She is of the view that academia can, and should, play an active role in mobilising movements, with the collaboration of policy makers, businesses, and civil society towards shared  goals of nurturing stewardship of the global commons and a stable and resilient planetary earth system. Under her direction, the Center for Global Commons has been collaborating with reputable international research institutions in the area of sustainability, and launching projects with Japanese businesses focusing on energy transition, food systems, and circular economies.  

Before joining the university in 2020, Dr Ishii served as CEO and Chairperson at the Global Environment Facility (GEF). During her tenure, from 2012 to 2020, she formed GEF’s first mid-term strategy, GEF 2020, focusing on the transformation of key economic systems and collaborating with multi-stakeholder coalitions.  

Dr Ishii entered Japan’s Ministry of Finance in 1981, working mostly in international finance and taxation. She has also worked for the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as an economist for Kenya, Uganda, and Kyrgyz Republic and for the World Bank Group as country director for Sri Lanka and the Maldives. She served as Deputy Vice Minister of Finance from 2010-2012.  

She holds a BA in economics and a PhD in international development, both from the University  of Tokyo. She has published several books, of which two have been awarded academic prizes.