Ms. Aki Ota
Ph.D. Student, University of Tokyo

[Biography]

Born and raised in Japan with roots in China, I became aware of inter-ethnic conflicts from a young age, which has shaped my motivation for learning today. In addition to my native language, Japanese, I speak Chinese and English, and have had the opportunity to interact with a diverse range of people both domestically and internationally.

During my undergraduate studies, I majored in North American area studies and international relations at Tokyo University of Foreign Studies.
While enrolled, I was granted for a chance to study abroad for eight months at the University of British Columbia in Canada, where I engaged in journalistic activities such as conducting interviews and writing articles for published papers.

Now as a 2nd year PhD candidate, I am currently enrolled in Integrated Human Science (IHS) Program for Cultural Diversity in Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at the University of Tokyo, Japan. Now majoring in peace and conflict studies, my study is mainly focused on peace theory established by Johan Galtung, a Norwegian mathematician and sociologist who is recognized as a “father of peace studies”. The goal of my study is to explore the theories and practices of Galtung’s peace theory, seeking deeper understandings of his ideas and methods, and to promote a broader understanding of his approaches to peace work and conflict work in both the international community and local societies today.