Tomohiro Machikita earned his Ph.D. in Economics from Kyoto University in 2007, with a thesis titled “Empirical Essays on Labor Mobility in a Developing Economy: Evidence from Thailand.” Before his current role, he worked at the Institute of Developing Economies (IDE‑JETRO) (2006-2019) and the Institute of Economic Research, Hitotsubashi University (2004-2006). Machikita’s research spans the intersection of labour economics, industrial development, economic geography, and globalization. His core interests include firm-to-firm matching and technology transfers, managerial capability acquisition, the evolution of production chains in East and Southeast Asia, labour mobility, temporary employment, and the spatial dynamics of economic activity. He has used rich empirical data—surveying firms in ASEAN countries, analysing labour markets in Thailand, and exploring historical Japanese firm lifecycles—to uncover how the micro-dynamics of workers and firms contribute to macro-patterns of economic development. For example, his work explores how upstream–downstream linkages influence innovation, and how platform technologies and labour mobilities shape regional growth.

At Kyoto University, Machikita teaches courses such as Economic Approach to Southeast Asia II and seminars on environment, society and culture, drawing on his fieldwork and empirical research in the region.His scholarly contributions have been recognised via competitive grants (e.g., Japan Society for the Promotion of Science KAKENHI awards) and editorial roles (he serves as Associate Editor of the journal The Developing Economies).

Ken Miura earned his Ph.D. in Economics from Brown University in 2020, following an M.A. in Economics from Brown (2014) and an earlier M.A. from Hitotsubashi University (2011). Prior to his current appointment, he served as an Assistant Professor at Kyoto University from 2020 to 2023. Miura’s research focuses on the intersection of development economics, agricultural economics, and the political economy of rural communities—especially in sub-Saharan Africa. He investigates household behaviour under risk, adoption of agricultural technology, intrahousehold bargaining, and public‐goods management in rural settings. For instance, his studies include how farmers in Zambia manage climate risk, access to weather-index insurance, and how household social structures affect resource allocation. Beyond empirical work in Africa, he has also published analyses concerning rural societies in pre-war Japan, demonstrating his broader interest in comparative perspectives on development. 

Through rigorous field experiments, household surveys, and microeconomic analysis, Ken Miura has built a reputation for bridging theoretical development economics with on-the-ground agricultural and resource‐management issues. He continues to supervise graduate courses at Kyoto University, including development microeconomics and empirical methods in agricultural economics. 

Dr. Trang Thanh Tran is a Lecturer in Economics at Yamanashi Gakuin University, where she teaches courses in microeconomics, macroeconomics, labor economics, and development economics. Her teaching bridges rigorous economic theory with real-world applications, aiming to equip students with strong analytical skills and a deep understanding of labor markets and policy dynamics.

Her research specializes in labor economics and development economics, with a focus on minimum wage regulation, informal employment, labor mobility, and welfare outcomes in developing contexts. She employs individual-level data and an event-study design to analyze how minimum wage changes influence labor force participation, formal and informal employment, and secondary job dynamics.

In addition, Trang works on several policy-relevant research projects, including: the unification of wage floors across sectors and its impact on regional labor market structure; the long-term well-being consequences of short-term displacement; the influence of Vietnamese immigration on the U.S. shrimp industry; and the labor market effects of mining accidents. Her work combines empirical rigor with substantive policy implications, making a meaningful contribution to our understanding of labor markets in transition economies.

Dr. Vuong Dinh Tuan Nguyen is a Vietnamese economist whose academic trajectory has taken him through multiple countries and institutions. He earned his B.A. in Economics at Foreign Trade University (Vietnam) in 2014, followed by an M.A. in Economics from Ritsumeikan University (Japan) in 2016, another M.A. from the University of Maine (USA) in 2018, and finally a Ph.D. in Agricultural & Applied Economics from the University of Wisconsin–Madison (USA) in May 2024. In his research and teaching career, Nguyen specialises in economic policy, human capital accumulation, and environmental issues, particularly in the Vietnamese context. He currently serves as an assistant professor at the Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Tsukuba in Japan, where his profile lists his main research fields as economic policy, human capital, environmental issues, and Vietnam. Among his publications are “Getting to Grade 10 in Vietnam: Does an employment boom discourage schooling?” (with Ian Coxhead and Nguyen Phong), and “Income shock and food insecurity prediction: Vietnam under the Pandemic” (co-authored). With this background, Nguyen sits at the intersection of development economics, labour-market dynamics, and policy evaluation in Vietnam and the broader East/Southeast Asian region, bringing together rigorous quantitative methods and policy-oriented insights. 

Anh Hao Nguyen is currently an Assistant Professor (non-tenure-track) at the Graduate School of Asia‑Pacific Studies, Waseda University (GSAPS) in Tokyo (2024-present). He holds a Ph.D. in Business Administration from Yokohama National University, earned through the Graduate School of International Social Sciences (2019–2023). His Master of Business Administration came from the Vietnam Japan University, Vietnam National University, and his Bachelor’s in Business Administration from the University of Economics and Business (Vietnam National University). Nguyen’s field of specialization encompasses Business Administration, Behavioral Operations Management, Organizational Behavior, and Human Resource Management. His research theme focuses on the relationships between personality traits, emotional states, behaviors, and workplace performance among Japanese and Vietnamese employees—paying attention to how international, cultural, organizational and individual factors interact. He has been recognized with awards such as the Best Paper Award at the International Conference on Emerging Challenges: Smart Business and Digital Economy (ICECH 2023) and a “Highly Commended Paper Award” at the 6th World Conference on Production & Operations Management (P&OM 2022).

Hùng Nguyễn is a Japan-based technology executive serving as Director of V-Mio System JSC, the Hanoi subsidiary of Mio System that provides software, IoT and image/voice/AI solutions for manufacturing and inspection clients. V-Mio System (est. 2013) positions itself as a Japan-quality / Vietnam-cost development arm that builds embedded/IoT systems, image-processing and cloud backends. His role sits at the intersection of technical delivery and Japan–Vietnam business coordination. 

He studied at Ritsumeikan University, Hùng appears to combine bilingual and cross-cultural experience with hands-on leadership in software and IoT product development for Japanese manufacturers and international clients, focus on image recognition, voice processing, sensor/robotics integration and cloud/AI solutions — consistent with a director who oversees client relations, cross-border project management and product strategy between the Japanese parent and the Vietnamese engineering arm. 

Tung D. Ta is an Assistant Professor at the Graduate School of Information Science and Technology at the University of Tokyo, where he is part of the Department of Creative Informatics in the Chiba Laboratory. His research sits at the cutting edge of digital fabrication, soft robotics, and human–computer interaction, with a particular focus on flexible electronics, printable robotic systems, and novel actuation mechanisms. Blending creativity with engineering precision, he explores how new materials and fabrication techniques can enable the next generation of soft-bodied machines and interactive devices.

Dr. Ta earned his Ph.D. in Information and Communication Engineering from the University of Tokyo in 2019, following an M.E. in 2016 and a B.E. in Software Engineering from FPT University in Vietnam in 2012. At UTokyo, he leads a research group developing soft robots, hybrid gripping systems, and digitally fabricated components that leverage anisotropic materials and advanced design principles. His work combines robotics, material science, and fabrication technologies to advance scalable, adaptive, and human-friendly robotic systems.

Recognized for his contributions, Dr. Ta serves as Principal Investigator on major research grants, including a multi-year Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research supporting his development of modular soft robot platforms. He also co-leads a UK–Japan international partnership exploring foundation models for soft-robot design. Outside the laboratory, he enjoys reading, programming, DIY electronics, and spending time with his family — often while experimenting with 3D printers and personal fabrication projects. His passion for innovation and hands-on creativity reflects a vision of robotics rooted not only in advanced theory but also in practical making and playful curiosity.

Nguyen Le Hoang is a postdoctoral researcher at the Symbol Emergence Group (Taniguchi Lab) at Kyoto University in Japan. He holds a Ph.D. from Ritsumeikan University, Japan (2025), an M.Sc. from Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (2021), and a B.Sc. from Ho Chi Minh City University of Information Technology (2013), Vietnam.

His research focuses on machine learning, artificial intelligence and robotics, with a particular emphasis on symbol emergence and emergent communication. Among his work, he investigates how deep generative models and naming‑game frameworks can give rise to emergent symbol systems in multimodal settings.

Beyond academia, Hoang has a diverse background: his earlier career included technical and managerial roles in Vietnam, including working as a software developer, specialist and manager across private firms and academic institutions. He is also an active individual who enjoys sports (cycling, swimming, football), travelling and connecting with diverse cultures.

Nhut-Thanh Tran is a researcher specializing in applied computer vision and intelligent imaging systems. His academic training spans both Vietnam and Japan, having studied at the Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology and later continuing advanced research at the Kyoto Institute of Technology. This international academic background reflects his strong cross-disciplinary foundation in engineering, computing, and real-world technology development.

Tran’s work focuses on building computer vision systems that solve practical challenges, particularly in agriculture and automated visual diagnostics. One of his notable contributions includes developing automated imaging methods to evaluate fruit quality, such as measuring weight and detecting surface defects in mangoes using vision-based analysis. His research demonstrates a commitment to bridging advanced computational methods with industrial and agricultural applications, contributing to more efficient and data-driven production systems.

Through his focus on intelligent vision systems and practical automation, Nhut-Thanh Tran represents a new generation of applied AI researchers working at the intersection of machine learning, engineering, and industry-focused innovation.

Nguyen Van Toan received his B.S. in Physics (2006) and M.S. in Electronics (2009) from Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City, and his Doctor of Engineering from Tohoku University in 2014 for research on silicon technologies for LSI-integrated timing devices. He is currently an Associate Professor at the Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University. He has published 90 peer-reviewed papers, four patents, one book, and four book chapters, and has presented at over 100 international conferences. His awards include IEEE-MEMS and IEEE-Transducers Research Travel Awards, Outstanding Paper Awards from IEEE-NANO and IEEE-NEMS, the IEEJ Best Paper Award (2019), and the Electrical Science Promotion Award (2022). His research focuses on micro/nano energy systems, resonators, thermoelectric generators, sensors, and metal-assisted chemical etching.

Education:
1995: B. Eng, Environmental Engineering, Osaka University
1997: M. Eng, Environmental Engineering, Osaka University
1999: D. Eng, Environmental Engineering, Osaka University
Career
1999-2005: Assistant Professor, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University
2005-2017: Associate Professor, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University
Apr 2017-present: Professor, College of Science and Engineering, Ritsumeikan University.

2004, University of the Ryukyus, JSPS Postdoc
2006, University of the Ryukyus, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Assistant Professor
2012, Hiroshima University, Graduate School for International Development and Cooperation, Division of Development Science, Associate Professor
2020, Hiroshima University, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Transdisciplinary Science and Engineering Program, Associate Professor
2022, Hiroshima University, The IDEC Institute, Center for the Planetary Health and Innovation Science (PHIS), Professor.
2022, Vietnam-Japan Specialist Society (VJS), Chairman

2012-2015: Master of Environmental Sciences, Graduate School of Environmental and Life Sciences, Okayama University, Japan.
2015-2018: PhD of Environmental Sciences, Graduate School of Environmental and Life Sciences, Okayama University, Okayama University, Japan.
2018-2022: Postdoctoral Fellowship, Research Organization of Sciences and Technology, Ritsumeikan University, Japan.
2022-present: Assistant Professor, Faculty of Life Sciences, Ritsumeikan University, Japan.