Email:kobayashi_ay[at]sophia.ac.jp

The Sustainable Development Goal 16 aims to promote just, peaceful, and inclusive societies. Yet, we hear a lot of unjust, unpeaceful, discriminatory news everyday. My research interest is in global peace and security. Have you ever thought about why devils fight in a hero story? Momotaro, a Japanese folktale, does not tell us about the “bad” actors. If the hero, Momotaro, could have imagined devils’ desires and needs, he might not need to fight with them and have overcome challenges through dialogue. Exploring “the other side,” I develop theories to improve the policy making capacity of international organizations’ in the fields of peace and security, humanitarian assistance, and human rights. In Global Studies, my interest is also in examining how “global” and “local” ideas meet, how they translate different ideas, and how they sometimes conflict with each other. My courses include workshops and in-class activities to facilitate students’ active listening, speaking, and learning with their classmates. With my experience both in academia and practice, in Japan and abroad, I am happy to support students’ career development. I look forward to discussing with you for our sustainable futures.

International Politics, Peace and Conflict Studies, International Organization, Global Governance

・Ayako Kobayashi, “How UNHCR Began its Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons: The Case of Algeria from the late 1950s to early 1960s, “Refugee Study Journal. No. 13, March 2024.

・Ayako Kobayashi, “Conflict Recurrence and Peace Agreements,” International Relations (Kokusaiseiji), No. 210, March 2023.

・Ayako Kobayashi, “Sadako Ogata and UNHCR Archives,” Cosmopolis, No. 17, March 2023.

・Ayako Kobayashi, “Civil Resistance as Alternative Politics,” SYNODOS, February 2023.

・Ayako Kobayashi, “UN Peace Operations and Local Peace,” The United Nations Studies (Kokuren Kenkyu), No. 22, June 2021.