Professor Keiichi Ogawa received the Kobe University President’s Award

On October 15, 2026, Professor Keiichi Ogawa of the Graduate School of International Cooperation Studies (GSICS) received the Kobe University President’s Award. The ceremony was held in the large conference room of the Graduate School of Agricultural Science, where the University President presented the recipients with certificates and notifications of monetary awards.

The award honors faculty and staff for outstanding contributions to education, research, university administration, and other university activities. Professor Ogawa was recognized for his contributions to the development of Kobe University and the enhancement of its international reputation through education and research.

The reasons for his selection are presented below.

Professor Keiichi Ogawa has played a leading role in advancing the internationalization of education and research at Kobe University since joining the Graduate School of International Cooperation Studies (GSICS) in 2004, building on the expertise he developed as an Education Economist at the World Bank Headquarters. He currently serves as Vice Dean of GSICS, Chairholder of the Kobe University UNESCO Chair, and Director of the Research Center for Global Education Policy and Planning.

In education, Professor Ogawa currently supervises approximately 70 graduate students, including 33 doctoral students, 27 master’s students, and seven research students. Over the past three years, he has served as the principal academic supervisor for 12 doctoral and 46 master’s graduates. All of his graduates during this period secured employment with their preferred organizations and institutions and have pursued careers in Japan and abroad, including at the World Bank, UNESCO, UNICEF, UNDP, China’s Ministry of Finance, the University of Tokyo, Kobe University, Mitsubishi Corporation, Deloitte Tohmatsu, and Panasonic.

Professor Ogawa has also played a central role in the Inter-University Exchange Project (CAMPUS Asia Plus Program), helping 70 students earn double degrees and enabling 260 students to participate in exchange programs and short-term study programs. These achievements contributed to the program receiving an “S” rating in its interim evaluation. In addition, through the International Collaborative Program for Network-Based Graduate Schools in Humanities and Social Sciences, he has built a collaborative education and research network comprising 26 overseas universities, 12 international organizations, and 11 government institutions. Over the past two years, this network has promoted internationally oriented doctoral education involving a cumulative total of 222 doctoral students. Furthermore, under the Inter-University Exchange Project for Supporting the Establishment of a System to Promote the Admission and Retention of International Students from ASEAN Countries, he developed an educational package of 75 courses on JV-Campus and expanded international education opportunities to a cumulative total of 398 graduate students.

In research, Professor Ogawa has served as principal investigator for major competitive research grants, including the JSPS Core-to-Core Program, the Fund for the Promotion of Joint International Research, and Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A). He has published 47 peer-reviewed journal articles, including 36 indexed in the Web of Science, 31 co-authored with international researchers, and one ranked among the top 10% of highly cited papers, as well as three authored or edited books. Through these scholarly achievements, he has made substantial contributions to the advancement of research in education and development.

In recognition of these accomplishments, Professor Ogawa received the Harold J. Noah Distinguished Alumni Award in International and Comparative Education from Teachers College, Columbia University, which U.S. News & World Report ranked No. 1 among U.S. education schools in both 2023 and 2024. His contributions to human resource development in Laos have also earned international recognition, including the Labor Medal awarded by the Prime Minister of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic.

Through these extensive achievements in education and research, Professor Ogawa has made outstanding contributions to the development of Kobe University and to enhancing its international reputation.

In recognition of these distinguished achievements, Kobe University has selected Professor Ogawa for the President’s Award.

For further details about the award ceremony, please visit the official Kobe University announcement.

Authored by Takumi Koike (Doctoral student)