Umezawa, Hana
United Nations, Regional integration in Southeast Asia, International Relations in Asia-Pacific, comparative regionalism, UN-regional organisational cooperation in peace and security, Sustainable Development, Human Rights, nuclear disarmament, Japanese foreign and development aid policies
PhD in International Relations, University of Kent at Canterbury (UK)
MSc in International Relations, The London School of Economics and Political Science (UK)
MA in Governance, Keio University (Japan)
LLB, Keio University (Japan)
Dr. Hana Umezawa is an Associate Research Fellow at the United Nations University Institute on Comparative Regional Integration Studies (UNU-CRIS), working within the Nature, Climate and Health Cluster. Her research examines the interplay between global and regional governance in addressing non-traditional security challenges, with a particular focus on global health, sustainable development, and the evolving role of regional organisations in managing transboundary crises.
She holds a PhD in International Relations from the University of Kent, where her doctoral work explored UN-regional organisational cooperation in peace and security. Her research since then has expanded to include comparative regionalism, EU-ASEAN relations, global health governance, and the governance dimensions of pandemics, climate-related risks, and environmental health. Her publications appear in Frontiers in Political Science, Global Policy, Esercizi Filosofici, and several UNU-CRIS working paper series and edited volumes.
Dr. Umezawa possesses comprehensive international academic experience, having served in teaching and research positions across Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Her associations include the University of Bologna, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, the Catholic University of Milan, Jagiellonian University, United Nations University (IAS and CRIS), Jindal Global University, and the University of Sharjah. Additionally, she has contributed to policy-oriented research for organisations such as JICA, and previously engaged with the Embassy of Japan in Sweden as a researcher and political advisor.
Her current work investigates how regional organisations cooperate in health security, pandemic preparedness, climate-related health risks, and cross-border environmental challenges, with a particular interest in Asia–Europe cooperation. At UNU-CRIS, she contributes to research that seeks to understand how regional frameworks can strengthen global responses to complex, interconnected crises affecting nature, climate, and human wellbeing.