Dr. Mariko Nishizawa, Committee Member

Dr. Mariko Nishizawa, Committee Member

Representative Director of Litera Japan Corporation

Message from Dr. Mariko Nishizawa, Committee Member 2021

　

Having studied risk policy and communications and conducted research in the UK and Germany, I returned to Japan to act as a practitioner of risk management. In the wake of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station accident, I served as an advisor for Iitate Village in Fukushima Prefecture, and engaged in efforts along with local residents to rebuild the region as a member of its Village Recovery Council.

This experience in Fukushima led me to serve as a public communications consultant at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) with an intention to share the bitter lessons I learned and reflect them in guidance documents to be used by the Member States. An important message in this is that we must prepare for emergencies during non-crisis times.

Through research and practice I have learned that the key is collaborative work with stakeholders. In order to reduce impacts (risks) on the environment and the human body, it is important to translate scientific “data” into “words” that can be readily understood by important stakeholders such as local communities.

Dialogue lies at the core of this endeavor. Through two-way dialogue, we listen to each other, communicate better, and create new channels for effective communication. Stakeholder engagement also helps to build mutual trust.

As a member of the NRMC, I hope I can contribute to improving safety and cultivating trust through dialogue.

Short Curriculum Vitae

1991Bachelor of Arts in German Language and Studies, Sophia University (Tokyo)

1991Fuji Bank Düsseldorf Branch, Assistant Customer Advisor

1994TÜV Reinland Asia, Project Manager, Quality Assurance Div.

1997Master of Science in European Environmental Policy and Regulation, Lancaster University, U.K.

2000Visiting Researcher, Centre for Technology Assessment in Baden-Württemberg

2002Ph.D. in Science Communication Group, the Humanities Department, Imperial College London of Science, Technology and Medicine

2002Research Fellow, Alexander von Humboldt Foundation

2004Project Leader, Environmental and Technological Sociology, School of Social Sciences, University of Stuttgart

2006Representative Director/Founder, Litera Japan Corporation

2011Advisor of risk communication, Iitate Village, Fukushima
Member, Residents’ Reconstruction Forum of Iitate Village

2016Working group member on public communication at International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

2018Working group member on Incident and Emergency Center, Waste Technology Section at IAEA

2024Working group member on Incident and Emergency Center, Stakeholder Engagement School at IAEA

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

CURRENT POSITIONSAssociated Member, Science Council of Japan / Members of governmental advisory committees at Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, etc. / Member of the Research Ethics Committee of the Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry.

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