Research Presentations by the JICA Ogata Research Institute at the 27th JASID Spring Conference (Part 1: General Oral Presentations)

On June 27, 2026, researchers from the JICA Ogata Sadako Research Institute for Peace and Development (JICA Ogata Research Institute) presented their latest research at the 27th Spring Conference of the Japan Society for International Development (JASID) , held at Meiji Gakuin University. Summaries of their general oral presentations are provided below.

Click here to read a summary of the roundtable sessions at the conference.

Umemiya Naoki, Professor, the Center for Global Education and Discovery, Sophia University, and Senior Research Advisor Kayashima Nobuko presented their research on the above topic. The study examines the growing internationalization of research and education in an era of globalization, focusing on how researchers’ international mobility through doctoral study abroad can lead to international research collaboration and the conditions that enable such cooperation to emerge.

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 25 faculty members and three former deans in science and technology fields (engineering, natural sciences, agriculture, medicine, and dentistry) at Gadjah Mada University and Institut Teknologi Bandung in Indonesia who obtained doctoral degrees in Japan, as well as 14 Japanese faculty members who had supervised or hosted them. Using Social Exchange Theory (SET) as the analytical framework, the study investigated mechanisms of cooperation. The findings revealed that international academic collaboration is built upon reciprocity, fairness, and trust cultivated during doctoral studies. Furthermore, trust was found to expand from the individual level to the organizational level, creating multilayered and sustainable collaborative relationships.

During the discussion session, participants discussed how international academic collaboration evolves from individual researcher relationships into institutional partnerships, and the role of trust in sustaining such cooperation. The session generated lively discussion among attendees.

Senior Research Fellow Katsurai Taro presented a study on the determinants of time efficiency in infrastructure projects in developing countries. Using data from JICA ex-post evaluation reports and conducting various regression analyses, the study found that project time efficiency tends to decline during periods of rapid expansion of public investment. At the same time, projects with higher levels of counterpart funding, projects involving Japanese consultants, and projects classified as Environmental and Social Consideration Category A (projects requiring extensive environmental and social assessment due to their potentially significant impacts) tended to demonstrate higher time efficiency.

These findings suggest not only the importance of considering aid absorptive capacity and ownership, but also the critical role of project management, including thorough advance preparation and continuous project monitoring and supervision.

James Kaizuka focused his presentation on the findings of his research on the ABE (African Business Education for Youth) Initiative scholarship program , exploring how long-term career development unlocks latent potential which allows ex-participants to make significant contributions to their national development by utilizing Amartya Sen’s capability approach. Focusing on interview data from Kenya and Rwanda, the presentation showcased the relationship between time since graduation and overall impact, with scholars from early group ex-participants such as Mugarura Amiri from Rwanda having made significant and nationally impactful contributions. The presentation argued that long-term impacts are likely as careers grow and ex-participants gain higher social capital and organizational authority.

In this session, chaired by Visiting Fellow Sato Jin (Professor, The University of Tokyo), Shimizu Tadashi and Honjo Yuki, co-authors of JICA Project History Series Vol. 44, “Greening Africa: Forty Years of Forestry Cooperation Between Kenya and Japan—A Social Forestry Project in Semi-Arid Areas ” (originally published in Japanese; English title provided for reference), delivered a presentation titled, “Rethinking Social Forestry: Outcomes and Lessons from 40 Years of Forestry Cooperation between Kenya and Japan.”