Message to Prospective Students

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.

Research Interests and Teaching Areas

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

Selected Works

• 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.
• Ayako Kobayashi, “Gender mainstreaming at the UN: From ‘all men’ to ‘all human beings,’ SYNODOS, March 2021.

For more works