Rie Kijima

Rie Kijima is an Assistant Professor at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, University of Toronto. She holds multiple directorships including the Initiative for Education Policy and Innovation, Peace, Conflict and Justice, and Munk One. Her research focuses on global education reforms, international assessments' political dimensions, and STEAM education. She previously worked at the World Bank and Japan International Cooperation Agency, specializing in equity-focused education projects in Morocco, Tunisia, Vietnam, and Laos.

Her education includes a Ph.D. and M.A. from Stanford University, and B.A. from International Christian University (ICU) in Tokyo. She has been affiliated with institutions like Keio Graduate School of Media Design and co-founded SKY Labo, a non-profit fostering STEAM learners through constructivist, human-centered methods. She is the Scott M. Johnson Fellow at the US-Japan Foundation.

Her recent work analyzes global education reform trends, including the role of data-driven policies and design thinking approaches in advancing equity in STEM. She has developed the World Education Reform Database (WERD), a critical tool for comparative policy analysis.

• Awards: Scott M. Johnson Fellow (US-Japan Foundation)
• Key Research Themes: International education policy, global testing politics, STEAM pedagogy innovation
• Professional Affiliations: Stanford Program in International and Cross-Cultural Education, Silicon Valley Japan Platform

Her advisory work and grants include contributions to the design thinking-based SKY Labo programs, which have demonstrated positive impacts on learners' creative self-efficacy and global consciousness. She actively participates in policy dialogues through platforms like the Centre for the Study of Global Japan.