Toru YOSHIDA

Toru YOSHIDA is a full Professor at Hokkaido University's Faculty of Law and Graduate School of Public Policy. Specializing in comparative politics with a focus on European and Japanese politics, he holds concurrent roles as Associate Researcher at the Fondation France-Japon (FFJ) EHESS and Research Fellow at the Doshisha Slavic-Eurasian Studies Center. His career includes positions as Associate Professor at Hokkaido University (2006-2021), visiting professorships at Paris Institute of Political Studies and the French National Centre for Scientific Research (EHESS), and prior research roles with the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO).

• Education: PhD (2007) and MA (2002) in International Sociology from Tokyo University, and Diplôme d'Études Approfondies (DEA) in German Studies from Germany.
• Key Research Themes: European political integration, memory politics, populism, liberal democracy's crisis, and French-Japanese comparative studies.
• Awarded JSPS Fellowships (2003-2006) and participated in UNHCR refugee programs (1993-1994).

His work bridges academia and public engagement, including contributions to NHK Books, public lectures on European politics, and commentary on contemporary issues like pandemic governance and democratic erosion. Active in civic initiatives addressing social inequality and environmental policy through organizations like the Hokkaido NPO Support Center and Environment Policy Dialogue Institute.