Saori N. Katada

Saori N. Katada is a Professor of International Relations at the University of Southern California and former Vice President of the International Studies Association (2021-2022). She directs the Center for International Studies at USC and serves on the editorial team of the Review of International Political Economy.

• Ph.D. in Political Science from UNC-Chapel Hill
• B.A. from Hitotsubashi University (Tokyo)

Her research focuses on the intersection of geoeconomics and financialization, particularly examining Japan's evolving monetary policy under Abenomics, infrastructure investment competition with China's Belt-and-Road Initiative, and the transformation of Japan's developmental state model. She analyzes how financialization reshapes central bank dynamics and global development finance frameworks.

Recent publications highlight Japan's role in shaping quality infrastructure standards through the G20 Principles and Blue Dot Network, and the political economy of financialization in both domestic and international contexts. Her work has been supported by prestigious grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities and Japan Foundation.

• Recipient of Masayoshi Ohira Memorial Foundation Book Award (2002)
• East West Center Asia Studies Fellowship (2015)
• FFJ/Banque de France Fellowship (2022-2023)

Katada's administrative roles at USC include Director of the Center for International Studies (2021-2024) and Graduate Director positions (2010-2023). She has held professional roles at the World Bank, UNDP, and as Vice President of the International Studies Association.