Areas of Research

• Nuclear disarmament and multilateral diplomacy on nuclear weapons issues
• Japan’s role in nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation
• Education and public outreach on peace issues
• Confidence-building measures on nuclear issues in the era of emerging technologies

Background

Ms. Nishiyama joined the VCDNP as an intern in the Japan Chair for a World without Nuclear Weapons programme in July 2024, supporting research on nuclear disarmament and multilateral diplomacy on nuclear weapons issues. She is a graduate research student at Nagasaki University Graduate School and works with the Nagasaki Research Center on Nuclear Weapons Abolition.

Ms. Nishiyama was selected as a Youth Communicator for a World without Nuclear Weapons by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. In this role, she passed down the testimonies of hibakusha, survivors of the nuclear bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, by utilising technology. During her studies at International Christian University, she supported work at the Peace Research Center and completed an internship at Reach Alternatives, a non-governmental organisation dedicated to conflict prevention and peace-building in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. During her Master’s degree, she assisted with organising the Critical Issues Forum, an educational programme for high school students from the United States, Russia, and Japan at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies. Additionally, she has worked with a team at the University of Tokyo to organise public peace workshops in Japan.

Education

Ms. Nishiyama holds a Master’s degree in Nonproliferation and Terrorism Studies from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Liberal Arts with a major in International Relations and minor in Law from International Christian University in Japan. She is a native Japanese speaker.