Prof. Masaru YARIME from the Division of Public Policy (PPOL) has been awarded a research grant by the Social Science Research Council (SSRC) in the United States (US). This grant will support the cross-disciplinary, cross-national research team led by Prof. YARIME to explore data governance for innovation for sustainable smart cities in Japan, China, and the US.

As cities worldwide increasingly rely on data-driven solutions, understanding effective governance models becomes crucial for solving pressing issues, such as climate change mitigation, providing inclusive services to aging and declining populations, and enhancing resilience to natural disasters.

Titled "Data Governance for Innovation for Sustainable Smart Cities: A Comparative Analysis of Japan, the United States, and China," Prof. YARIME’s project aims to examine different approaches to data governance in smart cities, including independent data trusts, decentralized data linkage platforms, and centralized government management, by comparing Japan, the United States, and China. Implications are explored for public policy and institutional development on data governance across the globe.

Prof. YARIME's grant is part of the Abe Fellows Network at SSRC, which fosters collaborative research between U.S. and Japanese scholars. This initiative, supported by the Japan Foundation New York, aims to build on a 30-year partnership promoting cross-disciplinary and cross-national research on important social issues.