1985
Kinhide Mushakoji (1929–2022) was a Japanese political scientist and a leading authority on international affairs and peace research. He earned his Ph.D. in Political Science from Gakushuin University in Tokyo in 1953. From 1956 to 1960, he studied at the Institut d'études politiques de Paris (Sciences Po). He began his academic career at Gakushuin University as a Research Assistant and Lecturer (1956–1968), before serving as a Rockefeller Fellow at Princeton University (1961–62) and as a Visiting Professor at Northwestern University (1965).
In 1968, Prof. Mushakoji joined Sophia University in Tokyo, where he founded the Institute of International Relations the following year and served as its director until 1976. During this period, he also worked as a Senior Specialist at the East-West Center in Hawaii (1968) and as a consultant for the Commission on Society, Development, and Peace (1971–1972).
His contributions to peace research extended to his role as Vice-Rector of the United Nations University (UNU) from 1976 to 1989, where he led programs focusing on human and social development and regional and global studies. Following his tenure at UNU, he continued his academic career as Professor at Meiji-Gakuin University (1989–1998), Ferris University (1998–2000), and Chubu University and the Chubu Institute of Advanced Studies (2001–2004).
Beyond academia, Prof. Mushakoji actively promoted human rights, multiculturalism, and environmental sustainability, serving as Vice-President of the International Movement Against All Forms of Discrimination and Racism and Chair of the Asia-Pacific Human Rights Information Centre.
As Kevin P. Clements notes in his , Prof. Mushakoji “was a constant advocate for minority and marginalised groups all around the world. This ensured that he had a large and active network of marginalised people who were deeply appreciative of all he did to ensure that their voices were heard and that they were not oppressed or exploited.”
His major books include Lecture on International Social Sciences: Practices of Civilizational Dialogue (2015); Introduction to Human Security Study: In Face of Global Fascism (2003); An Introduction to Peace Research (1969); and Japanese Foreign Policy in a Multi-Polar World (1970).
Kinhide Mushakoji served as a member of the 5XExecutive Committee from 1973 to 1979 and as Vice-President from 1979 to 1985. His election as 5XPresident for the 1985-1988 term marked a historic milestone, as he became the first Asian scholar to hold this prestigious position.
