Thursday, September 24th, 5:30PM PDT
Link will be sent on September 18th.
The last 70 years of the U.S.-Japan relationship is not going to look like the next 70 years. This panel will address changes in the current generation of Japan leaders and in U.S.-Japan jobs today and in the future. It will examine interpersonal, institutional, and intersectional aspects of diversity and inclusion in the U.S.-Japan jobs pipeline with solutions, examples, and information on how to be an ally in the space. The panel will end with a Q&A and discussion.
Presenter
Mya Fisher is a strategic consultant working in the areas of equity, education, and international exchange. She spent more than 20 years as an international education professional, specializing in exchange programming related to Japan and China. She is also an enthusiastic supporter of next-generation talent. Encouraging young people to embrace their leadership potential, pursue interests in international opportunities, and discover their place and purpose in the world, motivates and inspires her every day.
In response to the coronavirus pandemic and the reckoning for racial justice in the U.S., Mya launched Global Education Diversity Dialogues in the summer of 2020. It is a platform for engaging and teaching on topics related to international education, diversity and race. This project integrates her expertise in international exchange and higher education, training as a sociologist, and passion for teaching. She writes a blog and teaches a virtual course, How Race and Ethnicity Shape American Life, to American and Japanese audiences. She speaks and leads trainings focused on understanding race and systemic racism in global contexts. Mya’s work creates spaces for people to ask hard questions, find their “voice” to engage in these conversations and equips them to be active and critical thinkers who will contribute to the reimagining of societies grounded in principles of equity and inclusion. She advises corporate and non-profit entities on why approaching their ventures through a lens of equity matters and empowers them to implement action plans that facilitate meaningful and sustained change.
Mya spent two rewarding years in Kawasaki City, Japan as an Assistant Language Teacher on the JET Program. Her previous employers include the U.S.-Japan Council, Beloit College, Youth for Understanding U.S.A., and the Embassy of Japan in Washington DC. She is a proud alum of Williams College (B.A. Psychology and Sociology), New York University (M.A., International Education) and the University of Wisconsin-Madison (M.S. and PhD, Sociology). In her free time, she enjoys watching movies on opening night (pre-coronavirus), spoiling her two pet guinea pigs, listening to audiobooks and podcasts, taking road trips, practicing yoga and doing Zumba.