Dr. Rui Wu currently serves as an assistant professor in Department of Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Strategy in School of Economics and Management at Tsinghua University (Tsinghua SEM). She accomplished her PhD in business administration from University of Southern California, Marshall School of Business, MA in economics from University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and BA in economics and international finance from Peking University, School of Economics. She teaches graduate level courses in strategic management, including strategic alliances, cooperative strategies, and research seminars. Prior to her doctoral training, she worked as a research analyst on Rwandan Projects in the Africa Division of World Bank in Washington, D.C..

Dr. Rui Wu’s research covers a broad range of firm-level strategic decisions, with a focus on Chinese firms and their inter-firm relationships. Her primary research areas include collaborative innovation, top-management teams, and political influences, all in the context of Chinese manufacturing firms. She has been a member and reviewer for annual conferences of Academy of Management (AOM), Strategic Management Society (SMS), and International Association for Chinese Management Research (IACMR). She also serves as an ad hoc reviewer for multiple top-tier journals.

Hak-kyu Sohn joins the Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center as a Visiting Scholar during the 2017-18 academic year.

Sohn is founder and chairman of East Asia Future Foundation; former chairman of the Democratic Party; and former governor of Gyeonggi Province, in South Korea. His research interest is in how South Korea can be prepared for changes in international relations as well as for the fourth industrial revolution.

Sohn received a DPhil in Politics from University of Oxford, UK, and a BA in Political Science from Seoul National University.

Hirofumi Uchida joins the Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center (Shorenstein APARC) during the 2017-2018 academic year from the Kobe University’s Graduate School of Business Administration where he serves as a professor of Banking and Finance.

Uchida’s research interests focus on banking, financial institutions, and financial system architecture. During his stay at Shorenstein APARC, Uchida will conduct research on startup finance in the U.S. from the perspective of an international comparison with Japan. For this research, he receives Abe Fellowship (Social Science Research Council).

Uchida's research has been published in International Economic Review, Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Journal of Financial Intermediation, Economica, and Journal of Banking and Finance, among others. He is also an associate editor of Journal of Money, Credit, and Banking, and a member of the Study Group for Earthquake and Enterprise Dynamics (SEEDs) and the Money & Finance Research Group (MoFiR). 

Uchida received his M.A. in Economics in 1995 and his Ph.D. in Economics in 1999, both from Osaka University. Prior to joining Kobe University in 2009, Uchida was with the Kyoto Institute for Economic Research at Kyoto University, and the Faculty of Economics at Wakayama University. He was also a visiting scholar at the Kelley School of Business, Indiana University as a 2003 Fulbright Scholar.

Michelle Chen is a corporate affiliate visiting fellow at the Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center (Shorenstein APARC) for 2017-18.  Chen began her career in investment in 1992 and now works at Yongjin Group where she is responsible for its cross border investments.  She focuses on the sectors of finance, healthcare and education.

Toshiyuki Watanabe is a corporate affiliate visiting fellow at the Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center (Shorenstein APARC) for 2017-18.  Watanabe has more than 14 years of experience as a computer engineer, editor, and in business development at The Asahi Shimbun, the national leading newspaper in Japan.  Prior to joining Shorenstein APARC, Watanabe worked mainly in business development working on the mobile website and apps.  Watanabe graduated from the University of Tsukuba with a B.S. in Information Technology.  

Hayato Watanabe is a global affiliate visiting scholar at the Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center (Shorenstein APARC) for 2017-18.  Watanabe is assistant chief at the Hamamatsu Iwata Shinkin Bank.  He has over 15 years of experience in supporting small businesses especially in the area of expansion.  To help revitalize regional economy, his research will focus on bridging the regional specialty manufacturing industry and American companies.

Jeong Ah Ryou is a corporate affiliate visiting fellow at the Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center (Shorenstein APARC) for 2017-18.  Ryou is the Chief Investment Office of the Yozma Group, Korea, Ltd., where she has experience in start-up accelerating programs.  She has over 16 years of experience in portfolio asset management, private equity funds, and venture capital investment.  She co-founded Link Investments in Seoul and worked for NH Securities & Investments, Hong Kong Shanghai Banking Corporation and Tong Yang Investment Bank.  Ryou is interested in applying her knowledge acquired here to make a new platform of Korean startup ecosystem interacting within the community.  She earned her MBA degree from Korea University and her Bachelor of Political Science from Ewha Womans University in Korea. 

Hiroshi Nishinaka is a global affiliate visiting scholar at the Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center (Shorenstein APARC) for 2017-19.  Nishinaka is a VP of business development for Ishin Co., Ltd. a Japanese tech media firm featuring startups and entrepreneurs.  Prior to joining Ishin Co. Ltd., he served as a corporate sales representative for mid- to large-sized firms at Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) in Tokyo.  Nishinaka graduated from Waseda University with a BA in social science.