Professor MORISHIMA Akio, the first Chair of the Board of Directors and President of the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies, passed away on 26 May, 2024 at the age of 89. We would like to express our deepest sympathy to Prof. Morishima’s family and all the many people who knew him over his long career and life. In accordance with the wishes of the bereaved family, the funeral service was conducted with close relatives only.
【In memory of Professor MORISHIMA Akio】
Prof. MORISHIMA Akio was the first Chair of the Board of Directors and President of the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES), which was established in 1998 from a proposal by the Council of Global Environment in the 21st Century, a consultative body set up in 1994 by the Prime Minister of Japan, as an institute providing support including the creation of a regional network of researchers and practitioners, as well as developing research activities. From the 1st to the 3rd Phase of the Integrative Strategic Research Programme (up to 2006), Prof. Morishima laid the foundations for IGES to become an international research institute through his efforts in carrying out strategic research and establishing a network of international research institutes and organisations focusing on global environmental issues. While working in many fields as a legal scholar, he received numerous awards, including the Global 500 Award in 1996 (UNEP: United Nations Environment Programme), the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Award for International Exchange Merit in 2002, and the Order of the Sacred Treasure, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon in 2013. We owe profound gratitude to Prof. Morishima for his constant support for the activities of IGES and for the guidance he gave. He spoke in 2018 at the dialogue for IGES 20th anniversary, and stated “IGES is making good progress as a whole, but it really needs to be unique and stand out from all the other institutes”. His wise words resonate even now and we will continue to strive in the direction that he would have wanted. May he rest in peace.
TAKEUCHI Kazuhiko, President, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES)
[Brief Biography]
- 1971-1996Professor, Faculty of Law, Nagoya University
- 1976-1977Visiting Professor, Harvard Law School
- 1980Visiting Professor, Faculty of Law, University of British Columbia, Canada
- 1988-1990Dean, Faculty of Law, Nagoya University
- 1991Visiting Professor, Institute of Japanese Studies, Leiden University, The Netherlands
- 1996Emeritus Professor, Nagoya University
- 1996Registered with Dai-ichi Tokyo BAR Association
- 1996-2000Professor, Faculty of Law, Sophia University
- 1998-2007President, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (2007- Special Research Advisor)
- 1999-2000Director, Institute for Studies of the Global Environment, Sophia University
- 2000-Professor, University of East Asia, Graduate School Legal Expertise Professionals (2011- Department Head)
- 2000-2010President, The Japan Center for Settlement of Traffic Accident Disputes (1996-2010 Permanent Member of Council, 2010- Special Adviser)
- 2002-2017Chairman, Japan Credit Counselling Organization (1987-2017 Director)
- 2002-2016President, General Insurance Rating Organization of Japan
- 2002-Director, Blue Planet Prize
- 2005-2013President, Japan Climate Policy Center (NPO)
- 2007-2012Chairman, Japan Environment Association (1998- Director, 2010- President)
- 2013-Attorney at Law, Kato-Nishida & Hasegawa Law Firm (1996-2013 Visiting Attorney at Law)
- 2016-Councilor, Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry
- 2018-Director, Elderly Service Providers Association
- 2018-Director, SOMPO Environment Foundation
- 2018-Director, SOMPO Welfare Foundation
[Awards and Honours]
- 1995Environmental Conservation Merit Award (Environment Agency)
- 1996Global 500 Award (UNEP: United Nations Environment Programme)
- 2001Order of Friendship of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam
- 2001Academic Award of the Society of Environmental Science, Japan
- 2001Elisabeth Haup Environmental Law Prize (Free University of Brussels, Belgium)
- 2002Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Award for International Exchange Merit
- 2002Royal Order of Sahametrei, Kingdom of Cambodia (Commander)
- 2009Royal Order of Sahametrei, Kingdom of Cambodia (Grand Cross)
- 2009Minister of Foreign Affairs Award
- 2011Royal Order of Sahametrei, Kingdom of Cambodia (Grand Cross)
- 2013Order of the Sacred Treasure, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon