Career Trajectory
Before joining EDEF, I worked across various education-related fields, which helped me see the diverse roles education can play in society. My MA and PhD studies in EDEF provided a solid foundation in educational philosophy, policy, and comparative education, allowing me to refine my interests and gain a global perspective on educational issues. Since returning to Japan, I’ve been working as an Associate Professor at Kyushu University’s International Student Center, coordinating an inbound exchange program and advising students from around the world. My EDEF experience equipped me with essential analytical and intercultural skills, which are invaluable in my teaching and advising roles, where I guide students in navigating cross-cultural education systems. EDEF has truly broadened my understanding of education’s impact globally, and I continue to draw on this as I work to support and mentor students.
Location
- Original: Fukuoka, Japan
- Current: Fukuoka, Japan
Program & Year
PhD in Education: Educational Foundations, 2017
Publications
- Nonaka, C. (2014). “Why am I feeling frustrated?”: Exploring popular discourses of English among Japanese university students. Proceedings of the 1st and 2nd International Symposia on Native-Speakerism, 221–236.
- Nonaka, C., & Phillips, S. (2017). Higher education reforms in Japan. Comparative and International Higher Education, 9, 15–18.
- Nonaka, C. (2017). Projecting self and other through akogare [desire] among Japanese university students: The English language and the internationalization of higher education in a changing Japan [Ph.D.]. University of Hawai‘i at Manoa.
- Nonaka, C. (2018). “They were American but shy!””: The Japanese university students’ encounter with local students in Hawai’i. In S. A. Houghton & K. Hashimoto (Eds.), Towards post-native-speakerism: Dynamics and shifts (pp. 41–58). Springer. https://www.springer.com/jp/book/9789811071607
- Nonaka, C. (2018). Transcending self and other through akogare [desire]: The English language and the internationalization of higher education in Japan. Multilingual Matters.
- Nonaka, C. (2019). Negotiating desire and identity at English immersion preschools in Japan. JALT Journal, 41(2), 127–146.
- Nonaka, C. (2019). (Re-)envisioning Kyushu University’s kokusaika as a novice female scholar. Polymorfia, 4, 94–99.
- Nonaka, C. (2020). Transnational identity: The struggles of being and becoming a Japanese female professor in a neo-kokusaika phase of Japan. Research in Comparative and International Education, 15(3), 234–251. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745499920946201
- Nonaka, C. (2020). Who is EMI for?: From Vietnam, thinking about a clash of realities behind the policy, practice, and pedagogy in Japan. In L. H. Phan & N. B. Doan (Eds.), Higher education in market-oriented socialist Vietnam: “New” players, “new” discourses, “new” practices. Palgrave Macmillan US. https://www.palgrave.com/gp/book/9783030469115
- Nonaka, C., & Phan, L. H. (2020). #digitalcompetence #pedagogicalknowledge: Utilizing LINE as a tool for a U.S.-Japan transnational education course. In C. Gomes & S. Chang (Eds.), Digital experiences of international students: Challenging assumptions and rethinking engagement. Routledge. https://www.routledge.com/Digital-Experiences-of-International-Students-Challenging-Assumptions-and/Chang-Gomes/p/book/9780367226350
- Nonaka, C., Azmi, N., & Levine, A. (2020). Fostering students’ empathy and cultural sensitivity to undo native-speakerism: A case study of a transnational education platform involving universities in Hawaii and Japan. In S. A. Houghton & J. Bouchard (Eds.), Native-speakerism: Its resilience and undoing. Springer Nature. https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9789811556708
- Nonaka, C. (2024). How to be “international” in Japan: Identity negotiation of a U.S.-trained returnee in Japanese higher education in the era of internationalization efforts and pressure. In J. Damiani & P. G. Ghazarian (Eds.), International faculty in East Asian higher education: Theory and reality. Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.
Awards / Recognitions
- Kyushu University Outstanding Female Junior Researcher Award, Junior Female Researcher Category, Excellence Award, October 2021, Kyushu University Office for the Promotion of Gender Equality