Leadership

 

Executive Committee
Central Committee
Advisor

Kanto Team
Kansai Team
Tohoku Team
Kyushu Team
Hokkaido Team

Executive Committee

Haris GULZAR
President

Nationality: Pakistan
School: Tokyo Institute of Technology / Masters
Arrival in Japan: 2020
Haris has experience in working with various companies and startups in the domain of AI. Currently he is working an AI Researcher in one of the leading IT companies of Japan, NTT. Haris is involved in various activities related to the expansion Japanese IT business in other countries and assisting foreign businesses to expand in Japan. Haris is also part of Global Shapers Community (GSC) and he aspires to create a community of passionate IT professionals for creating a bridge between Japan and rest of the world for the IT industry. Linktree

Austin ZENG
Director / Co-founder

Nationality: Singapore
School: University of Tokyo / Undergraduate
Arrival in Japan: 2012
MSA Co-founder and President from 2018 – 2023. Currently splits time between Japan and Singapore. Lectures about careers to foreign students while working both as an engineer and translator/interpreter.

Zhengyang CHEN
Vice-Head Externals

Nationality:
School:
Arrival in Japan:

Uranzaya BAASANJAV
Vice-Head Externals

Nationality: Mongolia
School: Ritsumeikan University/Masters
Arrival in Japan: 2016
Zaya’s interests are IT project management, business development, and supply chain management. Currently working as a Solution Consultant at Kinaxis, a Canadian company based in Tokyo, while managing a role of COO at her co-founded trade and system development company.

Zhansaya IMANMADIYEVA
Vice President (Head of Operations)

Nationality: Kazakhstan
School: University of Tokyo / Masters
Arrival in Japan: 2020
Zhansaya is a public policy graduate, who is currently working at a major consulting company in Tokyo. Her interests include policy analysis of social issues, as well as technology environments like cloud.

Anastasia BENDER
Head of Media / Co-founder

Nationality: Germany
School: University of Tsukuba / Masters
Arrival in Japan: 2015
Anastasia is working at a major Japanese corporation in Tokyo and is in charge of supporting other corporations, which are considering or already implementing downsizing measures.

Negar KHALILI
Vice-Head of Media Team

Nationality: Iran
School: Kyushu University / Research student
Arrival in Japan: 2022
Negar’s research is centered on cognitive neuroscience, with a focus on understanding human decision-making and attention. LinkedIn

Paula ESGUERRA
Head of Alumni Team

Nationality: Colombia
School: Sophia University / Masters , International Christian University / PhD
Arrival in Japan: 2008
Paula serves as the Director of the International Exchange Forum at the Japan Institute of Portland Japanese Garden, a distinguished American non-profit recognized as one of the most dynamic Japanese cultural centers outside Japan. In this capacity, she actively promotes cultural diplomacy and facilitates global exchanges. Throughout her career, Paula has held positions in government, academia, and the private sector, where she has been engaged in various roles related to international cooperation, government relations, communications, and public relations.

Jadz Jevz Lee
Vice-Head of Alumni Team

Nationality: Philippines
School: Chiba University/Undergraduate
Arrival in Japan: 2008
JJ is a Japanese Pharmacist License holder and is currently working as a Senior Manager in a major Japanese global pharmaceutical company. She is also passionately implementing into reality her MBA thesis proposal called Project Ongaeshi which aims to help integrate MEXT Undergrad Scholars smoothly into Japanese global companies. Feel free to reach out/follow her on LinkedIn or Instagram

Arief Anthonius PURNAMA
Head of Regionals

Nationality: Indonesia
School: Shimane University / PhD
Arrival in Japan: 2021
Arief is a lecturer and professional researcher in the field of biodiversity and environment in Indonesia. Currently pursuing a doctoral degree in life and environmental science at Shimane University. Research focuses on the impact of land change on the sustainability of endangered species.


Fawaz BAGOUDOU
Vice-Head of Regionals

Nationality: Benin
School: Shinshu University/PhD
Arrival in Japan: 2018
Fawaz currently holds the position of Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Agriculture, Shinshu University. His fervent dedication to global concerns is evident through his active efforts to foster awareness about critical topics such as food waste and food loss.

Harry KREKOUKIOTIS
Head of Kanto Region

Nationality: Greece
School: Keio University / PhD
Arrival in Japan: 2018
Harry is an architect engineer and filmmaker, with studies and professional experience in Greece and Germany. Currently pursuing a PhD in Media Design in Keio University, his research focuses on Augmented Reality and Haptics, at the intersection of design and technology.

Ashutosh SHUKLA Head of Finance Team

Nationality: India
School: University of the Ryukyus / Masters
Arrival in Japan: 2019
Ashutosh is a Civil engineer and Urban Planner, Currently pursuing a PhD in Urban Planning & Regional Analysis in University of the Ryukyus, He is also working for e-scooter company as Head of Operations and Expansions in Japan. Feel free to reach out to him / follow him on LinkedIn

 

Sujata SAINI
Vice-Head of Finance Team

Nationality: India
School: Tokyo Metropolitan University /PhD
Arrival in Japan: 2021
Sujata is an Indian who is pursuing her PhD in Computer Science at Tokyo Metropolitan University in Tokyo, Japan. Her major is Data Science and Machine Learning. She is a Women Techmaker Ambassador in Japan and founder/organizer of major tech communities such as Google Developer Student Club and Microsoft Learn at TMU.

Animesh HARSH
Secretary

Nationality: India
School: Chiba Institute of technology/Undergraduate
Arrival in Japan: 2019
Animesh is a 3rd CS undergrad. His research during his tone at college of technology focused on using image analysis+board computers to lower the cost of Medical devices. When he’s not busy wasting time on social media, he likes to swim, surf and sleep.

Executive Committee

Sheikh Hefzul BARI
Executive Member (Media Team)

Nationality: Bangladesh
School: Fukushima University /PhD
Arrival in Japan: 2022
Sheikh is currently working on basin-scale modeling of hydrologic events. He is passionate about using hydrological knowledge to achieve the SDGs. He is also interested in data science and street photography.

Fatimah Mohammed ALBAHRANI
Executive Member (Media Team)

Nationality: Saudi Arabia
School: University of Tsukuba /Research student
Arrival in Japan: 2023
Bachelor degree in biomedical engineering with research interest in molecular biology and drug discovery continued for Masters as well. Beside science, I am passionate about painting, cooking, and volunteering activities.

M Sana Ullah KHAN
Executive Member (Alumni Team)

Nationality: Pakistan
School: Tokyo Metropolitan University /Research student
Arrival in Japan: 2022
Hi, I’m Sana Ullah Khan, but you can just call me Khan. I’m on a grand adventure in Japan, pursuing a Master’s degree in city planning. When I’m not buried in books or drafting cityscapes, you’ll find me whipping up some delightful dishes in the kitchen, exploring new places, binging on movies, and spreading happiness like confetti. I’ve got a soft spot for helping others and a dream of making this world a little brighter. Let’s cook up some fun and make the world a better place together!

Aminu ABUBAKAR
Executive Member (Operations Team)

Nationality:
School: St.Luke’s International University/ PhD
Arrival in Japan: 2023
A Pharmacist and Public Health Specialist. I am interested in Cancer epidemiology, my current research is focus on addressing cancer disparities and inequalities in cancer outcome. I am also interested in global health and international politics.

Kami WALLER
Executive Member (Externals Team)

Nationality: United States
School: Tokyo University of the Arts/PhD
Arrival in Japan: 2012-2013 (Internship), Returned to Japan in 2018
Kami’s research focuses on challenging societal norms and expectations in artistic practice, with a focus on ceramics. They also work as an editor, developer, and digital accessibility consultant for companies both in Japan and abroad.

Mohamed BOUJLIDA
Executive Core Team Member

Nationality: Tunisia
School: Osaka University/Masters
Arrival in Japan: 2015
Mohamed is a Machine Learning Engineer at a leading IT firm in Japan, specializing in AI and large dataset analysis. He moved to Japan in 2015 and earned his Associate, Bachelor’s, and Master’s degrees. He now focuses on developing machine learning models in his professional role.

Advisors

Anirban CHAKRABORTY
Regionals Advisor/Co-Founder

Nationality: India
School: Kyoto University / PhD
Arrival in Japan: 2015.

Karthik RAMPALLI
Global Strategy Advisor/ Co-Founder

Nationality: India
School: Tokyo Institute of Technology / Undergraduate
Arrival in Japan: 2015.

Stéphane FOUCHÉ
Senior Advisor

Nationality: Haitian
School: Kyushu University / Japanese Studies
Arrival in Japan: 2013 – 2014 (Exchange), Returned to Japan in 2015.
Stéphane co-lead the early expansion efforts of HLAB, was the member of the co-founding team of Komatsu Summer School and founded the Harvard Japan Career Forum. He currently works as the youngest manager of one of Japan’s largest IT, Digital Contents & e-service platforms and is also the advisor to Taktopia.

Iris WIECZOREK
Senior Advisor

Nationality: German
School: Waseda University, Fukui University, Hamburg University / PhD
Arrival in Japan: In 1991, since then going back and forth.
Iris is President and CEO of IRIS Science Management Inc., a Tokyo-based consulting firm specializing in research management, policy advice, and support for global cooperation in science and research. She has profound practical expertise in research management in Europe and Japan. Among others, she acted as Founding Director of the Japan Office of the German Research Foundation (DFG) in Tokyo, retains a research position with the German Institute of Global and Area Studies (GIGA) in Hamburg, and is advising the Japanese government on research policy issues.

Gustavo DORE
Senior Advisor

Nationality: Brazilian
School: Keio University / Masters
Arrival in Japan: 2009
Gustavo is the CEO of Motify. He wants to change how people work through technology. Loves IoT, startups, videogames, AR and organization psychology. If you want to start a business in Japan, he might be able to help. =)