Dr. Ria Shibata holds a Ph.D. in Peace and Conflict Studies from the University of Otago, New Zealand. She is currently a Senior Research Fellow at the New Zealand Centre for Global Studies and the Toda Peace Institute in Japan, and a Visiting Scholar at the University of Auckland. A scholar-practitioner specializing in identity politics and conflict resolution, Dr. Shibata facilitates multi-track dialogues among academics and policymakers across Northeast Asia. Her research examines identity-driven conflicts, reconciliation, nationalism, and the role of historical memory in shaping interstate relations and regional stability. Extending this identity-based framework to environmental issues, she also investigates the intersections of climate-induced migration, land loss, indigenous knowledge, and cultural security for Pacific Island communities in the Asia-Pacific region