Event Overview:
Amid significant global uncertainty—with major economic, social, and environmental challenges—the need for responsible leadership has never been more urgent. At the same time, the opportunities to cultivate good leadership have never been greater. In this special event, students will have the unique opportunity to engage with Yukihisa Fujita—a distinguished statesman, humanitarian, and peacebuilder—who brings decades of experience on the front lines of global leadership, conflict resolution, and humanitarian assistance.
Mr Fujita has spent a lifetime addressing some of the world’s most complex challenges—from delivering aid to Cambodian refugees and launching grassroots initiatives across Africa, to working alongside global icons such as Nelson Mandela. His journey serves as a powerful reminder of the transformative potential of leadership rooted in courage, humility, and a profound commitment to peace.
In this session, Mr Fujita will share his perspective on leadership through reflections on world leaders. He will also explore concrete ways in which young and future leaders can contribute to trust-building, offering insight into how leadership can be grounded in trust rather than personal gain.
Together, we will consider essential questions for emerging leaders: How can leadership foster peace in an increasingly divided world? What relationships and values are needed to navigate conflict with integrity? And how can each of us begin shaping a vision for good leadership in a complex world?
The event will be conversational in nature, beginning with a photo presentation by Mr Fujita reflecting on his personal leadership journey. This will be followed by ample time for discussion and questions, providing participants with the opportunity to engage meaningfully with his experiences and insights.
About the Speaker:
Yukihisa Fujita is a distinguished Japanese statesman, humanitarian, and advocate for international peacebuilding, with decades of experience in conflict resolution and humanitarian assistance. His lifelong commitment to good leadership and peaceful reconciliation began following a dramatic encounter with Japan’s past mistakes—travelling with youth from across Asia and the Pacific to confront difficult historical truths and promote healing.
Mr Fujita began his humanitarian work in 1975, when he joined Moral Re-Armament—now known as Initiatives of Change (IC)—an international movement focused on peacebuilding and reconciliation. Through IC, he contributed to initiatives across Asia and Europe, fostering dialogue and trust across cultural and political divides. In parallel, he became a key figure in the Association for Aid and Relief, Japan’s pioneering NGO for refugee assistance. There, he helped launch humanitarian operations in Cambodia, Zimbabwe, and Zambia, expanding the organisation’s reach to over 60 countries. Since 2022, he has served as Chairman of the International IC Association of Japan.
Building on this foundation of grassroots engagement, Mr Fujita later entered public service and went on to serve in both chambers of Japan’s National Diet—twice elected to the House of Representatives and twice to the House of Councillors. As Vice Minister of Finance (2011–2012), he played a central role in Japan’s response and recovery efforts following the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami. He also held several senior positions, including Shadow Foreign Minister (2017) and Director General of the Democratic Party’s International Department on five occasions.
Throughout his political career, Mr Fujita helped shape policies to support a wide range of victim communities. These included refugees from Asia, Africa, and beyond; former prisoners of war who suffered under the Japanese military; atomic bomb survivors; former Japanese detainees in Siberia; Chinese foster parents of Japanese war orphans; and war criminals from the Korean Peninsula. His efforts spanned both governmental and non-governmental initiatives, demonstrating the enduring impact of reconciliation rooted in compassion and moral responsibility.
He has led numerous reconciliation and humanitarian missions in some of the world’s most challenging regions, including disaster relief operations in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Haiti. He also played a key role in establishing refugee support offices in Macedonia (1999) during the Kosovo crisis and in Kabul (2002) for Afghan refugees. Additionally, he led Japanese government initiatives to promote reconciliation with former American prisoners of war.
In recent years, Mr Fujita has arranged high-level dialogues in Japan among religious leaders from conflict-affected regions such as Ukraine, Russia, Turkey, Palestine, Israel, Myanmar, and Cambodia—providing safe spaces for opposing sides to meet and reflect. His work underscores a powerful truth: in an increasingly divided world, individual relationships and unselfish care—not only by political or religious leaders, but also by ordinary people, especially youth—can make a transformative difference.
Further details about his work and ongoing initiatives can be found at: https://www.y-fujita.com
About the Moderator:
Shireen Kalra is the Programme Coordinator at the Oxford Character Project (Global Leadership Programme), where she works on character-driven leadership initiatives for a young and diverse global audience. Previously, Shireen served as Programme Coordinator for the United Nations Millennium Fellowship, an international leadership development initiative by the Millennium Campus Network in partnership with United Nations Academic Impact. Deeply committed to youth-led advocacy, she has engaged with global decision-makers at key platforms, including the 2024 Summit of the Future during UN General Assembly Week and the 30th Harvard Project for Asian and International Relations.
Shireen holds an MSc in Higher Education (Distinction) from the University of Oxford, specialising in the politics of access and equity in elite university admissions. She graduated Summa Cum Laude with a degree in Political Science and International Relations from Ashoka University, with study abroad experiences at King’s College London (Public Policy and Social Justice) and the London School of Economics (International Human Rights Law).
A strong advocate for storytelling as a catalyst for change, Shireen is a two-time published fiction author who amplifies the voices of Indian youth. Her work explores the complexities and challenges that young people face in a divided world. With its authentic portrayal of youth resilience and their pursuit of a redefined future, her writing has been recognised by Lady Elish Angiolini, Pro Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford, and Dr Shashi Tharoor, Member of Parliament, India.