Maria Guajardo (she/her)
Professor at Soka University | Licensed clinical psychologist | Founding director of the Women’s Leadership Initiative at Soka University
Maria Guajardo is a Professor in the field of Leadership Studies at Soka University, Tokyo, Japan. Previously she served as Dean and Vice-President, with the distinction of being the first female and the first non-Japanese to serve in both of these positions. Her research and publications focus on women, leadership, critical pedagogy, and globalization in higher education. She recently published two book chapters: Global Citizenship Education and Humanism: A Process of Becoming and Knowing (2021), and The Space in Between: A Letter to an Immigrant Child (2022). She is currently co-editing the book: Value Creating Education: Teacher’s Perceptions and Practices (in press). Her work in diversity, equity, and inclusion has taken her from Malaysia to Mumbai, and from Singapore to South Africa. A deep commitment to access and justice frames her presence with students in the tradition of bell hooks, Paulo Freire, Parker Palmer, and T. Makiguchi. Maria, a licensed clinical psychologist, daughter of Mexican immigrants, lives in Tokyo with her son, and is working on her fourth language, Japanese.
Maria will be joining us for a conversation on Global Leadership with Roger Wilson, on Thursday 23 February 2023, 10:00am – 12:00pm, as part of the Inclusive Practice in Action (IPIA) Global, Inclusive Leadership series.
To find out more and book your free tickets, click here.
