Dr. Hiroko Oe is a Principal Academic in Marketing at Faculty of Management, Bournemouth University. She holds a Ph.D. degree from Waseda University (Japan), MSc Regulation from the London School of Economics and Political Science, and BEcon from the University of Tokyo. After working for the Central Government, Japan as a policy maker and a coordinator, she moved to the academia. Her experiences include some UN activities in policy collaboration in the telecommunications field at OECD and ITU.

Her research field covers consumer behaviour, strategic marketing, communication sustainabilty, and entreneurial orientaitons.

Especially 2020-, Hiroko is researching mainly three fields. The first theme is lifestyle and longevity in Japan. For example, the village of Ogimi, on the Japanese island of Okinawa, is one of five longevity regions in the world (Blue Zone). While some supportive factors for longevity have been discussed, such as the plant-based diet, the slow life and the drinking of red wine, I am studying the case of Ogimi Village in Japan from a more cultural and ethnographic point of view, using the method of participant observation.

Second area of the research focuses on Japanese socio-cultural capital, and has been interested in the business practices that emphasise the non-economic value of Sanpo-Yoshi (good in three directions, which are buyers, suppliers, and society), which is deeply rooted in Japanese corporate culture, the social structures, and systems that underpin a sustainable Japanese society.

Finally, the third theme is on the relationship between forest bathing and well-being in Japan. As a unique element, I research the relationship between people's reverence for nature and natural assets, with a particular focus on Japanese spirituality.

These three areas of research provide useful guidance in examining the welfare and well-being of people in the post-corona era, when people's behaviour is restricted and their lifestyles are transformed. It also suggests that, because we live in a digital age, we should re-learn from the history and wisdom of our ancestors, who focused on the relationship between humans and nature to build a sustainable lifestyle.

Some other activities include:
-UN International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Expert Member for the ITU WTP-21 (2020-), https://www.itu.int/en/wtpf-21/Pages/default.aspx
-ITU/WHO Focus Group on artificial intelligence for health (FG-AI4H), member (2020-), https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-T/focusgroups/ai4h/Pa
-Mentor, Network of Women for World Telecommunication Development Conference, ITU/UN
-Editorial Board member as Topic Editor of Sustainability (Journal: ISSN 2071-1050; CODECN:SUSTDE)
- Chief editor, Economit Journal: Scientific Journal of Accountancy, Management and Finance, e-ISSN: 2775-5827 || p-ISSN: 2775-5800
- Organiser, Thai Community of BU MSc International Management Forum, ผู้จัดงาน, กลุ่มคนไทยในมหาวิทยาลัยบอร์นมัท (BU liaison: Sitsada, Bangkok liaisons: Kanut, Rachaya, & Katchakorn)
- Coordinator, Business Incubating [email protected] IM
- UNESCO Science and Scientific Researchers network member https://en.unesco.org/themes/ethics-science-and-technology/recommendation_science
- UK Lead, Research project on the integrative social system studies (Visiting Professor at Shinshu University)

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