Dr. Yutaro Sakai is an Associate Professor and an Excellent Young Researcher at the Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Tokyo. He received a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Calgary, and an MS and a BS from the University of Tokyo. Prior to starting the Ph.D. program, he was receiving a Research Fellowship for Young Scientists from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS). His research fields are fisheries economics, environmental and resource economics, health economics, and econometrics. In addition, he was awarded The 2022 Japan Prize in Agricultural Sciences, The Achievement Award for Young Scientists, The 2021 University of Tokyo Excellent Young Researcher, The 2018 Honorable Mention, Aquaculture Economics Paper Contest, The 2015 Best Student Paper Award, and The 2014 Best Graduate Student Teaching Award.
Nobuyuki Yagi is a Professor at the Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, the University of Tokyo. The area of his study includes economic development and marine policy. Before joining the University in 2008, he worked for the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries in Japan. He received a graduate degree (MBA) from the Wharton School (Class of 1994) of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, US, and a doctoral degree from the Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, the University of Tokyo, Japan, in 2008. He served as a bureau member of the OECD Committee for Fisheries from 2003 to 2008 as well as a member of the friends of the chair group for WTO (World Trade Organization) Rules Negotiation for fisheries subsidies from 2006 to 2008. He was a member of the Executive Committee of the IIFET (International Institute of Fisheries Economics & Trade) from 2014 to 2018 and an expert of the IPBES (Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services) in its group on values from 2014 to 2018. He also served as a member of Scientific Advisory Group (SAG) of the Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS) Program of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) from 2019 to 2023.
