Yukio Hatoyama was educated as an engineer, earning a bachelor’s degree at the University of Tokyo (1969) and a doctorate at Stanford University (1976). He taught at Senshu University in Tokyo since 1981 and began his own political career as a member of the LDP, winning election in 1986 to the House of Representatives as a member from Hokkaido. In 1993, he left the LDP and took a position in the coalition government of Morihiro Hosokawa (founder of the reform Japan New Party), which lasted until 1994. Over the next few years, he joined the newly formed Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), serving as Co-Leader in 1996 and Deputy Secretary in 1997. He was Chairman from 1999 to 2002, Secretary-General from 2005 to 2009, and became President of DPJ from 2009. He was elected as Japan’s 93rd Prime Minister from September 2009 to June 2010. He also received the Order of Friendship of the Russian Federation in 2011 as well as the Vietnam Friendship Medal in 2013. Yukio Hatoyama has been the President of the East Asian Community Institute (EACI) since May 2013. He also serves in various positions, such as President of the Japan Yuai Association, Honorary Advisor of the International Academic Society for Asian Community, and Supreme Advisor of the Japan-Russia Society.