URATA Shujiro is a Professor Emeritus, at Waseda University. He is also Chairman Emeritus of the Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI), Specially Appointed Fellow at the Japanese Centre for Economic Research (JCER), Distinguished Senior Fellow at the Institute of Developing Economies (IDE-JETRO), and President of the East Asian Economic Association (EAEA). Professor URATA received his B.A. in Economics from Keio University, M.A. and Ph.D. in Economics from Stanford University. He is a former Research Associate at the Brookings Institution, an Economist at the World Bank. He specializes in international economics and has published a number of books and articles on international economic issues. His recent books include Achieving Inclusive Growth in the Asia Pacific, co-editor, Australian National University Press, 2020, Enhancing SME Participation in Global Value Chains, editor, Asian Development Bank Institute, 2021, The Effect of Globalisation on Firm and Labour Performance, co-editor, Routledge, 2021, Globalization and Its Economic Consequences: Looking at APEC Economies, co-editor. Routledge, 2021, Sustainable Development Disciplines for Humanity, co-editor, Springer, 2022, Sustainable Development Disciplines for Society, co-editor, Springer, 2022, Political Economy of East Asian Economic Integration: The Process of the RCEP Negotiations and Beyond, Routledge, 2025.