Akari Takenishi has recently completed a Master’s degree in International and Intercultural Communication at Royal Roads University in Canada.
She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Geography, focusing on the cultural and social aspects of Geography at the University of Victoria. She is interested in studying multiculturalism in Canada. Examining her personal experiences as an international student from Japan, she wrote about the influences of multiculturalism on self-representation of identity in society. While completing her Master’s, she also served as research assistant for a study examining the impacts of social media on higher education.
Akari has served as an interpreter and translator, believing that the power of knowledge is limitless and translation is one of the most influential ways to make knowledge reach a greater audience. She has translated several TED talks into Japanese, including:
- “You don’t need an app for that” By Toby Shapshak
- “Don’t insist on English” By Patricia Ryan
- “How to air-condition outdoor spaces” By Wolfgang Kessling
- “Learning from Sherman the shark” by Jim Toomey
- “The economic injustice of plastic” by Van Jones
Having grown up in a small village in Japan, she appreciates nature and enjoys growing plants. She became involved in her family tea farm as a distributor dealing with a local tea shop in Canada. Her life has brought her unexpected opportunities and excitement and she feels fortunate to be surrounded by friends, family and mentors who support her personal life as well as academic pursuits. Her academic interests include:
- Designing a platform where small farmers around the world can share their knowledge and experience with sustainable farming methods, resource management, and reliable market building.
- Investigating the role of eco-politics in international relations and how it challenges international relations theory in global environmental conflicts.
- Investigating the academic language proficiency of international graduate students studying in North America and the accuracy of scores of English proficiency tests in portraying academic language skills.
Akari is currently increasing her translation skills, focusing on articles and journals related to intercultural communication and competence. She would like to connect with any individuals or groups who share similar academic interests to discuss future projects and opportunities. As a recent graduate, she is excited to share her knowledge and skills, and learn more from others, hoping that she can be a part of a positive change for a socially and environmentally sustainable future.
Work for CID:
Akari Takenishi wrote KC92: Kintsugi, and also translated it into Japanese.
Center for Intercultural Dialogue 
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