Dr. Gakiya’s research aims to advance the understanding and practice of organizational learning and change. She takes an innovative approach to leadership education and social entrepreneurship, putting the focus on human resiliency, well-being, and peacebuilding. She is particularly interested in how the physical and psychosocial environment shapes human development and well being.
Her work is focused on leadership and resilience of vulnerable populations, especially women. She is particularly interested in issues around gender equality, poverty reduction and empowerment, with the goal of creating a healthy ecosystem based on humanistic moral and ethical principles.
Dr. Gakiya serves on the executive boards of several organizations and advises leaders of international development organizations, foundations, think-tanks, higher education institutions, and corporations. She was the Founding Faculty Director of Global Leadership Program for the Graduate School of Medicine at the University of Tokyo. She earned a doctorate degree in administration, planning and social policy in education, Harvard University after her postgraduate work at the University of Oxford.