Yoko HIRAI

Yoko Hirai has served as vice president for TTI outreach since April 2024.

After beginning her professional career at Japan's Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, Hirai joined Tokyo Tech in 1990 as an administrative staff member of the School of Science Administration Division. She also worked in the General Affairs Division of the General Affairs Department before moving to the Overseas Fellowship Division of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) in 1993.

Hirai returned to the Institute in 1996. She worked in the Human Resources Division and the Foreign Students Division before becoming chief of the International Exchange Division within the Research Cooperation Department in 2002.

From 2003 to 2005, Hirai was chief of the Asian Program Division at JSPS. She became chief of the Research Administration Division at Tokyo Tech's Research Cooperation Department in 2005, and then deputy head of the Human Resources Division, General Affairs Department in 2007. She also served as the head of a regional National University Staff Recruitment Office from 2007 to 2009.

Since 2009, Hirai has held various administrative leadership positions at Tokyo Tech. She served as head of the Public Relations Division, head of the Human Resources Division, and head of the General Affairs Division between 2009 to 2017. Hirai was director of the Student Services Department from 2017 to 2018, and then became director of the General Affairs Department. From 2019 to 2021, she also served concurrently as director of the Schools Administration Office. Before her current position, Hirai was secretary and director of the Schools Administration Office from 2021 to 2023, and a specially appointed expert at Tokyo Tech from 2023 to 2024.

Hirai earned her bachelor's degree in the liberal arts from the Open University of Japan in 2001, and her master's degree in education from the University of Tokyo in 2007.