Rui Kotani

Rui is Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Coordinator, Seconded Expert from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan (MEXT) to the GEO Secretariat since June 2021. Among numerous tasks, she is responsible for supporting GEO’s DRR Working Group and relevant Work Programme activities while working closely with UNDRR for the Sendai Framework on DRR.     

Before joining the GEO Secretariat, Rui worked for an international organization and various Japanese government agencies related to the design and the implementation of STI policies on global issues in the context of international cooperation and development aid. Namely, she served as Associate Senior Administrator at Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) [2020-2021]; Science and Technology Specialist for the Firm Capability and Innovation Global Practice at the World Bank [2018-2020]; Deputy Director for International Affairs in the Bureau of STI Bureau at the Cabinet Office [2015-2018]; Specialist for the Environment and Energy Division of R&D Bureau at MEXT [2012-2015], and Associate Fellow at Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) [2006-2012]. Rui received Master of International Affairs from Columbia University.