Kokoro Nishiyama

Kokoro Nishiyama was selected as the inaugural Japan Chair Intern at the Vienna Center for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation (VCDNP). In February 2024, the Japanese government selected the VCDNP to establish this Chair, with a view to promoting and facilitating work toward a world without nuclear weapons.

As a young woman who has roots in Nagasaki, Kokoro has been always committed to nuclear disarmament activities and studies. After her participation in the 2017 CIF, Kokoro was selected as a Youth Communicator for a World without Nuclear Weapons by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In this role, she passed down the testimonies of Hibakusha, survivors of the nuclear bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, by utilizing technology. During her studies at International Christian University, she supported work at the Peace Research Center and completed an internship at Reach Alternatives, a non-governmental organization dedicated to conflict prevention and peace-building in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. During her Master’s degree in Nonproliferation and Terrorism Studies at MIIS, she assisted in organizing the Critical Issues Forum. Furthermore, in 2022 Kokoro received a Grand Prize in the Nuclear Disarmament Essay Contest sponsored by RECNA. As an alumna of both MIIS and CIF, Kokoro is a perfect selection for this prestigious position.

She is now a graduate research student at Nagasaki University’s Graduate School and works with the Nagasaki Research Center on Nuclear Weapons Abolition (RECNA)

In her words:

“I joined the VCDNP as an intern in the Japan Chair for a World without Nuclear Weapons program in July 2024, supporting research on nuclear disarmament and multilateral diplomacy on nuclear weapons issues. VCDNP provides an ideal environment for pursuing peace beyond the constructs of nuclear abolition and nonproliferation, helping explore wide-ranging nuclear issues. I have thoroughly enjoyed this experience and will continue to seek ways to create a peaceful world that can reduce and eliminate the risks posed by nuclear weapons.”

Photo: VCDNP