Katsuhiro Umemoto Professor
School of Knowledge Science（Department of Knowledge Science・Social Knowledge）

■Degrees

BA from Kyushu University (1975), Ph.D.from the George Washington University (1997)

■Professional Career

Associate at Hitotsubashi University (1977-1985)

■Specialties

knowledge management, public policy, regional environmental policy,

■Research Keywords

knowledge management, policy, social welfare, environment

■Research Interests

(1) The Policy Process as Knowledge Creation
The conventional perspective on the role of knowledge in the policy process is how decision makers utilize knowledge produced by experts (e.g., policy analysts or academic scholars). By contrast, my perspective is that the policy process can be viewed as knowledge creation, in which decision makers themselves create knowledge by synthesizing experts' knowledge and his own (e.g., personal experiences, worldviews, or ideological beliefs). Moreover, all participants into the policy process (e.g., not only decision makers, policy analysts, and outside experts but also the public, mass media, think tanks, interest groups, lobbyists) contribute in one way or another to the policy process by inputting their knowledge or information. My goal is to build a theory of the policy process from that perspective.
(2) Indigenous Knowledge
Knowledge of indigenous people such as Ainu and native Americans has been suppressed as "nonscientific." Now, however, their vast knowledge of plants and animals they have accumulated over thousands years has been utilized as valuable resources for sustainable development. Several international organizations have set up programs for that purpose. I am collecting those practical cases and developing a theoretical framework for the more effective fusion of indigenous and scientific knowledge.
(3) Women's Knowledge
Knowledge of women has also been as disregarded as "inferior" to knowledge of men. I am interested in differences, if any, between knowledge possessed by men and women, and relationships between gender (i.e., social, often biased, knowledge about roles of both sexes) and knowledge, particularly female scientists and engineers. Women's knowledge and their intellectual capacity have been underutilized especially in Japan, which I think be remedied to revitalize the Japanese economy and society.
(4) Knowledge Management
I have been conducting case studies of knowledge manegement practices in Japanese companies in order to refine the Professor Ikujiro Nonaka's theory of organizational knowledge creation. In addition, I am building a theory of "the knowledge-creating community," which aims at a knowledge-based community development, while collecting vignettes of knowledge creation in various areas throughout Japan.

■Publications

■Extramural Activities