MITHILESH KUMAR SINGH

Mithilesh Kumar Singh is a Research Assistant at the Institute of Chinese Studies, New Delhi. He is a scholar in Japanese Studies, holding a Ph.D. from the School of International Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi, where he also completed his M.Phil. in Japanese Studies. His academic background includes an M.A. in Conflict Management and Development from the UNESCO Chair at the Malaviya Centre for Peace and Research, as well as a B.A. (Hons.) in Economics from Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi.

His research expertise lies in India-Japan relations, Japan’s involvement in Palestine, and Japan’s relations with West Asia. His doctoral thesis, “Japan’s Economic Assistance and Capacity Building in Palestine: Case Study of Corridor for Peace and Prosperity, 2007-2018,” reflects his in-depth exploration of Japan-Palestine relations. He is also deeply interested in peacebuilding and conflict studies.

In addition to his research, he has earned a diploma in Japanese Language and is proficient up to the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) N3 level. He has contributed to scholarly literature, including a chapter titled, “From Civilisational to Strategic Partnership: Walking the Road" in India-Japan Relations @70: Building Beyond the Bilateral.

He has actively participated in prestigious international conferences such as the 2021 Virtual Association of Asian Studies (AAS-in-ASIA) Annual Conference and the 2019 AAS-in-ASIA Conference in Bangkok. Additionally, he has undertaken specialised training through the Japanese Language Teacher Training Course and mini workshops conducted by the Japan Foundation in New Delhi. He also participated in the 4^th Collaborative Research Workshop for Aspiring Scholars in Japanese Studies at The Japan Foundation, Tokyo.

A recipient of notable fellowships, he has been awarded the Okita Memorial Fellowship by the Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR) and the Japan-East Asia Network of Exchange for Students and Youths Programme (JENESYS) by the Japan Foundation, New Delhi. Besides, he has qualified the UGC-National Eligibility Test (NET) in Buddhist, Jaina, Gandhian, and Peace Studies.