PROFILE

Short Biography

Naomi Aoki is a professor of public administration and management in the Graduate School of Public Policy (GraSPP) at the University of Tokyo, Japan. After studying International Relations at Johns Hopkins University, she worked at the World Bank, where she developed a keen interest in public administration reforms. This led her to earn a PhD in public administration from Syracuse University, after which she served on the faculty of the National University of Singapore (2011-2020) before joining GraSPP in 2020. Also, she is currently scheduled to teach a course in the University of Tokyo’s College of Design, which is scheduled to open in 2027.

As a Researcher

Naomi Aoki has addressed emerging issues in public administration through an interdisciplinary fusion of approaches. Her recent interest is to empirically explore the societal implications of the use of AI in the public sector, among other topics. These interests are reflected in a paper she co-authored, analyzing the results of survey experiments on explainable AI (XAI) in government, published in Government Information Quarterly (2024), and an award-winning paper on “zero bureaucracy and invisible government” published in the Asia Pacific Journal of Public Administration (2025).

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As an Educator 

Naomi Aoki currently teaches Introduction to Public Management and Policy Process and Negotiation at GraSPP, from a global and comparative perspective that reflects the diverse, international career path she has pursued over the past decade. At the National University of Singapore and the University of Tokyo she has taught students and professionals of various ages at different stages of their careers. She has also been involved in executive education and training programs for public officials and civil servants from around the world. The map below indicates the countries and regions represented by her students and professionals to date.

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Her interview article, “Promoting Administrative Intelligence in Pursuit of Better public Administration and Management,” can be found here.