Maiko Nishi is a Japanese national. She graduated from Waseda University, Japan, with a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering in 1998. She received a Master of Engineering majoring in Urban Engineering from the University of Tokyo in 2000, and an M.A. in Development Studies from the Institute of Social Studies, the Netherlands in 2003.
She began her career as a consultant in urban planning and area development in Japan, and experienced both overseas and domestic projects including those relating to spatial planning, rural water supply and regional development. Prior to joining the UNU Institute of Advanced Studies (UNU-IAS), she was Junior Professional Fellow at Ishikawa International Cooperation Research Centre (IICRC) where she carried out the operational and programmatic activities and assisted in research on environmental policy issues related to the conservation and sustainable use of ecosystems, among other themes.
She joined UNU-IAS in November 2007 as Programme Associate to work on Sub-global Assessments (SGAs). She is responsible for providing the coordinating role to support the SGAs initiated during the course of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) as well as new SGAs that continue to emerge in the wake of the MA. In addition, she plays a role as a focal point for the sub-global assessment on satoyama and satoumi in Japan.