We will be holding Plenary Lectures at JpGU - AGU Joint Meeting. We sincerely hope that many researchers will attend.

Kate Kitagawa is a specialist in space education and is currently Professor of Practice in Space Research and Education at La Trobe University. Prior to her recent move to Melbourne, Australia, she worked at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) as Advisor to the Senior Vice President and Director of the Space Education Office. In this role, she represented JAXA in international space forums and chaired the International Space Education Board at the 2023 International Astronautical Congress, working with space agencies from around the world. She is deeply committed to expanding global access to education and has focused on developing learning modules and curriculum. Kate holds a BSc in mathematics and life sciences from the University of British Columbia, Canada, and a PhD in history from Princeton University, USA. Her earlier career with Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations shaped her interest in education as a form of cultural diplomacy, an approach reflected in the history courses she taught at Harvard University. She is also an accomplished author, with a national bestseller in Japan. Her co-authored book, The Secret Lives of Numbers: A Global of History of Mathematics & its Unsung Trailblazers, was shortlisted for the 2024 British Academy Book Prize and has been published in 14 languages worldwide. She regularly appears on television, radio, and digital media as a commentator on science, history, and education. Thriving in the Space Age: Global Science, New Opportunities, and Expanding Networks