As the STAR Country Director for Japan, Dr. Thatcher A. Spero promotes internationalization, global citizenship, and practices for equity, diversity, and inclusion in higher education institutions.
Dr. Spero is an Assistant Professor of Education in the School of International Liberal Studies at Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan, and a former Lecturer in the Department of Educational Policy Studies at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, Wisconsin, USA. He has been involved in international higher education for 20 years, and has extensive experience in multicultural and multilingual education, including TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages), EAP (English for Academic Purposes), and CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) teaching. Exploring the interconnections between identity, culture, education, and globalization, his scholarship focuses on the anthropology of education and sociology of education, while intersecting the areas of global studies in education (e.g. global education policy studies) and critical studies in education (e.g. critical curriculum studies and critical policy analysis) within the realm of comparative and international education and higher education internationalization. He is particularly interested in English-medium instruction, the internationalization of higher education in non-Anglophone countries, and critical internationalization.
Dr. Thatcher A. Spero says, “Promoting and being a part of the STAR community is an important way to advance more diverse forms of globalization and education research. Our exchange of ideas and collaborations can advance progressive forms of education that make positive contributions to society in this global age by facilitating interculturalism, internationalism, and transnationalism. It is an honor to be a part of the STAR community and play a role in this ongoing project.”
E-mail: spero@aoni.waseda.jp