Akihiko Nishio | World Bank Institute (WBI)

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Akihiko Nishio

WBI Operations Department

Akihiko Nishio was appointed Director of Operations, the World Bank Institute (WBI) on April 1, 2009.  From September 1, 2006 to the time he joined WBI, he was the Director of the department responsible for the replenishment of the International Development Association (IDA), funds which are provided to the poorest countries as no-interest credits or grants, to finance operations in various sectors. 

Before his assignment on IDA, he worked mainly on China as the country program coordinator (1999-2004), and on Indonesia as an economist in the rural development sector unit (1989-98). 
He is a Japanese citizen, born in Saitama prefecture. After working for the Overseas Economic Cooperation Fund (currently Japan International Cooperation Agency) during 1983-88, he joined the World Bank as a Young Professional.  He has also worked on development projects in Chad, Hungary, Korea, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar and Thailand.

He received a BA in economics from Hitotsubashi University in Japan in 1983 and an M.Phil. in development from Cambridge University (as a British Council scholar) in 1986.  He also obtained a diploma from the Université Catholique de l’Ouest in Angers, France in 1982, where he studied as an undergraduate for a year. 

Publications:
His main publications include “Sulawesi’s Cocoa Boom: Lessons of Smallholder Dynamism and Hands-Off Policy” (Bulletin of Indonesian Economic Studies, The Australian National University, 1997) and “The Benefits of Land Registration and Titling: Economic and Social Perspectives” (Land Use Policy, 1999).