Professor Kenzo Hiroki was appointed Commander of the Order of Orange-Nassau by the Kingdom of the Netherlands at a conferment ceremony at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Japan on April 23, 2024.

The Order of Oranier-Nassau, established in 1892, is the main order of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, corresponding to the decorations of Japan and the Legion of Honour of France. Among those titles, Commander of the Order of Oranier-Nassau, which is conferred upon a person for their important achievements on an international or global scale, is the highest order awarded to a civilian. This is the first time in 47 years that a Japanese in academia has been awarded this order.

Professor Hiroki’s specialties are water disaster and international cooperation. A professor at GRIPS, he has shared his extensive knowledge and expertise with students from around the world and supervised international conferences such as the World Water Forum over the years. Furthermore, he has served as an important advisor to heads of state. From 2016 to 2018, he made policy recommendations and conducted awareness-raising activities with many heads of government, including the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the UN Secretary General, and the President of the World Bank. He laid the foundation for the historic UN 2023 Water Conference, the first such UN conference in 46 years, co-hosted by the Netherlands and Tajikistan.

More than 20 people attended the ceremony, including senior officials from relevant ministries and agencies, senior UN officials, academics from the Netherlands and Japan, and officials of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Japan. Representing GRIPS, President Hiroko Ota and Board of Trustees member Narushige Michishita attended. The title Commander of the Order of Oranier-Nassau, awarded by His Majesty King Willem Alexander of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, was conferred upon Professor Hiroki by Theo Peters, Chargé d'Affaires ad interim of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Japan.

[Comments from Prof. Hiroki]

It is a great honor to receive the Order of the Commander of the Order of Oranier-Nassau from His Majesty the King of the Netherlands. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to my many senior colleagues, colleagues, and friends, including those from the Government of Japan and the Netherlands, GRIPS, the Society for Civil Engineering and Water Resources, the United Nations and other international organizations, to whom I am indebted for their guidance, support, and cooperation. I would also like to express my deepest gratitude to and share my joy with my family, who have supported me despite my incessant missions and fulfilling duties. In the face of accelerating climate change, there are many challenges to be overcome in the work of solving water and disaster problems, and to that end I would like to deepen my cooperation with researchers and stakeholders around the world, and continue to do my utmost every step of the way.

・Professor Kenzo Hiroki’s profile

https://www.grips.ac.jp/list/en/facultyinfo/hiroki-kenzo/