Experts
Program Officer
Sophian Whayeb
Affiliation
West Asia and Islam Unit
West Asia and Islam Program
Expertise/Areas of interest
International relations and diplomatic studies of the West Asia and North Africa (WANA) region | Global Business History
Languages
Japanese / English / Arabic / Conversational Chinese
Academic/Professional Background
Born in Tokyo. After serving as Secretary to the Commercial Attaché at the Embassy of the Republic of Iraq in Japan, and as a Fixed-term Administrative Officer in the Development General Management Division of the International Cooperation Bureau at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, he engaged in various research assignments at a Japanese-affiliated company. Currently, he is a Program Officer in the West Asia and Islam Unit at the Sasakawa Peace Foundation. Graduated from the Faculty of International Studies at Meiji Gakuin University. He is also a Ph.D. candidate in the Institute for the Study of Global Issues, Graduate School of Social Sciences, Hitotsubashi University (M.A. in Sociology from the same institution). Since 2026, Also serves as an External Research Fellow (Iraq politics) at the Middle East Research Center, Institute of Energy Economics, Japan (IEEJ).
| 2010 | Secretary to the Commercial Attaché at the Embassy of the Republic of Iraq in Japan |
| 2020 | Fixed-term Administrative Officer, Development General Management Division, International Cooperation Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan |
| 2021 | Conducted research and supported business development initiatives for Japanese firms |
| 2025 | Program Officer in the West Asia and Islam Program at the Sasakawa Peace Foundation |
Projects
- Comprehensive, Future-Oriented Engagement with the Arab World
- Promote Understanding and Dialogue between the Middle East and Japan
- Building Strategic Japan-Iran Ties
Papers
| Master Thesis | Date of Master Thesis |
|---|---|
| Governance Challenges in Post-Conflict Reconstruction in Iraq | 2022 |
Publications
| Publication | Publishing company | Date of Publication |
|---|---|---|
| "Book Guide: Thinking About Peace" (Co-editor) | International Peace Research Institute, Meiji Gakuin University (PRIME) | 2021 |
Others
- Tenor
As of June 11, 2026