Devolution and economic growth will be highlighted when the Mayor of the East Midlands joins a former Japanese mayor for a discussion centred around mayoral leadership.
The Centre for Economy, Policy and Place at Nottingham Business School (NBS) is organising the event which brings together Mayor Claire Ward with Aki Takehisa, former mayor of Setouchi City, Japan.
The in-conversation style session next month will see Mayor Claire and Mr Takehisa explore critical themes around mayoral leadership, such as devolution, fiscal autonomy and the balance between economic growth and wellbeing. They will also delve into the importance of place-based identities and consensus building in multi-level governance.
Mr Takehisa served as mayor of Setouchi City, Japan, for 16 years, from 2009–25, leading initiatives on inclusive growth, wellbeing, and sustainable development.
The former councillor earned an MBA in public service from the University of Birmingham and worked with Deloitte as a consultant to local authorities. He also taught public management at Kwansei Gakuin University in Japan. Currently, he is a visiting researcher at NBS, pursuing a PhD on mayoral accountability in Japan and the UK.
The event is the first in a new series of events promoted by the Centre for Economy, Policy and Place at NBS, Nottingham Trent University (NTU), which combines research on economic and public policy with a focus on place, public services and applied economics.
Following opening remarks from Prof Dave Petley, NTU vice-chancellor, keynote insights will be provided by Prof Anne Green, from the University of Birmingham’s City-Region Economic Development Institute (City-REDI), whose research examines comparative approaches to mayoral governance in England and Japan.
The mayoral leadership discussion will be hosted by Prof Will Rossiter, centre director and professor of regional policy and development at NBS.
Prof Rossiter said: “This event marks an exciting moment for the Centre for People, Policy and Place. By bringing together leaders from the UK and Japan, we aim to explore how mayoral governance can shape inclusive, sustainable growth and strengthen the connection between policy and place. It’s a unique opportunity to share insights across international contexts and learn from different approaches to leadership.”
The mayoral leadership event, which will take place on Thursday 15 January 2026, from 6-7.30pm, will conclude with a question-and-answer session and reflections from Prof Green. To attend, click here to book a place.
This centre brings together researchers working on economic and public policy issues with an emphasis on ‘place’, public and emergency services and applied economics. The Centre is placing renewed focus on the ‘place’ dimension of its activities in response to opportunities created by devolution and local government reorganisation.
Nottingham Business School is a leader in experiential learning and personalisation of business, management and economics education and research, combining academic excellence with positive impact on people, business and society. With more than 8,500 students, NBS is also one of UK’s largest business schools.
In The Guardian University Guide 2026, all NBS courses were ranked in the UK Top 20. Subject areas covering accounting and finance, business and management, economics and marketing and PR were all recognised for excellence in teaching, high student satisfaction and strong graduate career prospects.
Nottingham Trent University has been named UK ‘University of the Year’ five times in six years. It is fourth in the UK for number of undergraduate students, with more than 36,000 students and 4,000 staff located across six campuses. It has an international student population of 6,000 and an NTU community representing more than 160 countries.
Published on: 30 December 2025
Categories: News, Governance