Momoko Kitada is a former seafarer and her research interests lie in gender and diversity issues in shipping, in particular, women seafarers and seafarers’ families in terms of identities and welfare issues. She teaches subjects in Maritime Education and Training (MET), including cultural issues, knowledge management, assessment methodology, and contemporary labour issues. Momoko’s research expands to the human element and social aspects in maritime energy management as well as capacity building for sustainable development. She also teaches research methodology and study skills for MSc students. Momoko is engaged in international collaborations, for example, Associate Researcher at the Seafarers International Research Centre (SIRC) – Cardiff University; Guest Lecturer at Open University, Japan; and Adjunct Professor at the AMET University, India.

Momoko joined WMU in 2011 and serves as a Professor as well as in the Secretariat of the WMU Women’s Association (WMUWA). She leads WMU’s collaboration efforts with the IMO in terms of women’s integration in the maritime sector and assists WMUWA in connection with other IMO regional support networks. Her previous work experience includes positions within both the private and public sectors, such as several major Japanese companies and organisations of trading, manufacturing, banking, social welfare and international aid (1994-2003); voluntary work for the Department of Conservation of New Zealand (1998); national leader of the 13th ‘Ship for World Youth’ programme (2000); internship at the Japanese Shipowners’ Association, London (2003); research assistant for the IAMU research project (2003-2004); research fellow at SIRC – Cardiff University; writer for the monthly shipping magazine ‘Kaiun’ (2007-2009).

The major publications are“Maritime Women: Global Leadership”(2015, Springer); “Risk management no shinzui [The Essence of Risk Management]”(2017, Seizando); and “Trends and Challenges in Maritime Energy Management” (forthcoming in 2018, Springer).