PROF. DR. FUMITAKA FURUOKA

Fumitaka Furuoka is a Japanese economist who has lived in Malaysia since 1987. From 1991 to 1999, he worked as a senior assistant at the Consulate General of Japan in Penang. Fumitaka then moved to academia and has taught economics for 25 years at three Malaysian public universities, namely, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, and Universiti Malaya.

His academic expertise is in the field of applied economics which involves applying economic and econometric theories to address real-world critical economic issues and problems. As an applied economist, he aims to provide insights from his research for hammering out effective policies that foster sustainable development, enable a reduction of regional disparities, and move society towards achieving economic and social justice. 

In his research in the field of applied economics, he focuses on economic equity between countries (i.e., the problem of inequality of economic development level in different countries), as well as economic equity within countries (i.e., the problem of inequality of income distribution in a specific country). Regarding economic equity between countries, he has conducted extensive research on diverse and pertinent global economic issues, such as poverty reduction, unemployment, economic growth/development, and renewable energy. In 2006, he published a book on Japanese foreign aid titled New Challenges for Japan’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) Policy. The book examines how Japan’s aid policy can contribute to reducing poverty and improving the well-being of developing countries, particularly Southeast Asian economies.

As to economic equity within countries, the main focus of Fumitaka's research is promoting “employment for all” which is closely aligned with Target 8 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). He strongly believes that employment for all, including people with disabilities, is the basic foundation for a sustainable and more humane economy (Ekonomi Madani). This belief has led him to write a book on employment for people with disabilities entitled Disability and Employment: Towards a Humanistic Economy. The book was published by Springer in 2024. This research direction has a strong practical orientation, and Fumitaka considers work in this area to be of ultimate importance for achieving economic equity and providing employment opportunities to people with disabilities. In short, his research aims to identify barriers and initiate policies that promote and enable economic inclusion, employment, and justice for all.