“Minister Kono Taro has been an exemplary leader in Japan for over two decades,” said Dr. Henry Kissinger. “His expertise has positively impacted Japan’s economy, healthcare system, armed forces, and foreign policy. I am confident in the work that he will do to advance cooperation on international data flow.”
WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 18, 2023) — The McCain Institute at Arizona State University (ASU) today announced the Honorable Kono Taro as its honorary Kissinger Fellow. Currently serving as Japan’s minister of digital transformation, Minister Kono will hold the Kissinger Fellowship in an honorary status for one year.
First elected to the Japanese Diet in 1996, Minister Kono has held several high-level cabinet positions in the Japanese government, including foreign minister from 2017-2019 and defense minister from 2019-2020. While minister for administrative reform and regulatory reform in 2020-2021, he led Japan’s COVID-19 vaccination drive. Most recently, Minister Kono stood as a candidate for prime minister before taking his post as minister of digital transformation at the Digital Agency of Japan.
As the McCain Institute’s honorary Kissinger Fellow, Minister Kono will use his vast diplomatic and policymaking experience to address the issue of data flow across borders by advancing an international framework that would include the United States, our G7 partners, and other like-minded countries. Minister Kono’s expertise regarding the technical aspects of creating and implementing such a project makes him uniquely qualified for such an important task.
“Minister Kono is a political maverick who embodies the Kissinger Fellowship’s ideals of statesmanship,” said McCain Institute Executive Director Dr. Evelyn Farkas. “An international framework for data sharing that bolsters privacy and security regulations is necessary to counter the autocrats’ approach to global data governance. We are honored and excited for Minister Kono to begin his work on this important issue as the McCain Institute’s honorary Kissinger Fellow.”
“It is a distinction to be offered the honorary Kissinger Fellowship,” said Minister Kono Taro. “Modern times call for modern regulations and a need for a regulated data exchange regime, complete with privacy and security standards, is what today’s economy calls for. Moreover, a framework that strengthens these shared standards is essential to build global trust among like-minded countries.”
“Minister Kono Taro has been an exemplary leader in Japan for over two decades,” said Dr. Henry Kissinger. “His expertise has positively impacted Japan’s economy, healthcare system, armed forces, and foreign policy. I am confident in the work that he will do to advance cooperation on international data flow.”
View Minister Kono’s full bio here.
About the Kissinger Fellowship
The Kissinger Fellowship upholds the core values of the McCain Institute’s character-driven leadership programs. It focuses on developing the strategic skills of future foreign policy and national security leaders with the kind of principles that are the hallmark of Dr. Henry A. Kissinger’s career.
About the McCain Institute at Arizona State University
The McCain Institute is a nonpartisan organization inspired by Senator John McCain and his family’s dedication to public service. We are part of Arizona State University and based in Washington, D.C. Our programs advance democracy and human rights, empower character-driven leaders, combat human trafficking, and prevent targeted violence. Our unique power to convene leaders across the global political spectrum enables us to make a real impact on the world’s most pressing challenges. Our goal is action, not talk, and like Senator McCain, we are fighting to create a free, safe, and just world for all.
About Arizona State University
Arizona State University has developed a new model for the American research university, creating an institution that is committed to access, excellence, and impact. ASU measures itself by those it includes, not by those it excludes. As the prototype for a New American University, ASU pursues research that contributes to the public good, and ASU assumes major responsibility for the economic, social, and cultural vitality of the communities that surround it.
