#faculty
Chika Kitano北野 知佳
Associate Professor
Ph.D. in Human Sciences, Osaka University
Email : dekura23 [at] fc.ritsumei.ac.jp (Replace "[at]" with "@")
Office Location : AC5402
Education History /
Work Experience
Education history
April 2014 – March 2020
Graduate School of Human Sciences, Osaka University
Doctoral Program (PhD)
Specialization: Internationalization of Education
September 2012 – November 2013
University of London, Goldsmiths College
Master of Arts (MA)
Education: Culture, Language and Identity
Work experience
April 2025 – Present
Associate Professor, College of Global Liberal Arts, Ritsumeikan University
April 2024 – March 2025
Contract Lecturer, Language Education Center, Ritsumeikan University
April 2020 – March 2025
Part-time Lecturer, Kyoto University of the Arts
April 2023 – March 2024
Visiting Collaborative Researcher, Ritsumeikan Global Innovation Research Organization
April 2020 – March 2023
Contract Lecturer, Language Education Center (in charge of courses for the Faculty of Comprehensive Psychology), Ritsumeikan University
September 2019 – March 2020
Research Assistant, Center for Research and Development of Higher Education and Admissions, Osaka University
April 2017 – March 2020
Part-time Lecturer, Osaka Shoin Women’s University
June 2018 – March 2019
Part-time Lecturer, Department of Psychology, Ritsumeikan University
April 2006 – August 2012
Full-time Administrative Staff, Ritsumeikan University
Specialization /
Research Interests
Research keywords
Gender and identity in Japan
(Re)construction of language learner identities
Study abroad and intercultural experience
Gender and career development
Language learning and mobility
Specialization / Research Interests
My specialization lies in sociolinguistics and gender studies, with a particular focus on how experiences of living abroad construct individuals’ perceptions of gender, career prospects, and identity. I am especially interested in how language learning and physical mobility contribute to the (re)construction of the self and relationships with others. More recently, I have expanded my research to examine idealized images of motherhood and their relationship to contemporary gender norms in Japan.
Message to Students
Nice to meet you! I joined GLA in 2025, and since then I have been spending truly inspiring days talking to GLA students from diverse cultural backgrounds, both in and outside the classroom. (This environment is also closely connected to my research, so it is personally and academically stimulating for me as well!)
Every time I see students sharing their diverse perspectives, I am reminded of the richness of learning that is unique to GLA. I strongly believe that here at GLA is an ideal place for those who want to experience a truly global learning environment.
I hope we can create a space together where we engage in dialogue, learn from one another, and grow together. I am very much looking forward to meeting all of you!