Global perspectives on mayoral leadership: UK and Japan mayors in conversation at Nottingham Business School
Join Nottingham Business School’s Centre for Economy, Policy and Place as we host a conversation between Claire Ward, Mayor of the East Midlands Combined County Authority, and Aki Takehisa, former Mayor of Setouchi City in Japan, where they will explore devolution, fiscal autonomy, wellbeing, place-based identities and consensus building in multi-level governance.
In addition, you will hear keynote insights from Professor Anne Green of City-REDI at the University of Birmingham.
Type of event: In conversation
From: Thursday 15 January 2026, 6 pm
To: Thursday 15 January 2026, 7.30 pm
Registration: From 5:30 pm for a 6 pm start.
Booking deadline: Thursday 15 January 2026, 3.30 pm
Event details
The Centre for Economy, Policy and Place at Nottingham Business School (NBS) is hosting a conversation between Claire Ward, Mayor of the East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA), and Aki Takehisa, former Mayor of Setouchi City in Japan.
The event will open with remarks from Professor Dave Petley, Vice-Chancellor of Nottingham Trent University, followed by keynote insights from Professor Anne Green of City-REDI at the University of Birmingham (UoB), whose work focuses on comparative approaches to mayoral governance in England and Japan.
Claire and Aki will then explore critical themes 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.
The session will conclude with a Q&A and reflections from Professor Anne Green.
Agenda for the evening:
- Welcome – Professor Dave Petley
- Introduction to the event – Professor Will Rossiter
- Speakers – Professor Anne Green/Dr. Abigail Taylor, City REDI, UoB– Devolution/Mayoral Governance in England/Japan
- The Mayors in conversation - Claire Ward and Aki Takehasia
- Q&A
- Professor Anne Green – reflections on the discussion.
About Claire Ward and Aki Takehisa
Claire Ward - Mayor of the East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA).
Elected in 2024. She leads one of England’s newest devolved authorities, championing regional economic growth, transport infrastructure, and skills development. Her vision emphasises collaboration across local councils and central government to deliver inclusive prosperity for communities in the East Midlands.
Akinari Takehisa - Former Mayor of Setouchi City and Visiting Researcher at Nottingham Trent University.
Aki Takehisa served as the directly elected Mayor of Setouchi City, Japan, for four terms (16 years). A former Deloitte consultant with an MBA from the University of Birmingham, he is currently a Visiting Researcher at Nottingham Business School, specializing in comparative research on mayoral accountability.
