Institute of Japanese Studies Dr. Vincent B. Lesch

Profile:

Dr. Vincent B. Lesch has been a research associate at the Department of Japanese Studies at Heidelberg University since April 2022. Prior to that, he worked at the Department of Global Studies at Aarhus University in Denmark. In 2019, he received his Ph.D. from the Asia-Africa Institute at the University of Hamburg with a dissertation on NPO-led career guidance at urban high schools in Tokyo. 

Vincent Lesch’s research currently focusses on consumer education and consumer protection as part of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the Japanese education system and society. He focuses on educational policies and frameworks as well as the implementation of consumer education and consumer protection on the micro-level. NPOs play a major role in the area of consumer education and consumer protection as well as the implementation of the SDGs in educational institutions and the Japanese society in general. 

Since completing his degree, he has also served as head of the “Education” section of the German Association for Social Science Research on Japan (VSJF), promoting exchange between early-career researchers (especially students), established scholars, and the interested public. At Heidelberg University, he has been the deputy chair of the Friends and Alumni Network of Japanese Studies Heidelberg (FANJaH e.V.) since 2024. Founded in 2009, FANJaH connects current and former students as well as faculty members, fosters academic exchange, and supports Japanese Studies in Heidelberg in a sustainable way. Moreover, the association is actively involved in supporting students’ transition from university to the job market by establishing targeted connections with potential employers and relevant job platforms.