Yoshihiro Nishiaki received his B.A. and M.A. from the University of Tokyo and his Ph.D. from University College London. He began his academic career in 1991 as a post-doctoral fellow at the Institute for Advanced Studies on Asia at the University of Tokyo. He subsequently served as a professor at the University Museum until March 2026, where he also held the position of Director from 2020 to 2026.
In April 2026, he was appointed University Professor at the Chiba Institute of Technology to promote geo-cosmological research from an interdisciplinary perspective. At the same time, he has served as the director of the CIT Scientific Expedition to Türkiye since 2022.
His primary research interests lie in the prehistory of West and Central Asia, with a focus on the origins and development of farming socio-economics and the transition from Neanderthals to anatomically modern humans. Since 1984, he has led and participated in numerous field investigations across the region, including Paleolithic and Neolithic excavations in Syria, Iraq, Iran, Azerbaijan, and Uzbekistan. His current projects include Neolithic excavations in Türkiye and Paleolithic research in Azerbaijan.
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Specially Promoted Research, a JSPS Grants-in-Aid Project
Scientific Research on Innovative Areas, a JSPS Grants-in-Aid Project
Research Results (Under construction)