Hirofumi ARAI Graduated from the Engineering Research Program at the Graduate School of Engineering, the University of Tokyo, specializing in urban engineering (Master of Engineering). He currently serves as Director and Senior Research Fellow, Research Division of ERINA, Greater Tumen Initiative Transport Expert Group member, Northeast Asia Gas and Pipeline Forum (NAGPF) Secretariat Member, Emeritus Professor of Economic Research Institute, Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences. Hirofumi ARAI once served as the Association for Northeast Asia Regional Studies (ANEARS) Executive Board Member, Northeast Asian Studies & Exchange Network (NEASE-NET) Board Member, Special Adviser to the Second-Stage Board of Directors, Heilongjiang Province Northeast Asia Study Group. He once served in Niigata Prefecture, Japan.