Candidate for
ICOH Board Member 2027–2030
Connecting research, policy, and practice for healthier work worldwide
I am standing for election to the Board of the International Commission on Occupational Health (ICOH) for the 2027–2030 triennium.
For more than a decade, I have served ICOH through its Scientific Committee on Work Organisation and Psychosocial Factors (ICOH-WOPS). I hope to bring that experience to the wider ICOH community: advancing occupational mental health, connecting research with policy and practice, and strengthening collaboration across regions and generations.
My ICOH journey has centered on sustained service to ICOH-WOPS and collaboration with colleagues working on psychosocial factors and occupational mental health around the world.
ICOH-WOPS
ICOH-WOPS
ICOH-WOPS
Joint Congress of ICOH-WOPS & APA-PFAW
ICOH2027, Mumbai
These roles and opportunities have shown me how ICOH brings people together to exchange evidence, develop international partnerships, and address challenges encountered in workplaces.
I served ICOH-WOPS as Co-Chair, Secretary, and Chair between 2013 and 2024. Working with colleagues across countries and disciplines, I supported scientific exchange on work organisation, psychosocial factors, and occupational mental health.
This long-standing service gave me practical experience of building a scientific community in which members can contribute, learn from one another, and develop collaborations beyond their own institutions and regions.
I had the privilege of serving as a Congress Chair of the Joint Congress of ICOH-WOPS and the Asia Pacific Academy for Psychosocial Factors at Work (APA-PFAW), held in Tokyo in September 2023.
Under the theme “Imagine! Decent Work Beyond COVID-19,” the Congress created a shared forum for researchers and practitioners to discuss psychosocial factors at work and the future of decent work. It was a concrete example of what regional and global networks can accomplish together.
Organising this joint meeting strengthened my commitment to connecting ICOH members with occupational health communities across the Asia-Pacific region and beyond.
Psychosocial Factors at Work in the Asia Pacific: From Theory to Practice
Edited by Akihito Shimazu, Rusli Bin Nordin, Maureen Dollard, and Jodi Oakman
Springer, 2016
I was the first-listed editor, together with Rusli Bin Nordin, Maureen Dollard, and Jodi Oakman, of Psychosocial Factors at Work in the Asia Pacific: From Theory to Practice (Springer, 2016).
The volume brought together perspectives on psychosocial factors at work from across the region and linked scientific understanding with approaches to healthier workplaces. Editing it reinforced a principle that continues to guide my work: occupational health advances when knowledge and experience flow between countries and regions.
View the book at SpringerMy research examines psychosocial factors at work, including job stress, work engagement, burnout, workaholism, recovery, and work–life relationships. I am particularly interested in how occupational health can both prevent ill-health and support positive mental health at work.
Across research, teaching, and international collaboration, I have sought to create opportunities for early-career colleagues to participate in scientific exchange and build lasting professional connections.
ICOH2027 · Invited Plenary Speaker
I have been invited to deliver a plenary lecture at ICOH2027 in Mumbai, India, entitled “Beyond stress: Building positive mental health at work.”
The lecture will bring my research on work engagement and occupational mental health into a wider discussion of how workplaces can prevent ill-health and support workers’ well-being. I look forward to exchanging ideas with colleagues across ICOH’s many disciplines.
View the ICOH2027 plenary speakers
If elected, I would bring my experience in ICOH-WOPS, international collaboration, and occupational mental health research to the work of the wider ICOH Board. I would focus on three priorities.
As work changes, ICOH can help members address psychosocial risks and prevent stress-related ill-health. I would also support the exchange of evidence on positive mental health and sustainable well-being at work.
Research should inform policy and workplace action. Equally, questions arising in practice and policy should shape new research. I would encourage this two-way exchange across ICOH’s disciplines and networks.
I would support connections among Scientific Committees, regional networks, and early-career researchers and practitioners. My experience with ICOH-WOPS and APA-PFAW has shown me the value of creating opportunities for people from different settings to work together.
My years with ICOH-WOPS, the 2023 Joint Congress, and the opportunity to speak at ICOH2027 reflect my commitment to sharing knowledge and bringing people together. I would be honored to apply what I have learned to the wider ICOH community.
Akihito Shimazu, PhD.
Clinical psychologist, Certified Public Psychologists.
Professor, Faculty of Policy Management, Keio University, JAPAN
https://en.hp3.jp/
Electronic voting:
1–21 October 2026
Under ICOH’s published eligibility rule, members who paid their membership fees by 14 February 2026 have the right to vote. ICOH will email voting-system details to eligible members.
View the official ICOH candidate list