Yuko Sasaki is a Specialist Consultant at the Strategy and Programme Operation Division, Secretariat of Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV) of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), with extensive experience in rural development and environmental management. Her work with JICA began in 2003 as a Volunteer in the Republic of Niger, where she served as a Rural Development Extension Officer. She continued in this role as a Senior Volunteer from 2005 to 2007. She pursued further studies at Kyoto University, completing a Master’s course in Environmental Management, followed by a Doctoral course in Global Environmental Studies. From 2012 to 2015, Yuko worked as a Project Researcher at the Research Institute for Humanity and Nature in Kyoto. From 2015 to 2020, she was with the JICA Niger Office, where she served as a Planning Researcher focusing on agriculture and the environment. From 2021 to 2023, she worked as a Project Expert in Madagascar on the Rice Cultivation Project (PAPRIZ/JICA), focusing on improving agricultural practices. Throughout her career, Yuko has consistently engaged in projects related to sustainable development and environmental management in various global contexts. Yuko and Ryutaro Kobayashi will be presenting on “Good practices for ‘volunteering for solidarity’ approach: A new attempt called Glocal Programme in Japan” in a Strategy Conversation Session during the IVCO 2024 Conference.