Hiroko Ohashi is the Coordinator of Japanese Studies and a Lecturer in RMIT's School of Global, Urban and Social Studies.
Through her research and publications, Hiroko Ohashi advocates a new role of Japanese language education that provides learners with an intercultural space, where the integration of self and others transcends cultural differences. Her research focuses on the impact of Japanese learning on learners' 'identity formation' and personal development.
Key Activities:
- Coordinator, Japanese Studies
- Lecturer, Japanese Language courses
- Coordinating International Exchange programs with RMIT's partner universities
- Vice President, Japanese Language Speech Contest Victoria
Awards:
- 2025 Patji-Dawes Language Teaching Award –The Australian Federation of Modern Language Teachers Associations (AFMLTA Inc.) and Languages and Cultures Network for Australian Universities (LCNAU)
- 2010 Teaching Excellence Award – School of Global Studies, Social Science and Planning, RMIT University
- 2009 Teaching Excellence Award – School of Global Studies, Social Science and Planning, RMIT University
- 2009 RMIT Teaching Awards – TAFE Outstanding Teacher category (teaching team application), Certificate of Achievement for provision of quality learning and teaching opportunities through a cohesive team approach, which fosters student engagement in Japanese and Chinese language learning through diverse industry and community links
Professional affiliations:
- The International Pragmatics Association (IPrA)
- Japanese Studies Association of Australia (JSAA)
- Modern Language Teachers' Association of Victoria (MLTAV)
- Japanese Language Teachers' Association of Victoria
- Languages and Cultures Network for Australian Universities (LCNAU)
- Oceanian Education Studies
Industry experience:
- Director, Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) Victoria Test Center (2012- 2022)
- Vice President, Japanese Language Speech Contest Victoria
- Japanese Program leader, the 'Tertiary-Secondary Partnership for Innovative Language Teaching/ Learning Pathways' project. This project was part of the 2010–2012 Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) National Asian Languages and Studies in Schools Program Strategic Collaboration and Partnership Fund – Round Two 2010
- Reviewer for the Australian Review of Applied Linguistics (2002)
- Examiner for Cambridge Certificate in Japanese and Japanese Studies (1992-1993) (University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate International Examinations)