Graduate Program of Global Environmental Studies (GENV)
n-longfor-3r2[at]sophia.ac.jp
+81-3-3238-4287
Address:
Room 721 Bldg No.2, 7-1 Kioi-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 102-8554 Japan
Dr. Longfor specializes in sustainable resource management, focusing on critical environmental challenges such as waste management, unsustainable production and consumption, energy crises, and air and water pollution, resource depletion, and climate change. His research emphasizes interdisciplinary and systems thinking approaches, with a particular focus on complex social environmental issues in the Global South and developing innovative strategies to enhance governance for sustainable development.
Governance for sustainable development, Environmental issues in the Global South, Renewable Energy Systems
Born in the Northwest region of Cameroon, I graduated from the University of Buea in 2015 with a degree in Telecommunications Engineering. In 2021, as a recipient of the Japan Africa Dream Scholarship (JADS), I earned a Master of Science in International Cooperation Policy, specializing in Sustainability Science. In 2024, I completed a Ph.D. in Environmental Studies at the Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies, Sophia University. Before joining Sophia University, I served as Head of Engineering (Tech Lead) at QuickDo, a Canadian-based company operating in Cameroon. Additionally, I have worked as a Sustainability Specialist and Circular Economy Expert with various consulting firms, including Lively LLC (Japan), Madam Waste Urban and Energy Planners Ltd (South Africa), Contigo Tor Ltd (UK), and SizaConnect LLC (USA).
My specialty is sustainable resource management, with a close focus on the governance, allocation, and sustainable use of natural resources amid rising global demands and environmental pressures. Resource utilization is surpassing the planet’s regenerative capacity, with complex socio-environmental issues—often termed “wicked problems”—emerging as a result. These problems lack optimal solutions due to uncertainties about future environmental conditions, conflicting social values, and challenges in aligning short-term interests with long-term benefits. Moreover, these issues are particularly difficult for policymakers to tackle due to incomplete knowledge, competing short- and long-term priorities, and unclear boundaries of responsibility.
My research addresses these challenges by exploring the interactions between human activities, institutional frameworks, technological advancements, and environmental processes within social-environmental systems. I emphasize solving wicked environmental problems, particularly in the Global South, through systems thinking approaches that integrate local and indigenous knowledge into decision-making to create inclusive, adaptive, and resilient resource governance systems. By identifying feedback loops, trade-offs, and unintended consequences, this holistic perspective addresses the root causes of environmental problems, enabling sustainable, long-term solutions that balance diverse stakeholder needs.
My research is highly interdisciplinary, integrating social science, economics, management, engineering, and technology. This seminar is designed to engage students from diverse backgrounds and equip them with the advanced skills needed to tackle complex environmental challenges, including climate change, biodiversity loss, resource depletion, and ecosystem degradation. Recognizing the interconnected and global nature of these issues, the seminar moves beyond traditional linear or siloed approaches, emphasizing systems thinking and holistic analytical frameworks. Students explore the intricate relationships between environmental, social, and economic factors that shape today’s environmental challenges. Through activities such as structured literature reviews, peer discussions, research proposal development, and expert mentorship, they learn to identify research gaps and develop rigorous, methodologically sound approaches. The seminar prepares students to produce meaningful research that incorporates systems thinking, examines multisystem interactions within socio-environmental systems, and delivers practical, implementable solutions to urgent global issues like climate resilience, sustainable resource management, and equitable environmental governance.
