Eri Hirano

Eri Hirano most recently served as senior director, international fellowships and partnership agreements, where she was responsible for the stewardship and redesign of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) International Fellows Program. From 2022 to 2025, she served as senior director of operations and chief of staff for CSIS central development, where she oversaw the daily operations of the department, implemented best-practice processes, and was instrumental in building up the team to the level that it is today. In these two capacities, she was also responsible for the review of center-wide partnership agreements for funded projects and efforts. She previously served as chief of staff for Asia and associate director for the Japan Chair. At the Japan Chair, she was a key contributor to growing the visiting fellowship program to one of the largest in the field; in her capacity as chief of staff for Asia, she coordinated the interests of the greater Asia Program, consisting of 11 distinct programs. She has over 25 years of experience in the nonprofit sector. A native Japanese speaker, she is also proficient in Korean, Spanish, and Portuguese. Eri holds a BA in international politics from Georgetown University.