Dr. Haruhisa Handa

Born March 18, 1951 in Japan's Hyogo Prefecture, Dr. Handa is a multifaceted businessman, religious leader, artist and philanthropist. He studied economics at Doshisha University, Kyoto, and pursued vocal music training at Musashino Academia Musicae through their Master Class program. He earned a Master's degree in creative arts from West Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) at Edith Cowan University and a Ph.D in Literature from Tsinghua University's Academy of Arts & Design in China.

Dr. Handa is chairman of the International Foundation for Arts and Culture, a nonprofit organization based in Tokyo that now has branches in Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom to support and deliver art activities across the world. As Global Patron of Sing for Hope, he committed to a decade-long pledge to support the organization's programs in New York City and creative initiatives globally. An acclaimed painter and calligraphist with works featured in the British Museum's permanent collection, Dr. Handa is a Master of Noh Theatre & Japanese Tea Ceremony and an accredited 1st Grade Peking Opera Singer.

Career History

• Chairman and spiritual leader of the Shinto-based religion World Mate (since 1984)
• Founder and CEO of International Sports Promotion Society (ISPS), established 2006, known for sponsoring golf tournaments worldwide and promoting disabled golf
• Vice President of the Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB), becoming the first Japanese person appointed to this post at the UK's oldest and largest charity for blind welfare
• Co-founder and Chancellor of the University of Cambodia, and professor of International Politics at its College of Social Sciences
• Managing Director of B.C. Consulting Ltd and manager of more than a dozen companies in Japan, Australia and the United Kingdom

What Dr. Haruhisa Handa could bring to his Global Patron role at the International Foundation for Arts and Culture: Drawing from his demonstrated success as founder and chairman of IFAC and decade-long patronage of Sing for Hope, Dr. Handa brings deep expertise in international arts philanthropy, organizational expansion across multiple continents, and strategic partnerships with major cultural institutions. His experience directing sports promotion, managing multiple enterprises, and serving in advisory roles to governments positions him to leverage IFAC's mission to support art expositions, performance, and cultural education on a global scale.