Fumiyo Nakatsuhara is a Professor of Language Assessment and Deputy Director of the Centre for Research in English Language Learning and Assessment (CRELLA).

Being elected a Fellow of the Academy – the UK’s national academy for social sciences – is an honour awarded to leading scholars, practitioners, and policy experts who have made a substantial and sustained contribution to the field. Professor Nakatsuhara is only the second female researcher in language assessment to receive this distinction, following Rev. Professor Lynda Taylor, a Visiting Professor also at CRELLA.

Over a career spanning more than 15 years, Professor Nakatsuhara has made a global impact on language assessment research and practice. Her leadership has advanced the validity and fairness of language assessment while driving educational reform at both national and international levels.

Speaking about this conferment, Professor Nakatsuhara said: “I feel truly honoured and humbled to be made a Fellow of the Academy and to join a community of world-leading social scientists. This recognition not only acknowledges my contributions to the social sciences but also highlights the significance of the field of language assessment and its impact on people’s lives, educational systems, and society.”

Professor Nakatsuhara’s work has influenced the design and validation of major international language tests, including research on the IELTS Speaking Test, which supported the global launch of the IELTS Video-call Speaking Test taken by more than 3.75 million candidates annually; and research supporting Japan’s first four-skills university entrance exam and an English speaking test now taken by 240,000 secondary students each year.

Professor Nakatsuhara is also active in professional organisations. She serves as an expert member of the European Association for Language Testing and Assessment, a founding steering committee member of the UK Association for Language Testing and Assessment, and a former chair of the British Association for Applied Linguistics’ Testing, Evaluation and Assessment Special Interest Group.