Our team members

PIL associate researcher and evaluator, Dr. Nina Ždanovič brings an academic and practical lens to social inclusion and responsible technology. Since 2023, she has been part of the team at PIL, where she supports evaluations and learning processes focused on social inclusion, intersectionality, and inclusive technology. Trained in social sciences (MA in Lithuania, PhD in Japan), Nina’s research explores the lived experiences of migrants, women, LGBTQ+ people, and others navigating structural exclusion. Alongside her role at PIL, she works in the corporate sustainability sector, leading efforts on value chain due diligence, human rights, and the socio-environmental impacts of emerging technologies. Another axis of her work is responsible AI—a field she entered through industry research on the social impact of tech in startups and digital ecosystems. Her interest in human-centered, inclusive AI continues in her current role as Research Assistant Professor in AI ethics at Keio University, where she explores how AI can be designed for social good and implemented responsibly.  Overall, Nina’s work is grounded in a belief that inclusion is not a checkbox, but an ongoing practice of care, critical awareness, and intentional design.

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Through her various life experiences, such as volunteering at Caritas’ daycare for children from socially excluded families, formal education in graduate school with heavy influence on post-colonial theory, 8 years of language teaching experience, qualitative in-depth interviews, and most recently, AI ethics-related research, Nina firmly values the importance of comprehending each individual’s socio-cultural and personal circumstances. This point of view has been guiding her through her daily and professional activities, particularly when working with research participants from vulnerable groups, or participating in education activities with special needs or neurodivergent children.