Asia Undercurrent Season 2 Webinar Series: “A World Without Nuclear Weapons: How Can Nations Work Together to Prevent Catastrophe?”

On December 17th, 2022, Professor Nobumasa Akiyama, Dean of the Graduate School of International and Public Policy at Hitotsubashi University, took part in the Asia Undercurrent webinar. This webinar was part of a webinar series organized by Nikkei Inc. and the Japanese government. In this webinar, which was moderated by Sheila Smith (John E. Merow senior fellow for Asia-Pacific studies at the Council on Foreign Relations), Professor Akiyama discussed the possibility of “A World Without Nuclear Weapons” with other experts including Dr. Tytti Erästö (Senior Researcher, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute), and Dr. Jeffery Lewis (Professor, Director, East Asia Nonproliferation Project). The panelists first talked about current nuclear weapons issues and the multilateral non-proliferation regime. Professor Akiyama commented on the security dynamics in East Asia and stressed the fact that Japan needs to heighten its diplomatic efforts to bring stability to this region. The panelists then went on to address the causes of the current nuclear issues as well as the perception of nuclear deterrence from the viewpoint of U.S. allies. Finally, the webinar ended with brief comments from each panelist on how to propel society toward a brighter future of a world without nuclear weapons.