On May 14, 2024, the Institute for Global Governance Research (GGR) at Hitotsubashi University hosted the GGR special lecture titled “Public Diplomacy of the Embassy of Georgia” having the honor of welcoming Ambassador Teimuraz Lezhava (Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Georgia to Japan) as the speaker. The lecture was held at the Intelligent Hall, Hitotsubashi University. Approximately 70 students and faculty members of Hitotsubashi University attended the session. Moderated by Professor Maiko Ichihara (Graduate School of Law; School of International Public Policy), the lecture was opened by President Satoshi Nakano of Hitotsubashi University. Ambassador Lezhava talked about the public diplomacy of the Embassy of Georgia. At the end of the lecture, the Q&A session was held.
Ambassador Lezhava spoke about how he started public diplomacy, his motivation, and its content. According to the Ambassador, the initial opportunity to disseminate in its current form came from an exchange on X with an anonymous user about Georgia’s traditional dress, which went viral. The Ambassador also said that he wanted to share with the outside world the Georgian culture that his ancestors had defended against threats from major powers throughout history. Furthermore, his dissemination includes cultural and political content. For example, just before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, he approached the ambassadors of other countries and expressed their opposition to the invasion. Most importantly, he explained that to make his voice heard on political issues such as the occupied territories, it is important first to let people know about the softer side, such as culture.
After the Ambassador’s presentation, Dr. David Goginashvili, a specialist analyst at the Embassy of Georgia in Japan, gave an overview of Georgia’s geography, culture, economy, and history. He said that with its livable environment, Georgia has been civilized since its earliest days and has been invaded by many great powers simultaneously. Therefore, he explained, Georgia has a strong sense of identity protection.
The lecture concluded with a Q&A session with the participants. Questions were posed about how Japan should respond, and concerns about the outflow of young people from the country due to the “foreign agent” bill. The Ambassador stressed the importance of respecting international diversity and national culture. He also emphasized the resilience of Georgian youth to bring their opinions to the government through demonstrations, and explained the ruling party’s view that the background behind the bill needs to be understood.
The lecture was preceded by a virtual reality (VR) session called “Experiencing Ukraine Under Invasion,” especially relevant due to the geographical proximity between Georgia and Ukraine. The VR video was created by THE GAME CHANGERS. More than 20 students and faculty members attended the event and experienced the devastation projected on VR.
【Event report prepared by】
NAKAJIMA Takahiro (Master’s student, Graduate School of Law, Hitotsubashi University)
