On June 23, 2025, the Institute for Global Governance Research (GGR) at Hitotsubashi University held the GGR Research Seminar, “Conducting Field Work in Conflict Zones,” featuring Dr. Vera Mironova, Associate Fellow of the Davis Center at Harvard University, as a guest speaker.

Dr. Mironova divided her intervention into two parts. First, she provided practical examples to approach field research from a starting career point, and progressively mentioned difficult-to-access populations, such as those in war zones, terrorist or criminal groups, or areas that do not have traditional access to telecommunications or where the researcher does not speak the language. She paired the descriptions with examples of her own research, such as her work with ISIS members or Russian criminal organizations. During her explanation, she engaged with the audience by narrating how she encountered each barrier in her research and how she solved it, highlighting how to ensure the safety of both the researcher and the interviewee.

For other types of sources, such as elite interviews, the speaker provided tips for young students to approach people in high rank positions by taking advantage of the tools they have access to. She approached cases by consulting with the attendees and incorporating their experiences into the seminar. One of her main critiques of the current research system is that there should be more opportunities for students to get experience talking to people on the streets, and this is especially difficult in Japan.

During the second part of the seminar, Dr. Mironova took questions from the audience and discussed them broadly, as well as analyzing possible research paths for the cases that were presented to her.

【Event report prepared by】
HANNIG NUÑEZ Sascha (Doctoral student, Graduate School of Law, Hitotsubashi University)