Events/News

The Nordic Talk program, “Democracy and Dictatorship in a Digital World,” where Professor Maiko Ichihara of the Graduate School of Law participated was released on April 3, 2024. This program focuses on how digital tools can be utilized to defend peace and democracy. It discusses the challenges and opportunities that the state of digital media presents for democratic societies, as well as the future of global democracy in the digital age. Professor Ichihara stated that she believes digital technology is a liberating technology because it empowers individuals with significant influence on an international scale. However, she also pointed out that ordinary people face issues, such as filter bubbles, and that many countries suffer from the impact of disinformation from other nations. She discussed the importance of digital literacy, the need to strengthen fact-checking, and the necessity to think about ways to create counter-narratives.

On February 27, 2024, a comment of Professor Maiko Ichihara of the Graduate School of Law was published in the Maaseudun Tulevaisuus newspaper's article "The Chinese electric car of the president's spouse may be a security risk - the Chinese state has extensive rights to information." The article discusses concerns related to China's emergence as the top exporter of passenger cars, surpassing Japan for the first time, and the Finnish President's positive evaluation of China. However, it also highlights potential security risks from the perspective of data protection and national security. Professor Ichihara explained that Chinese IT companies are obligated to provide information to the government upon request, and she expressed concerns about various possibilities of influence and data theft, including the spread of propaganda and disinformation, as well as leaving backdoors in 5G networks.

On March 17, 2024, a comment of Professor Maiko Ichihara of the Graduate School of Law on the Asahi Shimbun article, "Demonstrating Will to the Government: 'Anti-Putin Noon Protests' Held Throughout Russia" was published. This article covers the events of the final day of the Russian presidential election on March 17, when supporters of the opposition leader Alexey Navalny called for "anti-regime actions" at noon local time, resulting in lines forming at polling stations across Russia. Professor Ichihara pointed out that while Putin attempted to use the election to legitimize his position, it ultimately weakened his standing in the international community. She also commented that the international community should seriously consider ways to show solidarity with the anti-Putin factions moving forward.

On February 19, 2024, a comment of Professor Maiko Ichihara of the Graduate School of Law on the Asahi Shimbun article, "Wife of Navalny Pledges to Carry on His Legacy: About 60,000 Demand Handover of His Body" was published. This article is about the demand to hand over the body of Russian anti-government leader Alexey Navalny, who died in prison, to his family. Professor Ichihara commented that only the people of the country can change the state of their country and that she hopes the outrage over Navalny's death will continue to spread and become a groundswell in Russia, and that it is important for foreign countries to continue to provide moral support to Russians who speak out.

On March 27, 2024, Sascha Hannig Nuñez, a doctoral student in the Graduate School of Law, was invited as a guest to deliver a lecture titled "China and the Keys to Its Global Influence" on the podcast “World Analysis (Análisis Mundial),” an initiative launched by the University Finish Terrae. During the discussion, Ms. Hannig talked about the current technology-related tensions between the United States and China, as well as how the two powers exercise pressure over Chile and Latin America as a whole. The discussion also touched upon potential risks related to authoritarian influence and how countries are taking sides in an eventual new form of Cold War. In this lecture, she discussed in detail the relationship between China and the United States, Beijing's technological capabilities, and China's relations with Latin America.

On February 19, 2024, a comment of Professor Maiko Ichihara of the Graduate School of Law on the Asahi Shimbun article "Young People Avoid Discussing Human Rights Out of Fear: Journalist Koichi Yasuda's Concerns" was published. This article is about an interview with Koichi Yasuda, a journalist who says that although the younger generation, in particular, is highly interested in "human rights," a fundamental right that everyone should respect, he increasingly feels that the term "human rights" is shunned, feared, and sometimes made fun of in the field of reporting. Professor Ichihara commented that it is not so much that young people as a whole tend to avoid discussions about human rights, but rather that the sense of ownership—seeing themselves as stakeholders in these issues—has become more polarized compared to the past.

On March 14, 2024, La Tercera published a comment of Ms. Sascha Hannig Nuñez, a doctoral student in the Graduate School of Law, in the article "Study assures that Chile is the country most influenced by Chinese YouTube channels in Latin America." This article discusses the joint research conducted by the Center for Analysis for Democracy (CAD) and Freedom House, which examined the behavior of Beijing's propaganda media in Spanish across more than 14,000 videos. The research revealed that Chile is the most mentioned country in the region, with the most predominant topics being related to the pandemic and economic cooperation. Ms. Hannig noted that Chile's elite class has a very friendly attitude toward China, which makes it easier for them to enter the academic and business world. She commented that China's interest in Chile is also related to its potential to expand its influence over other countries in the region.

On February 17, 2024, a comment of Professor Maiko Ichihara of the Graduate School of Law on the Asahi Shimbun article, "In Russia's Strict Vigilance, Tears Flow as Crowds Offer Continuous Floral Tributes: 'Navalny Lives Forever'" was published. This article discusses the spontaneous floral donations made by citizens across Russia to memorials of Soviet-era repression following the death of Russian anti-government leader Alexey Navalny. Professor Ichihara commented that without a society that makes the most of a great man of courage, ability, and conviction like Navalny, Russia will continue to lose not only its human capital but also its economic strength and stability.

On February 16, 2024, a comment of Professor Maiko Ichihara of the Graduate School of Law on the Asahi Shimbun article "Russian Anti-Government Leader Navalny Dies in Prison, Cause of Death Being Investigated" was published. This article refers to the announcement by the Russian authorities that Alexey Navalny, a Russian anti-government leader who rose to prominence as a critic of the Putin administration and was imprisoned in Russia, died on February 16. Professor Ichihara commented that the fact remains that Navalny was killed by the Russian government and that his death was a great loss to Russia.

On September 25, 2023, a comment of Professor Maiko Ichihara of the Graduate School of Law on the Asahi Shimbun article, "'Kishida's Government without an Aide in Charge of Human Rights, a Ripple Effect of the Disappearance of the Prime Minister's 'Pledged' Post” was published. This article reports concerns that the absence of an assistant to the prime minister on international human rights, a 'key post' promised by Prime Minister Kishida in his LDP presidential campaign, in less than two years could send the wrong message to the international community. Professor Ichihara points out that with the rapid loss of interest in human rights and democracy in the Biden administration, the China-related agenda of conservatives within the LDP has also shifted from the issue of human rights repression to security, particularly the China-Taiwan issue. She then notes that the current post-absenteeism issue truly reflects the loss of momentum in Japan and the US that had driven the Kishida administration's initiatives. She then comments that, with or without the post of Assistant to the Prime Minister, steady diplomacy is needed to support an international society in which freedom and human rights are protected, and that this requires an axis of Japanese diplomacy dedicated to underpinning the liberal international order.