News

On July 26, 2022, Professor Maiko Ichihara appeared on the Diplomacy & Security TV produced by the Canon Institute for Global Studies. The professor explained the definition of democracy in addition to the retreat of democratic states in recent years and warned the expansion of a distorted discourse on democracy that does not encompass civil and political rights. She noted that China and Russia have been exerting to discourse construction and information warfare behind this expansion. In addition, Professor Ichihara explained the process by which Japan's democracy diplomacy has developed and discussed possible future prospects.

Professor Nobumasa Akiyama appeared in an episode of CIGS Diplomacy and Security TV, a TV program produced by the Canon Institute for Global Studies. This episode entitled Is a Nuclear-Free World an illusion? How to inherit Hiroshima-Nagasaki? was released on May 16, 2022. Professor Akiyama discussed the truth about a world without nuclear weapons, the role of nuclear weapons for Russia, and whether a nuclear balance between the U.S., China, a­nd Russia can be achieved. He also expressed his opinions on how to deal with Putin's nuclear threats, a­nd the challenges that the U.S. faces in nuclear deterrence.

Professor Nobumasa Akiyama took part in a podcast hosted by Jiro Shimbo which aired on May 5. In this podcast, Jiro Shimbo zooms in from his unique perspective on the day's news covering a variety of topics such as politics, society, entertainment, etc, and explains how the news should be viewed. Professor Akiyama appeared as a guest and discussed the current situation in Ukraine, its future prospects, and what role the United Nations and the international community can play in this situation.

On July 19, 2022 Professor Maiko Ichihara appeared on the Diplomacy & Security TV produced by the Canon Institute for Global Studies. She spoke about the Chinese government’s attempts to increase its influence on people from other countries via various outlets such as the new media. The professor indicated the need to learn from the experience of China’s influence operations in other countries and the need to meticulously analyze large amounts of information so Japan itself does not get caught up in the information warfare.

Professor Nobumasa Akiyama appeared on a talk series produced by the Sasakawa Peace Foundation entitled The End of Nuclear Oblivion in the Ukrainian War, which was released on May 2. Three years have passed since the publication of the book that Professor Akiyama coauthored, The End of Nuclear Oblivion, which was released in 2019. In the book, the issue of nuclear weapons, which went from unused, unusable weapons to usable weapons due to the nuclear strategies of Russia and China, was discussed. That issue has become more realistic than ever as a result of the Ukrainian War. This second episode released on May 2 took on a broader view of nuclear possession and arms control, with discussions on the relationship between nuclear weapons a­nd other weapons, as well as the role of arms control in war.

Professor Nobumasa Akiyama appeared on NHK Newswatch 9 which aired on June 21, 2022. Professor Akiyama expressed his opinion on what Japan should do to aim for a world without nuclear weapons. In doing so, he discussed the actions that Japan and other East Asian countries should take now that the issues surrounding nuclear weapons are heating up.

On May 20, 2022, BS Nihon TV broadcast a special feature on the U.S.-Korean summit that took place in May, and Associate Professor Yongseok Kwon appeared as a guest speaker in this program.

Professor Nobumasa Akiyama appeared on a talk series produced by the Sasakawa Peace Foundation entitled “The End of Nuclear Oblivion in the Ukrainian War” which was released on April 28. Three years have passed since the publication of the book that Professor Akiyama co-wrote-“The End of Nuclear Oblivion: The Era of Nuclear Weapons Restoration”, which was released in 2019. In the book, the issue of nuclear weapons, which went from “unused”, “unusable” weapons to “usable” weapons due to the nuclear strategies of Russia and China, was discussed. That issue has become more realistic than ever as a result of the Ukrainian War. Professor Akiyama was joined by other professors who specialize in arms control and nuclear strategy as they discussed the increased nuclear threat posed by the war in Ukraine. In this first episode released on April 28, the professors talked about how Russia and the United States perceive the threat of nuclear weapons in the war and what deterrence and arms control aim to achieve.

Professor Maiko Ichihara, as well as Ms. Sascha Hannig Nuñez, GGR assistant and Master's student at the School of International and Public Policy, appeared in the online international conference titled “The Role of Civil Society and the Next Generation for the Future of Democracy,” hosted by Japan Center for International Exchange（JCIE）on May 31 and June 1, 2022. As the strengthened authoritarian rules in Hong Kong, Myanmar, and Russia destabilizes the international community, the question is how to maintain freedom and democracy. In this event, an online survey on the political perceptions and involvement of the next generation of leaders（18-39 years old）was conducted, followed by a discussion on what democracy means to the next generation of leaders.

Assistant Professor Yujin Woo gave a talk at the Japanese Politics Online Seminar Series on June 9, 2022. Given that governments frequently iterate their positions and preferences before its people to win their support, Professor Woo investigated whether the repetitive government messages that prioritize certain migrant groups yield any impact on public perception of migrants.