Short Report of Open Seminar (11/4/2016):

Speaker:

Dr. Nino Viartasiwi

This seminar identified notorious communal violence taking form in tribal wars in some areas of West Papua region of Indonesia.

Although the long going communal violence has taken casualties both in the kind of loss of lives and properties, however, the government has been unenthusiastic to tame the violence under the pretext that tribal war is a conflict settlement mechanism inherent in the West Papua's aboriginal culture. This presentation answers questions as follows: in a democratic country what is the border of indigenous rights to exercise the customary practices? What is the obligation of the government toward aboriginal communities? The presentation concludes that the government choice of action to allow tribal wars is equal with state violence by manipulating the native customary to commit violence against the tribal communities.

This seminar was held in Ritsumeikan University - Kinugasa Campus, on November 4, 2016, hosted by College of International Relations Ritsumeikan University and Ritsumeikan Global Innovation Research Organization (R-GIRO). Approximately 20 participants attended the seminar.

What is DMDP ?

DMDP is designed for MA students and an innovative program in which students can obtain Master's degree from two academic institutions in as short as two years by spending one year at each institution. This highly-acclaimed program aims to train students who can play a leading role in the field of international cooperation and global governance.

It is a great honor to announce that we, the Graduate School of International Relations have signed a DMDP agreement with the College of International Affairs, National Chengchi University, Taiwan(NCCU).

NCCU is one of the best universities not only in Taiwan but also in the world.  The College of International Affairs is well known as a graduate school from which many diplomats have graduated.

Generally, RU students will, after entering RU in April, spend their first semester (spring) at RU. After completing their first semester, students will study abroad in Taiwan for one year at NCCU, beginning in fall semester. Then they will come back to RU and spend the last semester (their 4^th semester) at RU and graduate in March. They will have to fulfill degree requirements from each school to earn a MA degree from both.

Under this agreement between RU and NCCU, RU students will only need to pay tuition fees to RU. NCCU tuition fees will be waived.*

* Students will be responsible for any other expenses incurred while studying abroad such as rent, travel and living expenses should be paid by students.

Short Report of Open Seminar (10/21/2016):

Guest Speakers:

Dr. Ryan Manuel, a postdoctoral fellow at the Australian Centre on China in the World, The Australian National University; and Shu Cheng (Will) Zou, currently a Monbukagakusho scholarship research student studying in the Department of Area Studies (China) at the University of Tokyo.

This seminar highlights how the Xi Jinping administration has changed China’s foreign policy rhetoric and focus. The seminar critically examines the idea that Xi’s foreign policy is more “Confucian” than previous administrations, as well as commenting on the geographic direction, ideology, and policy implications of Xi’s foreign policy shift.

This seminar was held in Ritsumeikan University - Kinugasa Campus, on October 21, 2016, hosted by Graduate School of International Relations, Ritsumeikan University, and Ritsumeikan Global Innovation Research Organization (R-GIRO). Co-Hosts: The China Diplomacy Research Group “Aspects of the Strengthening of China” Research Project, Institute of International Relations and Area Studies, Ritsumeikan University; Asia-Japan Research Institute. University’ and the Australian Centre on China in the World, the Australian National University.

Approximately 45 participants attended the seminar.

Short Report of Open Seminar (10/7/2016):

Moving to a Full-fledge ASEAN Security and Political Community (APSC)

Guest Speaker: Dr. Agus Trihartono, Senior Researcher, Ritsumeikan Global Innovation Research Organization (R-GIRO), Ritsumeikan University

This seminar attempts to see to what extent the role of ASEAN Way (among others) in influencing the ASEAN Cooperation.It also tries to find out the ASEAN Way compatibility in the current situation and its prospect. In particular, the seminar answers such questions as follows:  How does ASEAN go about achieving that ultimate transformation of the APSC? Do ASEAN previous norms, such as non-interference and sovereignty fit in ASEAN current requirements to a full-fledged political-security community? Is ASEAN Way obsolete? The conclusion is that ASEAN Way may be the strength of ASEAN’s Past, but it seems likely to be the Weakness of ASEAN’s Present.

This seminar was held in Ritsumeikan University Kinugasa Campus, on October 7, 2016, hosted by Ritsumeikan University's Graduate School of International Relations and the Ritsumeikan Global Innovation Research Organization (R-GIRO), Approximately 20 participants attended the seminar.

College and Graduate school of International Relations accepts fall entrance students.

On Sep 22nd, the Ritsumeikan University Undergraduate and Graduate School Graduation Ceremony  was held at Suzaku Campus. There, 32 students from the College of International Relations and 18 students from the Graduate School of International Relations were awarded Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees.

Many family members and friends of graduates, faculty and staff members were there to celebrate. Graduates will soon start their new careers here in Japan and around the world.

Graduates, congratulations and good luck on your future!

On Sep 25th, the entrance ceremony was held and College of IR and Graduate School of IR welcomed 32 undergraduate and 39 graduate students include international students from Africa, North America, Europe and Asia.

Welcome to Ritsumeikan! 

Detailed news.

https://en.ritsumei.ac.jp/news/detail/?id=87

-IR Office will be closed for Summer break -

Our office will be closed from August 11
to August 18, 2016 for Summer holidays.

We will be back in the office on Friday, August 19,
2016 and will respond to your message as soon as possible
on our return.

We are sorry for the inconvenience we may cause.

*Summer Recess; Office Hours start from 1pm to 5pm

 
Administrative Office
College of International Relations Ritsumeikan University

Administrative Office
Graduate School of International Relations Ritsumeikan University

Short Report of Open Seminar (6/30/2016):

Speaker:

Dr. Catharine Gegout, Lecturer, School of Politics and International Relations, University of Nottingham, UK.

This seminar was held in Ritsumeikan University - Kinugasa Campus, on June 30, 2016, hosted by Ritsumeikan University's Graduate School of International Relations, Ritsumeikan Global Innovation Research Organization (R-GIRO), Approximately 30 participants attended the seminar.

This seminar examined how the security cooperation has been conducted between the EU and China on the issue of Africa’s security. Although there has been pessimism as China and EU possess a different and a diverse perspective on security issues, this seminar argued that, in the context of Africa, China and EU have mutual interests both in economy and security architect. Furthermore, this seminar was also accentuated the most current situation of the so-called Brexit as the one of the EU’s backbone and how this Brexit affected the EU performance in the region.

Short Report of Open Seminar (6/23/2016): 

Speaker: Jung-Ho KIM 

Visiting Professor, College of International Relations, Ritsumeikan University

Commentator: Ryoji NAKAGAWA, 

Professor, College of International Relations. Ritsumeikan University.

This seminar was to identify what lead to child labor in Cocoa households in Ghana. Applying quantitative methods, the study exposed that Cocoa households in the country have affected the extent of children’s choice between education, labor, and both. This study provided model and policy recommendation to bridge between children’s education and labor in contemporary Cocoa household industry in Ghana. .  

This seminar was held in Ritsumeikan University - Kinugasa Campus, on June 23, 2016, hosted by Ritsumeikan University's College of International Relations and Ritsumeikan Global Innovation Research Organization (R-GIRO). Approximately 30 participants attended the seminar.

Short Report of Open Seminar (6/16/2016):

Speaker: Professor T.V. Paul. James McGill Professor of International Relations in the Department of Political Science at McGill University, Montreal, Canada; and a Visiting Professor at the Graduate School International Relations, Ritsumeikan University.

This seminar was to identify the so-called a “Rising Powers” in world politics and how this situation affects to International order. Since IR theory has been notoriously weak in explaining peaceful change or how to achieve it, especially to respond the rising world power, this seminar explored issues such as grand strategies of peaceful change and its constraining factors to manage the emerging power transition. Some case studies of the rising power of China and India were also exposed.

This seminar was held in Ritsumeikan University - Kinugasa Campus, on June 16, 2016, hosted by Ritsumeikan University's Graduate School of International Relations, Ritsumeikan Global Innovation Research Organization (R-GIRO), and Institute of International Relations. Ritsumeikan University. Approximately 60 participants attended the seminar.

Short Report of Open Seminar (6/9/2016):

West Papua Case

Guest Speaker: Nino Viartasiwi, Ph.D. candidate, Graduate school International Relations,

Ritsumeikan University

This seminar is about to critically identify of what conflicts are happening in West Papua and describe how to conduct research in this conflicted area. For the first, the seminar at a glance learn the conflicts beyond separatism that has been following democratization after the fall of Suharto and how the conflicts have been exploited and sustained by the elite predators. For the later, the presenter underlines the challenges and opportunities to do fieldwork and to understand the nature of the conflict in West Papua.

This seminar was held in Ritsumeikan University Kinugasa Campus, on June 9, 2016, hosted by Ritsumeikan University's Graduate School of International Relations, the Ritsumeikan Global Innovation Research Organization (R-GIRO), Approximately 20 participants attended the workshop.

Short Report of Open Seminar (6/2/2016):

Guest Speaker: Marie TAKETANI, Ph.D. candidate, Graduate school of Global Studies, Doshisha University.

This seminar is about the conflicts that affected the education in Mali. This seminar is to reexamine the so-called “the problem of the North” by analyzing obstacles and distortions in the system for integration especially education, which new Malian government experienced after independent.  The facts show that the principal problem of the education in the North of the country after the conflict is the evolving gap of the quality of the destruction of education structures and equipment. Furthermore, droughts, lack of accessibility, literacy rate, and education inequality have created the impediments for the post conflict society in the North of the country.

This seminar was held in Ritsumeikan University Kinugasa Campus, on June 2, 2016, hosted by Ritsumeikan University's Graduate School of International Relations, the Ritsumeikan Global Innovation Research Organization (R-GIRO), Approximately 25 participants attended the workshop.

Short Report of Special Lecture (6/4/2016):

Guest Speaker: Sachiko ISHIKAWA, Senior Advisor, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)

This lecture is to share thoughts of peacebuilding through development, to understand Japan’s policy and practice of peacebuilding assistance (Japan’s ODA), and to examine its application in the case of Mindanao, The Philippines. From this lecture some notes are taken as follows: First, Japan’s ODA practice has gradually been converging with the advocated idea of human security that expanded phases of action, improved integration of different sectors and modalities, and shifted the level of assistance from national to sub-national government and community level. Secondly, Mindanao is an example of the shift as mentioned earlier with the idea of empowering local communities both economically and politically. Finally, the challenge continues for Japan’s ODA, especially JICA’s practice on the ground, to see how to play a catalytic role to promote people-centric development.

This seminar was held in Ritsumeikan University Kinugasa Campus, on June 4, 2016, hosted by Ritsumeikan University's Graduate School of International Relations, the Ritsumeikan Global Innovation Research Organization (R-GIRO), and Institute of International Relations and Area Studies, Ritsumeikan University. Approximately 20 participants attended the lecture.