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.

As a part of the course "Professional Training", a field trip to Ayabe took place on June 3^rd and 4^th.

At Ayabe city hall, mayor Zenya Yamazaki delivered a presentation concerning the issues Ayabe city is currently facing, such as population decline and the aging of society. He also expressed passionately that Ayabe can be very attractive for young people who are looking for a different lifestyle which is not materialistic.

In addition to that, we visited the Kyocera factory and the Gunze Memorial Park.

At the Kyocera factory, where Organic Package is made, engineers gave us a tour of the production lines.

At Gunze Memorial Park, we learned that the spirit of the founder has been passed on over years. The corporate philosophy/mottos keep this company community-based while it has become an internationally recognized company.

In order to learn about Japanese craft arts, we visited the village of Kurotani Washi Kobo (atelier of Kurotani Japanese Paper). There, we not only looked at the paper manufacturing process , but we also actually experienced making paper.

This field trip provided a valuable opportunity for all students to get a glimpse the Japanese local government administration and local companies.

Ayabe City: http://www.city.ayabe.lg.jp/

Kyocera: http://www.kyocera.co.jp/company/index.html

Gunze Memorial Park: http://www.gunze.co.jp/gunzehakubutu/memorial/

Guest Speaker: Prof. Jeff Kingston, Professor of Asian Studies, Japan Campus, Temple University.

This lecture was held in Ritsumeikan University Kinugasa Campus, on May 19, 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 55 participants attended the lecture.

This open lecture elaborates the contemporary Japan under Prime Minister Abe, which may have both advantages and disadvantages for Japan’s politico-economy domestically and internationally. Professor Kingston figures out some aspects called: “Abe-Euphoria,”  “Abenomics,”  “Abegedon,” ”Abenigma,” and “Abenesia.”   In short, this lecture has opened up the understanding of contemporary Japan and forecasted the dynamic of Japan in the near future.

Guest Speaker: Daisuke Madokoro, Research Associate of International Relations, Graduate School of Law, Kobe University

The workshop was held in Ritsumeikan University Kinugasa Campus, on May 12, 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 workshop.

The seminar tries to answer the fundamental question of where the norms come from. This seminar spotlights the norm emergence process by analyzing the role of international commissions as norm entrepreneurs, with the case study of the International Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty, which proposed a normative idea of responsibility to protect (R2P) in 2001. Some notes can be highlighted as follows: first, contents of the R2P norm were not given but rather strategically created through interactions; second, the R2P norm served the function of transformation and reconciliation. Finally, in reality, strategic norm creation should yield in-depth insight into how norm entrepreneurs struggle to stimulate a normative change.

Guest Speaker: Megumi Kagawa, Former Assistant Professor, Graduate School of Social Sciences, Hiroshima University –Ph.D. Candidate, Osaka School of International Public Policy, Osaka University

The workshop was held in Ritsumeikan University Kinugasa Campus, on April 28, 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 workshop.

The workshop identifies the researcher outlook on doing the research in conflicted region based on the five years first-hand experiences of the field works in Mindanao, the Philippines. The workshop reviews the multimethod investigations which may be used in the way to gain the data and to figure out the ‘map of the conflict in the community.  In the end, the participants were expected to grasp the meaning and the challenges in conducting research in the conflicted zone. The most valuable information of the workshop is understanding that the process of building trust and relationship with local people require long and patient efforts to do so. Above all, the goals of doing research in the disputed areas are not only designed for a solely academic outcome but also for peace and humanity.

The Research Training was held at Ritsumeikan University Kinugasa Campus, on April 14, 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 training.