TOPICS

Four students of my undergraduate Advanced Seminar (30 students in total) participated in fieldwork in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, between September 1 and 5. In the Zemi Research Convention, they gave a presentation titled “Small-state hedging and economic constraints: The case of Mongolia’s “Third Neighbor Policy”. 

My students conducted interviews with government officials and visited the following venues, among others.  

Central Bank of Mongolia

Investment and Trade Agency of Mongolia

Genghis Khan National Museum 

Sükhbaatar Square

At the Central Bank of Mongolia

At the Central Bank of Mongolia - Can you tell three famous historical figures in the painting behind us? 

In the interview with central bankers, my students asked several questions, including those related to the bank’s priorities in its monetary policy and its contribution to promoting Mongolia’s economic diversification. In the interview with the officials of the Investment and Trade Agency, my students asked several questions, including those related to investment diversification and the “third neighbor” policy aimed at reducing Mongolia’s economic and energy dependence on China and Russia. 

At the Investment and Trade Agency of Mongolia

In addition to conducting interviews with government officials, we visited the Genghis Khan National Museum, which is an excellent venue for understanding the history of the Mongol Empire and its aftermath. We also visited other landmarks in Ulaanbaatar, including Sükhbaatar Square -its main central square.  

At the Genghis Khan National Museum 

At the Sükhbaatar Square, when the Governor-General of Australia was visiting Mongolia

Through this fieldwork, my students learned how the Mongolian government had implemented its foreign economic policy to address its external challenges. Building upon this valuable experience, they are ready to enhance the quality of their individual and group research! 

“During the research trip, I learned how to organize and conduct interviews in a professional setting. From preparing focused questions to listening carefully and adjusting the flow of conversation on the spot. Working as a team also taught me how to divide responsibilities, support each other, and synthesize our findings afterward. At the same time, hearing directly from officials gave me a much clearer and more practical picture of Mongolia’s economic challenges, especially how dependence on resources and external partners shapes decision-making. This combination of hands-on skills and real-world insights made the learning experience much more concrete than just studying theory in class.”

“This research has enabled me to deeply understand the geo-economic logic of Mongolia's efforts to develop in a constrained environment. Through this research, I have realized that the study of international relations must be combined with economic policies and institutional realities. I plan to further expand this interdisciplinary perspective in my future studies. I will use Mongolia's "third neighbor" strategy and debt management practices as examples to deeply study the autonomy strategies and risks of small countries in the competition among major powers, while also continuously monitoring the cooperation dynamics and financing model evolution of countries along China’s "Belt and Road" route.”

“Through this activity, I have learned that Mongolia, strategically located between China and Russia, remains highly dependent on the mining sector, yet the government is actively pursuing economic diversification and digital transformation. The government provides strong institutional support for investors through tax incentives, stability certificates, and special policies in free zones, alongside ongoing infrastructure development in railways, highways, and airports. In addition, initiatives such as the E-Mongolia platform highlight its digital governance agenda. Overall, Mongolia demonstrates significant investment potential in mining, renewable energy, agriculture, logistics, and tourism, making it an increasingly attractive destination for foreign investors.”

“During my field research trip to Ulaanbaatar and my interviews with the Central Bank of Mongolia and the Investment and Trade Agency, I not only gained substantial knowledge about Mongolia's current economic strategy but also accumulated practical research experience. I also learned that large projects require meticulous coordination among various institutions (Investment Bureau ↔ Finance Department ↔ Mongolian Bank) to manage finances and risk exposure. At the same time, the actual obstacles faced by third-country foreign direct investment - legal uncertainty, transportation/logistics restrictions, and infrastructure gaps - remain important constraints, and areas that need to be improved through relatively rapid policy adjustments (clear regulations, improved customs procedures, and the formulation of targeted incentives).”

On the 6 of November, the Zemi Research Convention was held.The convention is a presentation style competition for teams of third-year students and above enrolled in Advanced Seminar.

This year 33 teams presented.

You can access each teams’ presentation content from the below website link:

Many guests, faculty, graduates, students from affiliated high school and current students gathered on the day.They attentively observed each presentation and abundant thought-provoking Q&A’s were exchanged.

The presentation participants were able to gather many valuable feedbacks from audiences.

 We will be using the data to enrich students' graduation thesis and future studies and improve future conventions held by our faculty.

Professor Levi McLaughlin, a scholar of religious studies, gave an online lecture via Zoom titled “Religion in Japan” for students in “Japanese Culture” class. 

Professor McLaughlin began the lecture with an interactive virtual tour of a temple and shrine in Yokosuka, Kanagawa prefecture. Students stood up in the classroom and imaginatively “walked” through the temple and shrine, observing key features. Professor McLaughlin explained the temple and shrine, and encouraged students to think about the questions he posed. 

Professor McLaughlin then discussed the expression, “Born Shinto, [marry Christian], and die Buddhist” claim, using it as a starting point to explain how “shūkyo” is a relatively new category in Japan from the 1850s, as a translation of Western concept of “religion.” He explained that religion in Japan is more about everyday practices and rituals, which many people engage in despite identifying as “non-religious.” 

The lecture further demonstrated how the category of “religion” has been historically and politically shaped. While religion has been stigmatized in Japan since the Aum Shinrikyō affair in the 1990s, it continues to exert significant influence in the political sphere. Recent developments such as the assassination of former prime minister Abe Shinzō and revelations concerning the Liberal Democratic Party’s ties to the Unification Church, as well as the activities of Nippon Kaigi (Japan Conference), have brought renewed attention to the enduring connections between religious organizations and political power.

Professor McLaughlin’s lecture was highly engaging and closely connected to students’ everyday experiences living in Kyoto, as well as to contemporary political and social issues. Following the lecture, students were asked to visit a local shrine or temple for a close observation exercise. Their written reports demonstrated clear engagement with the lecture and an ability to connect their field observations to Professor McLaughlin’s discussion.

Professor Jennifer Robertson (Professor Emerita of Anthropology and Art History, University of Michigan) visited the “Japanese Culture” class and delivered a lecture entitled “’Securitainment’: Robots, Entertainment, and Surveillance Capitalism in Japan.” 

Professor Robertson began the lecture by discussing the widespread presence of CCTV cameras in Tokyo and other Japanese cities. She then moved on to examine entertainment robots, which can be understood as forms of embodied artificial intelligence, and explained how these robots have also been mobilized by their manufacturers as tools of surveillance.　As examples, she introduced SONY’s robot dog Aibo and other cute (“kawaii”), often animal-shaped robots that are used in various ways in Japanese households. She explained how these robots generate a continuous stream of private and biometric data that is collected by companies and their affiliates.

Professor Robertson also discussed Japan’s relatively permissive regulatory framework regarding privacy, noting that certain data-collection practices that are illegal or heavily restricted in other countries are often implemented in Japan without major legal obstacles.

The lecture provided an excellent connection to the course materials on “kawaii” culture and character aesthetics covered in the previous week. Students were surprised to learn what might be occurring behind the seemingly harmless, charming and cute appearance of entertainment robots, and how their “kawaii” design can be deceptive despite their use as tools for data collection and surveillance.

An active question-and-answer session followed the lecture, and several students continued the discussion with the professor afterward. She generously shared her insights, allowing students to further deepen their understanding. Through the lecture and discussion, students gained a clearer perspective on the complex relationships among capitalism, technology, entertainment, and surveillance.

Student comments submitted after the lecture indicated that they greatly enjoyed the talk and found it thought-provoking. Many noted that it encouraged them to reflect critically on the everyday and often unnoticed ways in which their privacy may be infringed upon.

On October 09, 2025, Ms. Emma Chanlett-Avery, Director of Asia Society Policy Institute, US was invited as a guest speaker for the course titled “Advanced Topics in IR” taught by Dr. Astha Chadha.

The lecture titled “Trump 2.0 and American Foreign Policy: Impacts on Japan-US alliance” focused on the Trump Administration’s decision-making and impacts on the US relations with its partners, as well as its foreign aid programs especially the US-AID . The lecture discussed the issues of US immigration policy, state of political violence in the US and growing strains of isolationism in the US Congress towards fortification of Indo-Pacific alliances, since 2025. 

Ms. Emma’s lecture then discussed the polarization in the US through the cases of the bill, National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and the recent draft of National Defense Strategy (NDS)- both of which reflect strategic confusion in the US and its Indo-Pacific strategy. This also raises questions on the future direction of minilaterals involving the US.

The lecture then discussed the US-Japan alliance’s role in reinforcing their mutual alignment on the Ukraine conflict, and the future direction of minilaterals in the Indo-Pacific including the Quad. 

The students engaged with the speaker and asked several questions ranging from domestic politics in Japan and possible influence on US-Japan alliance, future of the Quad in the Indo-Pacific, US policy towards China under the current administration, US immigration policy under Biden and Trump administration, varying perceptions of states like India, Philippines and Vietnam regarding Trump 2.0, as well as US policy towards security in the Taiwan Strait.

The lecture concluded with remarks from the guest speaker about the good questions from the audience and hope for greater US integration into the wider Indo-Pacific security.