ACTIVITIES

ACTIVITIES

Seminars, Lectures, Symposia – 2023 Academic Year

Seminars

December 7, 2023, 0:30-2:30 am
“Challenges of Ending Wars in the Age of Division: The War in Ukraine and Peacebuilding in Africa”
(physical venue: Harvard University)
Hosted by the Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations, Harvard University.
Co-hosted by the Ukraine Research Institute at Harvard University, Harvard University Center for African Studies, Sophia Institute of International Relations (SIIR) and by the Sophia Institute for Human Security

Initial Remarks:

Mr. Kotaro SUZUKI, Consul General of Japan in Boston

 

Speakers:

Prof. Daisaku HIGASHI (SIIR)
Prof. Serhii Plokhii, Mykhailo S. Hrushevs’kyi Professor of Ukrainian History, Department of History; Director, Ukrainian Research Institute, Harvard University
Dr. Wakiko OHIRA, Postdoctoral Fellow, Harvard University Center for African Studies

 

Moderator and Commentator:

Dr. Daniel Koss, Associate Senior Lecturer on East Asian Languages and Civilizations, Harvard University

December 22, 2023
“Stopping the Conflict and Humanitarian Disaster in Gaza: Difficulty of Peace in the Middle East and the Search for a Two-State Solution”
(Hosted by SIIR; Co-Hosted by Institute of Human Security, Sophia University and by the Japan Global Dialogue (NPO); Sponsored by the Sophia Alumni Association)

Opening remarks:

Prof. Sali Augustine (Chancellor, Sophia School Corporation)

Speaker:

Prof. Daisaku HIGASHI (SIIR)

Commentator:

Mr. Tetsuo KONDO (Former Director, UNDP Representation Office in Japan)

Closing Remarks:

Mr. Masao TORII (President, Sophia Alumni Association)

Symposia

April 2, 2023
Book Launch Symposium: How to End the War in Ukraine?: The Limits and Possibilities of Peace Mediation
(Hosted by SIIR, Co-hosted by the Asian Affairs Research Council, Sophia Institute for Human Security, and by Japan Global Dialogue (NGO))

Opening Remarks:

Prof. Tadashi ANNO (SIIR)

Speaker:

Prof. Daisaku HIGASHI (SIIR)

Commentators:

Prof. Yoko HIROSE (Faculty of Policy Management, Keio University)
Prof. Kazuhiro MAESHIMA (SIIR)

Moderator:

Mr. Toshimitsu KISHI（Asian Affairs Research Council）

June 14, 2023
How can Japan, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) and the United Nations Work Together to Advance their Support for Afghanistan?
(Hosted by Sophia University; Co-hosted by SIIR, Sophia Institute for Human Security, Center for Global Education and Discovery, and by Japan Global Dialogue; Sponsored by the Sophia Alumni Association)

Initial Remarks:

Prof. Yoshiaki TERUMICHI (President, Sophia University)
Prof. Ken AOKI (Director, Sophia Institute for Human Security)

Main Speakers:

Ambassador Tarig Ali Bakheet (Special Envoy of the Secretary General of the OIC to Afghanistan)
Dr. Masaru MURAKAMI (President, Peace Japan Medical Service)
Eng. Mohammad Al-Saati (Special Advisor to the President, Islamic Development Bank)

Organizer/ Moderator:

Prof. Daisaku HIGASHI (SIIR)

Commentators:

Mr. Tetsuo KONDO (Former Director, UNDP Representation Office in Japan)
Mr. Masao TORII (President, Sophia Alumni Association)
Dr. Sali Augustine (Chancellor, Sophia School Corporation)

Concluding Remarks:

Dr. Sali Augustine (Chancellor, Sophia School Corporation)

February 29, 2024
SIIR Symposium: Responsibility to Protect
(Co-hosted by SIIR, The Asia Pacific Centre of the Responsibility to Protect (APR2P) and by the R2P Network of Japan; Sponsored by the Institute for Asia Human Community, Waseda University)

Moderator:

Prof. Masataka NAKAUCHI (SIIR)

Part 1:

Book Launch Event for The Responsibility to Protect from Regional Perspectives: Toward Diverse Implementations of a Universal Principle

Speakers:

Prof. Hiroshi NISHIKAI (Associate Professor, Faculty of Political Science and Economics, Seigakuin University)
Prof. Shiro KOMATSU (Associate Professor, Department of Regional Social Management, Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, Yamanashi University)
Dr. Nagafumi NAKAMURA (Lecturer, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Tokyo)

Part 2:

Perspectives from Myanmar

Main Speaker:

Prof. Kei NEMOTO (Professor Emeritus, Sophia University)
“Three Years since the Coup: Three Historical Perspectives for Understanding the Worsening Situation in Myanmar”

Guest Speakers:

Dr. Noel Morada (Director, Regional Diplomacy and Capacity Building, Asia Pacific Centre for the Responsibility to Protect, University of Queensland)
Ms. Moe Thuzar (Coordinator, Myanmar Studies Programme, Yusof Ishak Institute)

Round Table

December 2, 2023
“Meet Sophia Alumni National Civil Servants”
(Hosted by SIIR, Co-hosted by the Sophia Alumni Association, Sponsored by the Career Center, Sophia University)

Opening Remarks:

Mr. Masao TORII (President, Sophia Alumni Association)
Prof. Tadashi ANNO (SIIR)

Special Guest Speaker:

Ambassador Ichiro FUJISAKI (Chairman, Board of Directors, Kita-Kamakura Women’s High School)

Panelists:

Mr. Ken ONO (Director, Russia Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
Ms. Yukie KITAGAWA (Deputy Director, Nuclear Facilities Development and Nuclear Fuel Cycle Industry Division, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry)
Ms. Ai YAMAMOTO (International Legal Affairs Division, International Legal Affairs Bureau)
Mr. Yoshihisa NAKANO (Student, Sophia University; Accepted as a Career National Civil Servant in the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transportation and Tourism)
Ms. Aki HANASHIMA (Student, Sophia University; Accepted as a Career National Civil Servant at the Ministry of Justice)

Guest Speakers:

Mr. Keita TAKAYANAGI (Deputy Director, Personnel Division, Minister’s Secretariat, Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
Mr. Yuki YASUDA (Secretarial Division, Minister’s Secretariat, Ministry of Defense)

Closing Remarks:

Mr. Toshiaki OGAWA 　(Member, Standing Committee, Sophia Alumni Association)

Moderator:

Mr. Makoto MIYAZAKI (Sophia Alumni Association)

Lectures

June 2, 2023
Whither Security on Okinawa: Recapitulating International Relations through a Layered Approach
(Co-hosted by SIIR and by the Sophia University Institute of Comparative Culture (ICC))

Speaker:

Prof. Ra Mason (Associate Professor of IR and Japanese Foreign Policy, University of East Anglia)

Moderator:

Prof. Tadashi ANNO (SIIR)

October 18, 2023
Challenges to Taiwan’s Defense: Implications for Japan and Japan-Taiwan Relations
(Co-hosted by SIIR and by the Institute of Comparative Culture)

Speaker:

Mr. Paul Huang (Research Fellow, Taiwan Public Opinion Foundation, Visiting Fellow, Fairbank Center, Harvard University)

Moderator::

Prof. Tadashi ANNO (SIIR)

Workshops

March 1, 2024
Japan National Dialogue on The Responsibility to Protect and Atrocities Prevention
Hosted by The Sophia Institute of International Relations (SIIR)
The Asia Pacific Centre for the Responsibility to Protect (APR2P)
The R2P Network of Japan
Supported by The Institute for Asia Human Community, Waseda University

Opening Remarks:

Ms. Claire Elias, Minister-Counsellor (Political), Australian Embassy, Tokyo

Panel 1:

Crises in Myanmar

Chairperson:

Dr. Noel Morada, University of Queensland

Panelists:

Ms. Moe Thuzar (Coordinator, Myanmar Studies Programme, Yusof Ishak Institute)
Prof. Bhanubhatra Jittiang (Chulalongkorn University)
Prof. Mely Caballero-Anthony (Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University)
Dr. Makiko Arai (JICA Ogata Sadako Research Institute for Peace and Development)

Panel 2:

Future of the Responsibility to Protect

Chairperson:

Masataka Nakauchi, Sophia University

Panelists:

Dr. Noel Morada, University of Queensland
Prof. Masataka Nakauchi, Sophia University

Research Workshops

March 12, 2024 12:30-13:20
SIIR Brown Bag Lunch Series

Workshop 9:

“International Order and National Identity: An Intellectual Self-Portrait”

Speaker:

Prof. Tadashi ANNO (SIIR)