Stanford University

International Relations

FSI researchers strive to understand how countries relate to one another, and what policies are needed to achieve global stability and prosperity. International relations experts focus on the challenging U.S.-Russian relationship, the alliance between the U.S. and Japan and the limitations of America’s counterinsurgency strategy in Afghanistan.

Foreign aid is also examined by scholars trying to understand whether money earmarked for health improvements reaches those who need it most. And FSI’s Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center has published on the need for strong South Korean leadership in dealing with its northern neighbor.

FSI researchers also look at the citizens who drive international relations, studying the effects of migration and how borders shape people’s lives. Meanwhile FSI students are very much involved in this area, working with the United Nations in Ethiopia to rethink refugee communities.

Trade is also a key component of international relations, with FSI approaching the topic from a slew of angles and states. The economy of trade is rife for study, with an APARC event on the implications of more open trade policies in Japan, and FSI researchers making sense of who would benefit from a free trade zone between the European Union and the United States.

My Vision for Kaohsiung: Reshaping Party Politics and Public Service in Taiwan’s Democracy

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RSVPs for this event are now closed. This event is open only to the Stanford community; a valid Stanford ID will be required to enter. 

NOTE: THIS EVENT IS CLOSED TO THE MEDIA

Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu

Han Kuo-yu was elected Mayor of Kaohsiung, Taiwan, in November 2018, becoming the first member of the Kuomintang (KMT) to hold that office since 1998. He served as a member of the Legislative Yuan from Taipei County from 1993-2002, and later became the general manager of the Taipei Agricultural Products Marketing Corporation. 

Mr. Han graduated from Soochow University (Taipei) with a degree in English literature, and earned a master’s degree in law from National Chengchi University’s Graduate Institute of East Asian Studies.
 
This event is co-sponsored by the Hoover Institution and the Taiwan Democracy and Security Project, part of the U.S.-Asia Security Initiative. 
 
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Philippines Room
616 Serra Mall
Encina Hall, 3rd Floor, Central (C330)
Stanford, CA 94305

Han Kuo-yu Mayor of Kaohsiung, Taiwan

Killing the Chicken to Scare the Monkey: Explaining Coercion by China in the South China Sea

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Despite adverse implications for its image, when it comes to territorial disputes, China has been willing to employ coercion. But Beijing is selective regarding the timing, targets, and tools of coercion. Military coercion is rare and the forms and uses of coercion vary. In the face of what China sees as similar threats by different countries, for example, Beijing tends to tailor its responses, country by country, case by case. Dr. Zhang will focus on Chinese coercive behavior in the South China Sea. She will offer a new theory as to when, why, and how China coerces other states.  Leveraging a wealth of newly available primary documents and hundreds of hours of interviews with Chinese officials, she will trace the decision-making processes that result in coercion’s use or non-use.

Where others may view China as repetitively aggressive, Dr. Zhang sees a cautious bully that does not coerce frequently and has tended, as it has gained strength, to use non-kinetic kinds of coercion. She finds that protecting a reputation for resolve and calculating economic costs are critical elements in China’s decision-making regarding the (dis)advantages of coercing its neighbors. Nor is the intended target country necessarily clear. China often coerces one to deter another – “killing the chicken to scare the monkey.” Implications will also drawn from her research that can help in projecting China’s likely future foreign-policy behavior beyond Southeast Asia and in understanding the roles played by coercion in the strategies of states more generally.

To learn more about, watch a recent interview APARC filmed with Dr. Zhang.

ketian zhang 4x
Ketian Vivian Zhang will be an Assistant Professor of International Security in the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University starting in September 2019. Her book project at Stanford and a forthcoming article in International Security are on the subject of her talk. Beyond its topic, another part of her research agenda explores how the globalized economy and its chains of manufacture and supply affect the foreign-policy behaviors of states. Her 2018 PhD in political science is from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She is a proud Badger, having earned her BA in political science and sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Ketian Zhang 2018-2019 Shorenstein Postdoctoral Fellow on Contemporary Asia
Seminars

AIT Director Addresses Significance of Taiwan Relations Act's 40th Anniversary

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On March 4, Brent Christensen, Director of the American Institute in Taiwan’s Taipei office, delivered the keynote speech at the Taiwan Democracy and Security Project's annual workshop. A video recording of the event is available below for 30 days (additionally, a transcript of Mr. Christensen's prepared remarks is available on the American Institute in Taiwan website).

 

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irector of the American Institute in Taiwan, Brent Christensen Speaking to Stanford Audience
Director of the American Institute in Taiwan Brent Christensen speaks before a Stanford Audience.
Thom Holme, APARC
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Karl Eikenberry Discusses the Second Report of the Task Force on U.S.-China Policy and Its Recommendations for Managing the Increasingly Competitive U.S.-China Relationship

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Three years into the Trump administration, “the United States and the People’s Republic of China find their bilateral relationship at a dangerous crossroads,” write Orville Schell of the Asia Society and Susan Shirk of the University of California San Diego (UCSD), co-chairs of the Task Force on U.S.-China Policy, at the opening of a recently published report, Course Correction: Toward an Effective and Sustainable China Policy. The report features the second set of findings issued by the Task Force, a group comprising China specialists from around the United States, which is convened by Asia Society’s Center on U.S.-China Relations and UCSD’s 21st Century China Center and which includes Karl Eikenberry, director of APARC’s U.S.-Asia Security Initiative.

In its first report, issued in 2017, the Task Force identified the fundamental interests of the United States in its relationship with China. Since then, more stresses and strains have beset the bilateral relations between the two countries. But while “Beijing’s recent policies under Xi Jinping’s leadership are primarily driving this negative dynamic” and the “Trump administration is justified in pushing back harder against China’s actions, note Schell and Shirk, “pushback alone isn’t a strategy. It must be accompanied by the articulation of specific goals and how they can be achieved.” The new report propose a strategy to that end, which the Task Force calls “smart competition.”

APARC caught up with Ambassador Eikenberry to learn more about the report and its recommendations.

Note: the following has been edited for clarity.

How does the February 2019 report by the Task Force on U.S.-China Policy differ from its 2017 report? 

Since our Task Force’s first report was published in February 2017, the Trump Administration’s China policy has developed significantly, its defining characteristics being demonstrated in trade and economic policy and in security strategy. Our new Task Force study takes stock of the current state of U.S.-China relations and focuses on policy analysis and policy prescription. It seems clear that President Trump’s shift from a strategy of engagement to one of more explicit competition was overdue. This report suggests the best organizing principles for the management of what will likely be an increasingly competitive U.S.-China relationship in the coming years.

How does this report frame Sino-American relations?

The report underscores the fact that this is not a zero-sum game. Emphasis is placed on finding ways and means to cooperate with China when mutually advantageous—and there are many issue areas where this is or might be possible, such as climate change and denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. But the report also makes clear that in the domains of economic exchange, security, and political values—such as individual freedom and the primacy of the rule of law—America needs to work with like-minded allies and partners to ensure the global system that has benefitted all for over seven decades is not overturned by those seeking unilateral advantage.

Several of the report’s Task Force members were also involved in the recent China report from the Hoover Institution, Chinese Influence and American Interests: Promoting Constructive Vigilance. Where do you think these two publications intersect and part ways?

There was some overlap among the contributors to the two reports—full disclosure, I had the opportunity to participate in both projects. I think the studies are actually complementary—the portion of Course Correction devoted to PRC overseas influence activities drew upon the findings published in Chinese Influence and American Interests.

What development is of greatest concern to you as you think about the future of Sino-American relations?

I’m most concerned about the blurring of the management of economic exchange (trade and investment issues) and security competition (which includes maintaining a technological advantage over one’s competitors). The proliferation of technologies with military applications is complicating efforts of those trying to maintain robust economic relations between China and the United States. If our economies decouple, we will have a new Cold War

 

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U.S. Secretary Of State Mike Pompeo Meets with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi
U.S. Secretary Of State Mike Pompeo Meets with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi
Daisuke Suzuki /Pool/Getty Images
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Global Affiliates Research Presentations (session 5 of 5)

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The format of this presentation is each of the four speakers will have approximately 15 minutes to present their research.  This will be followed by a short period of 5-10 minutes for any questions or comments from the audience.

In this session of the Global Affiliates Research Presentations, the following will be presented:

Alex Chen, SanJohn Capital, "A Happy Mind of an Investor"

As an investor, it's almost impossible to keep a peaceful mind and a tranquil heart.  An investor's physical, mental and spiritual states are susceptible to the market's ups=-and-downs, fluctuating with stock prices.  The emotional burden can be so heavy that many investors quit.  The defining quality of a successful investor is their ability to stay uninfluenced by external circumstances — or what is called a beginner's or happy mind.  In his presentation, Chen shares some examples of successful investments made with a new approach.

Umesh Desai, Reliance Life Sciences, "Production Management and Process Excellence Aspects in Manufacturing of Biopharmaceutical Products"

Achieving excellence, especially in the manufacturing of biopharmaceutical products, is difficult, but not impossible.  Successful use of different process excellence tools such as Lean (different wastes), Kaizen (continuous improvement), and Six Sigma (reduce variation) started in the automobile industry in the 1950s with the Toyota Production System.  Some pharma manufacturers tried to introduce these concepts, but were met with difficulties due to complex production manufacturing processes, maintaining good quality products, and meeting regulatory guidelines.  Implementing and maintaining this operational excellence in pharma industries, and then shifting to the biopharma industry made the task even more challenging.  Today, you can see these concepts in the biopharma industry more, but still not fully.  In his presentation, Desai will share examples of operational excellence and show how it has been modified and applied to the biopharma industry.  He will also share some solutions to improve the production time and efficiency to get the right quality product with affordable cost to the user. 

Akihisa Makino, Japan Patent Office, "Best Strategies for Intellectual Property in the Field of Medical Science"

Intellectual property (IP), such as patents, are exclusive rights and essential to make businesses with technology successful.  All companies, including startups, are required to obtain patents and plan their IP strategy properly by the time their products launch.  In the field of medical science, there are various technical fields such as cellular therapy, vaccine, small molecule organic compounds, and regenerative medicine, each with different IP strategy.  In his research, Makino has studied patent application trends in each of these technical areas as well as differences in patent application categories between small and large companies in Japan and the United States.  Additionally, after investigating patents of successful companies, in this presentation, Makino will propose the best IP strategy in this field based on his research findings.

Keisuke Yamazaki, The Asahi Shimbun, "How to Encourage Internet Users to Utilize the Web with Political Balance"

Every day, we get our news in a variety of ways – browsing the web, through news feeds of social networking services and from news apps.  These systems each have their own algorithms that deliver articles to fit the user's preferences.  Though they are good tools for users to find articles, the diversity of the articles is often lost.  In his research, Yamazaki studied situations of internet bias such as a "filter bubble".  In this presentation, he shares measures he learned to avoid this bias and proposes new methods to distinguish between liberal and conservative news by using machine learning. 

Lizhong Chen

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Global Affiliate Visiting Scholar, 2018-20
SanJohn Capital Limited
alex.jpeg MBA

Lizhong (Alex) Chen is a global affiliate visiting scholar at the Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center (Shorenstein APARC) for 2018-19 and 2019-20.  Chen brings nearly 20 years of experience in the investment industry including brokerage firms, asset management, fund management and private equity funds.  Prior to joining Shorenstein APARC, Chen was the founder of SanJohn Capital Limited in Hong Kong where he continues to manage a long-term portfolio of stocks traded on the Hong Kong, China and U.S. stock markets.  He received his MBA from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

SanJohn Capital

Umesh Desai

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Global Affiliate Visiting Scholar, 2018-19
Reliance Life Sciences
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Umesh Desai is a global affiliate vising scholar at the Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center (Shorenstein APARC) for 2018-19.  Desai has over 22 years experience in manufacturing of biopharmaceutical products and has been with Reliance Life Sciences Pvt. Ltd., India since 2007.  Currently, he is designated as Sr. Manager in the production team.  His current responsibilities include manufacturing activities (planning, execution, and manufacturing of biological products); communicating with support groups for the requirements as per the business demand within the organization; document submissions to the quality assurance group; preparation and business of BMR (Batch Manufacturing Record), BPR (Batch Packing Record) of biological products for the domestic and exports market as per the demand; and fulfilling the requirements.  Desai received his degree in chemistry from the D.G. Ruparel College of Arts, Commerce and Science, Mumbai University in 1992.  

Reliance Life Sciences

Akihisa Makino

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Global Affiliate Visiting Scholar, 2018-19
Japan Patent Office
akihisa_makino.jpg MS

Akihisa Makino is a global affiliate visiting scholar at the Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center (Shorenstein APARC) for 2018-19.  Makino has been working since 2008 for the Japan Patent Office, one of the external agencies of the Ministry of Economy, Trade & Industry (METI) of Japan, as a patent examiner, handling applications in the fields of polymer and medical science.  From 2016 to 2018, he was also in charge of the policy planning of supporting the intellectual property in universities and research institutions at the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED).  

Japan Patent Office

Keisuke Yamazaki

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Global Affiliate Visiting Scholar, 2018-19
The Asahi Shimbun Company
keisuke_yamazaki.jpg MS

Keisuke Yamazaki is a global affiliate visiting scholar at the Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center (Shorenstein APARC) for 2018-19.  Yamazaki has six years of experience as a computer engineer at The Asahi Shimbun, the national leading newspaper company in Japan.  Prior to joining Shorenstein APARC, he has engaged in research and development about artificial intelligence and participated in projects related to topics such as "automatic article writer AI".  Additionally, he has four years of experience as a journalist.  Most recently Yamazaki was part of the Science and Medicine Department at The Asahi Shimbun reporting on the aerospace industry of Japan.

 

The Asahi Shimbun
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Global Affiliates Research Presentations (session 4 of 5)

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The format of this presentation is each of the four speakers will have approximately 15 minutes to present their research.  This will be followed by a short period of 5-10 minutes for any questions or comments from the audience.

In this session of the Global Affiliates Research Presentations, the following will be presented:

Yosuke Hatano, Shizuoka Prefectural Government, "Digital Transformation of the Public Sector and Possibilities to Introduce to Local Government of Japan"

What is needed for local governments in Japan to succeed in the age of digitalization?  How can they adapt to survive in the rapidly changing environment?  Players of the public sector in Japan are now under pressure to find ways of transforming social conditions and new tools to offer better solutions to the people.  In his research, Hatano has searched for actual cases that have used the power of digital and information technologies in the policy-making process and in public service.  In his presentation, Hatano will share an overview of the current situation as well as offer suggestions on ways to introduce digitalization to transform Japanese local governments. 

Yusuke Matsuda, Nippon Foundation, "Social Impact Investing Trends and Best Practices in the U.S."

Social problems are becoming more complex and severe in current society.  It is crucial for non-profit organizations to involve and create a coalition with governmental organization, for-profit enterprises, and citizens together to solve various social issues.  Impact investment has been playing a crucial role to build this coalition of philanthropists and investors.  Impact investment is a practice distinguished by its aim to general social and environmental benefits alongside financial returns.  Currently, there is more than $70 billion in assets under management by major traditional investment funds such as BlackRock, Credit Suisse, and Goldman Sachs.  As more financial and professional talent engages in solving social issues, we have seen non-profit organizations accelerating their capacity and speed to have social impact.  In his presentation, Matsuda introduces Omydiar network, one of the most impactful investment fund's strategy, to help us learn how we can structure more effective financial schemes to solve social issues. 

Akira Muto, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan, "Two Revisionist Powers in Eurasia and How to Deal with Them in the 21st Century"

The world today is full of uncertainties.  During the Cold War, the containment policy worked successfully against the single adversary, the Soviet Union, and led to the victory of liberal democracies.  However, today, liberal democracies are challenged by more than one major power - first and foremost by the two revisionist powers, Russia and China, and possibly more including Iran.  Is dual containment as suggested by the US Administration's National Security Strategy and National Defense Strategy a realistic and plausible policy?  In his research, Muto explores alternative policy options and makes suggestions for U.S.-Japan Alliance to build upon FOIP (Free and Open Indo-Pacific) which has been advocated by the Japanese government in recent years with a focus on the differences between adversaries for purposes of defending and reinforcing liberal institutions.  Muto prefers containment based on the balance of power tactics, as originally considered by George Kennan, rather than the "globalized" version of containment and defeating adversaries by means of war, which would be too costly.

Ramachandra Siddappa, Reliance Life Sciences, "A Scientific Visualization to Improve Biopharmaceuticals' Technical and Operational Management"

Biologics are drug products manufactured in, extracted from, or semi-synthesized from biological sources.  Demand for biologics is increasing.  The global pharmaceutical market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 9.4%, reaching $278 billion in revenue by the end of 2020.  This high rate of growth is driven by factors such as aging population and increased prevalence of chronic disease, especially in the western world.  However, the most important reason for such a high rate of increase in use of biopharmaceuticals is superior effectiveness in treating many diseases, including treating conditions for which there were previously few effective drug treatments available. 

Biologics have a very complex production process and are affected by a wide range of factors such as cell system, fermentation media, operation conditions, problems faced in scaleup and very long batch periods.  To meet the high demand of these lifesaving drugs and to overcome the challenges faced by biopharma industries, Siddappa has focused his research on strategic and operational decision making by applying mathematical programming techniques for production planning of biopharma manufacturing facilities for improved costs effectiveness and better capacity management.

Yosuke (Jack) Hatano

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Global Affiliate Visiting Scholar, 2018-20
Shizuoka Prefectural Government
yosuke_hatano.jpeg MA

Yosuke Hatano is a global affiliate visiting scholar at the Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center (Shorenstein APARC) for 2018-19 and 2019-20.  Hatano has over seven years experience in the global energy trading business and energy infrastructure development projects at both private companies and in the private sector, including time as a branch office representative in Indonesia.  He joined the local government of the Shizuoka prefecture in 2014 and has experience in tourism promotion and destination marketing.  He has also engaged in the policies for small- and medium-sized enterprises promoting and developing the regional economy and industry.  Most recently, Hatano worked on international general affairs between the Shizuoka and the world.  He received his masters degree in international relations from Waseda University in 2007.

Shizuoka Prefectural Government

Yusuke (Ed) Matsuda

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Global Affiliate Visiting Scholar, 2018-19
Nippon Foundation
ed_matsuda_2.jpg MA, MBA

Yusuke Matsuda is a global affiliate visiting scholar at the Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center (Shorenstein APARC) for 2018-19.  As a graduate of Nihon University, Matsuda began his career as a physical education teacher at a private junior and senior high school in Tokyo.  There, he devised a special curriculum, "Sports English", teaching his Japanese students completely in English.  As an adviser to extracurricular club activities, he was able to bring the once minor track team to advance to national level track meets.  After moving on to the board of education in the adjacent prefecture of Chiba and serving as an analyst of educational policies, he completed his masters in educational leadership at Harvard University.  Upon his return to Japan, he worked as a consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers before establishing several non-profit organizations including Learning for All and Teach for Japan.  In 2017, he resigned his CEO position at Teach for Japan and pursued his second masters program at Stanford Graduate School of Business.  In addition to joining Shorenstein APARC, he is also a Country Manager at Crimson Education Japan. 

Matsuda is a member of the World Economic Forum Global Shapers Community and is also a Research Associate Professor at Kyoto University.  He earned his BA degree from Nihon University in the Department of Humanities and holds a Masters degree from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and the Harvard Graduate School of Education.  He was selected as one of the 100 most influential people in Japan (Nikkei Business) and has published his book "Google, Disney yorimo hatarakitai kyositsu (a classroom you want to work more than Google and Disney)" in 2014 from Diamond.

Nippon Foundation

Akira Muto

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Global Affiliate Visiting Scholar, 2018-19
Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Japan
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Akira Muto is a global affiliate visiting scholar at the Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center (Shorenstein APARC) for 2018-19.  Muto has over 25 years of experience in the Foreign Ministry of Japan with background in Russia and policy planning.  He served as director of the Russian division, deputy director general (Ambassador) in charge of former Soviet Union states, as well as director of policy coordination division.  Additionally, he served as director of free trade agreement and economic partnership division and the director of the fourth division of Intelligence Service. As a diplomat, his previous assignments included Washington D.C., Moscow and Boston (Consul General).  In recent years, he served as Cabinet Councillor at National Security Secretariat and was engaged in various international security affairs.  His research interest covers strategic relations among US-Japan Alliance, Russia and China in the Asia-Pacific region.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan

Ramachandra Siddappa

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Global Affiliate Visiting Scholar, 2018-19
Reliance Life Sciences
rama_siddappa.jpg MS

Ramachandra Siddappa is a global affiliate visiting scholar at the Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center (Shorenstein APARC) for 2018-19.  Siddappa has over 12 years of experience in handling production and operational technical management systems and has been with Reliance Life Sciences Pvt. Ltd., India since 2007.    In his current role as Senior Manager in the Production Management Group, some of his responsibilities include the production and technical operation of microbial and mammalian cell culture products; GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) aspects of manufacturing and documentation; audit management & compliance; technology transfer documentation and scale up design of recombinant products; equipment FAT (Factory Acceptance Test) & SAT (Site Acceptance Test) activity; and conducting & organizing internal training programs.

Prior to joining Reliance Life Sciences Pvt., Ltd., he worked for Shantha Biotechnics Pvt., Ltd. Hyderabad (Sanofi Division) in R&D upstream.  Siddappa received his post graduate degree in biotechnology from Kuvempu University, Karnatak, India in 2005.

Reliance Life Sciences
Seminars

Global Affiliates Research Presentations (session 3 of 5)

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The format of this presentation is each of the three speakers will have approximately 15 minutes to present their research.  This will be followed by a short period of 5-10 minutes for any questions or comments from the audience.

In this session of the Global Affiliates Research Presentations, the following will be presented:

Hiroto Akai, Ministry of Finance, Japan, "FinTech and Japanese Banks:  Implications for Fiscal Sustainability"

Although Japan has the world's largest government debt, the interest rate of the Japanese Government Bond (JGB) still remains lower than most major countries.  In the JGB market, Japanese banks play a key role as massive investors.  However, in recent years, many business environments surrounding Japanese banks have dramatically changed.  One of the biggest changes is FinTech.  Given the growth of FinTech, some researchers argue that it could disrupt traditional banking.  In his research, Akai provides an overview of the FinTech phenomenon, especially in the U.S., and tries to analyze the relationship between FinTech and incumbent banks.  Given the characteristics in Japan's financial market, Akai tries to clarify the impact of Fintech to the investment behavior of Japanese banks.

Yasuhito Ando, Kozo Keikaku Engineering, "Use of AI in Architectural Design:  Defining Comfort in Residential Design"

In the construction industry, the use of IT, AI, and robotics is advancing with many used to respond to labor shortages and reduce costs.  However, the value of using a computer is not only to improve efficiency, but to possibly create new solutions beyond the limit of human established concepts.  Computational design is expected to derive optimal solutions that humans have never imagined in complex conditions. 

In the design of buildings, there are already examples of computer-based optimization of structure, design, cost and environment.  However, there is no example of realizing comfortable planning.  This is because the comfort is vague and difficult to design.  In his research, Ando examines how to find comfort definitions from housing design data.

Takanori Tomozawa, Ministry of Economy, Trade & Industry, Japan, "Innovation for Energy Policy & Companies in Japan —  Lessons Learned from Silicon Valley"

In the energy field, innovation is becoming more and more essential under the trends of decarbonization, digitaliation, decentralization, and so on.  Tomozawa's research objective is to find implications to improve the energy innovation capability of the Japanese government and companies.  To do so, Tomozawa has scrutinized the activities of other countries' energy companies, the energy innovation ecosystem especially in the Silicon Valley, and the discussion about future electricity system reform in California.  Silicon Valley is a place where high-technologies are developed before anywhere else in the world, where many emerging startups are created, and where there is a variety of opportunities to invest in innovations under the advanced legal system.  In his presentation, Tomozawa will share the lessons he has learned from Silicon Valley to achieve his objective. 

Hiroto Akai

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Global Affiliate Visiting Scholar, 2017-19
Ministry of Finance - Japan
hiroto_akai.jpg

Hiroto Akai is a global affiliate visiting scholar at the Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center (Shorenstein APARC) for 2017-19.  Akai has served various positions at the Japanese Ministry of Finance and the Financial Services Agency.  Prior to joining Shorenstein APARC, he was Deputy Director of Policy Planning and Research Division, which is responsible for producing the Financial Statements Statistics of Japanese Corporations.  He assumed several tasks related to financial markets during his career.  He was Deputy Director of the Office of Foreign Exchange Reserve Management (2015-16), where he was responsible for portfolio management of Japan's FX reserves.  He also worked for Foreign Exchange and Markets Division (2008-09), where he was in charge of foreign exchange market policy during the global financial crisis.  He received a masters degree of economics from Hitotsubashi University in 2005.

 

 

Ministry of Finance, Japan

Yasuhito Ando

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Global Affiliate Visiting Scholar, 2018-19
Kozo Keikaku Engineering
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Yasuhito Ando is a global affiliate visiting scholar at the Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center (Shorenstein APARC) for 2018-19.  Ando is currently the Managing Executive Officer of Kozo Keikaku Engineering where he is in charge of the U.S. marketing department.  While at KKE, he developed a system to calculate the structure of buildings and also consults on processes from development to design and construction.  Most recently, he was engaged in the planning department focusing on business and personnel planning as well as involved in the information communication system development and management of IoE (Internet of Everything) business. 

 

Kozo Keikaku Engineering

Takanori Tomozawa

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Global Affiliate Visiting Scholar, 2018-19
Ministry of Economy Trade & Industry - Japan
takanori_tomozawa.jpg PhD

Takanori Tomozawa is a global affiliate visiting scholar at the Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center (Shorenstein APARC) for 2018-19.  Tomozawa has served various positions at the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.  Prior to joining Shorenstein APARC, he was Deputy Director of Energy Strategy Office, which is responsible for revising the Strategic Energy Plan of Japan.  He received his PhD degree in the Department of Technology Management for Innovation from the University of Tokyo in 2013.

METI, Japan
Seminars

Global Affiliates Research Presentations (session 2 of 5)

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The format of this presentation is each of the five speakers will have approximately 15 minutes to present their research.  This will be followed by a short period of 5-10 minutes for any questions or comments from the audience.

In this session of the Global Affiliates Research Presentations, the following will be presented:

Jiazhong Fang, PetroChina, "Sustainable Development of the Petroleum Industry"

Climate change has become more and more critical to the survival of humans.  If there is no appropriate control of the total greenhouse gas emissions over the next 10-20 years, emissions will drive global temperatures to rise 1.5-2oC.  Impacts related to climate change can be found in many segments of society such as human health, agriculture and food security, water supply, transportation, etc.  These same areas also impact the survival of the petroleum industry.  In his research, Fang has analyzed different scenarios about future clean energy implementation and emission reduction.  In this presentation, he shares potential solutions of the sustainable development of the petroleum industry. 

Ryoji Miyawaki, AAKEL Technologies, "Technology to Realize Decarbonization"

Decarbonization is one of the major issues of humanity.  It is, however, very difficult to solve under rapid population growth and modernization without innovation.  These days, many cleantech startups have been launched to aim to solve the issue with innovative approaches utilization cutting-edge technologies.  Miyawaki intends to share his insights into the latest trends of cleantech, the context behinds the trends, and the difference between the trends and the past Green New Deal which crashed in the late 2000s.

Hiro Nishinaka, Ishin Co., Ltd. "The State of Japanese Corporate Venture Capitals in the Silicon Valley"

Silicon Valley continues to attract attention as the center of tech startups and innovation.  A growing proportion of the most valuable companies in the U.S. are tech companies such as Silicon Valley-based tech giants Apple, Alphabet, and Facebook.  Therefore, many large Japanese enterprises have recently been organizing their own Corporate Venture Capitals (CVCs) to accelerate internal innovation, utilizing the Silicon Valley Startups' ecosystem.  However, many of these Japanese CVCs face similar common difficulties.  In his research, Nishinaka will share some insights into how large Japanese enterprises harness their CVCs to collaborate with startups to accelerate innovation effectively.

Hayato Watanabe, Hamamatsu Iwata Shinkin Bank, "The World of Japanese Manufacturing SMEs that Support Japan as a Manufacturing Powerhouse"

Japan's global market share is rapidly shrinking.  As a regional financial institution, the Hamamatsu Iwata Shinkin Bank focuses on supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with a majority of their customers in the vehicle engine parts industry.  There is an increasing possibility that the pyramid of parts supply centering on automobiles will collapse in the near future.  In such an era, it will be necessary for Japanese manufacturing SMEs to change their way of business in order to survive.  In his research, Watanabe shares his experience of proof of concept in Silicon Valley and provides suggestions on how Japanese manufacturing SMEs need to progress their business to expand their market share. 

Kosuke Yokota, Future Corporation, "Success Factors of FinTech in Japan"

The last decade has seen a disruption of the traditional banking industry, especially in the areas of payments, lending, wealth management, and retail banking.  This disruption is FinTech and includes 39 unicorns in the world, although not one Japanese company.  FinTech trends change every year.  In 2019, with Japan's shrinking millennial population, the battle for millennial deposits will become more aggressive as FinTech account products hit the market.  In his research, Yokota will share some insights into how Japan, which is an aging society, will proceed ahead of the world to accelerate FinTech innovation effectively. 

Jiazhong Fang

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Global Affiliate Visiting Scholar, 2018-19
PetroChina
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Jiazhong Fang is a global affiliate visiting scholar at the Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center (Shorenstein APARC) for 2018-19.  Fang works as the President and CEO of PetroKazakhstan Inc., a joint venture of PetroChina Company Ltd. and Kazkhstan national oil company, KazMunayGas (KMG).  Prior to this position, he has over 20 years of experience working internationally for PetroChina Overseas in Africa and central Asia, mainly focusing on exploration and development of oilfields.  He earned his PhD of Petroleum Engineering at the China Petroleum University, and his Master and Bachelor degree of Geology at Northwest University of China.  

PetroChina

Ryoji Miyawaki

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Global Affiliate Visiting Scholar, 2018-19
AAKEL Technologies
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Ryoji Miyawaki is a global affiliate visiting scholar at the Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center (Shorenstein APARC) for 2018-19. Miyawaki has over 20 years of experience in the energy industry as a business consultant with a background in digital technology, business strategy, marketing strategy and change management.  He was head of the utility industry at Accenture Japan from 2011 to 2018 as a management director.  Currently, he is the CEO at AAKEL Technologies Inc., a company for realizing decarbonization utilizing digital innovation in Japan.  His research interests cover energy market trading, P2P trading with blockchain, distributed energy resource optimization and artificial intelligence.

 

AAKEL Technologies

Hiroshi Nishinaka

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Global Affiliate Visiting Scholar, 2017-19
Ishin Co. Ltd.
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Hiroshi Nishinaka is a global affiliate visiting scholar at the Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center (Shorenstein APARC) for 2017-19.  Nishinaka is a VP of business development for Ishin Co., Ltd. a Japanese tech media firm featuring startups and entrepreneurs.  Prior to joining Ishin Co. Ltd., he served as a corporate sales representative for mid- to large-sized firms at Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) in Tokyo.  Nishinaka graduated from Waseda University with a BA in social science.  

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Ishin Co., Ltd.

Hayato Watanabe

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Global Affiliate Visiting Scholar, 2017-19
Hamamatsu Iwata Shinkin Bank
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Hayato Watanabe is a global affiliate visiting scholar at the Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center (Shorenstein APARC) for 2017-18.  Watanabe is assistant chief at the Hamamatsu Iwata Shinkin Bank.  He has over 15 years of experience in supporting small businesses especially in the area of expansion.  To help revitalize regional economy, his research will focus on bridging the regional specialty manufacturing industry and American companies.

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Hamamatsu Shinkin Bank

Kosuke Yokota

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Global Affiliate Visiting Scholar, 2018-19
Future Corporation
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Kosuke Yokota is a global affiliate visiting scholar at the Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center (Shorenstein APARC) for 2018-19.  Yokota is a section manager of Future Architect, Inc., an IT consulting firm in Japan.  He has over 10 years of experience in IT consulting and system designing, specifically financial industry systems.  Yokota graduated form Tohoku University with a masters degree in nuclear physics.  While at Shorenstein APARC, his research will focus on the Silicon Valley tech innovation ecosystem and the organic collaboration between universities, startups, venture capital and government.  

Future Corporation
Seminars

Global Affiliates Research Presentations (session 1 of 5)

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The format of this presentation is each of the four speakers will have approximately 15 minutes to present their research.  This will be followed by a short period of 5-10 minutes for any questions or comments from the audience.

In this session of the Global Affiliates Research Presentations, the following will be presented:

Tetsuji Ito, Development Bank of Japan, "Major League Baseball Team Management and Their Contribution to Regional Economy — with Comparison and Suggestions to Japanese Professional Baseball"

The average annual salary of an MLB player has more than quadrupled since 1995 reaching the current high of over $4 million.  Since 1995, the highest annual salary went from $10 million to now well over $30 million and is expected to continue to rise.  This has been made possible by the growth of the MLB's market size itself - currently at $100 billion which is more than seven times higher than the 1995 levels.  However, the average attendance per MLB game is decreasing and the average age of the MLB fan is increasing which could be a problem.  On the other hand, the Japanese professional baseball market has grown by only 1.5 times over the same period. In his research, Ito analyzes MLB's growth factors and studies their contribution to the regional economy, as well as their implications for the Japanese professional baseball market and regional economy.

Yangming Li, PetroChina, "The Potential Uses of AI for China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC)"

Similar to other international oil and gas companies, the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) is facing big challenges.  At the same time, Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology has been adopted everywhere and will be applied widely to the oil and gas industry.  These big companies, such as Shell and BP, are trying to rapidly scale and replicate AI technologies to improve their operational performances.  In his research, Li analyzes CNPC's current situation and its corporate strategy.  Li explains AI's application directions and benefits for CNPC's major business units such as enterprise management, oil exploration, refinery and gas stations, etc.  In his presentation, he will provide suggestions that CNPC may take AI as a new kernel of corporate strategy and outlines some considerations when implementing AI. 

Yuki Sakai, Mitsubishi Electric, "Software Quality Assurance for Collaboration with Startups"

Advanced technology, especially Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology, accelerates the cycle of business innovation.  Recently, many startups have developed AI-based software products.  Automotive makers, their suppliers and others collaborate on software development with startups as partners for their new products.  However, the gap of software requirements between the startups' products and automotive products can cause quality issues.  What can firms do for the startups to ensure software quality?  In his research, Sakai investigates software engineering for quality assurance for AI-based software products. 

Col. Masahiro Shizu, Japan Air Self Defense Force, "Relation in Cross Domain Operations Between Japan and the U.S."

The security environment surrounding the world is constantly changing.  Under these circumstances, Japan has been continuously implementing various efforts to achieve peace, independence, and the stability of the region.  However, with limited resources, it is difficult to respond to the current environment.  Therefore, it is time for Japan to adopt and practice a new strategy rather than conventional strategy.  This is the concept of the so-called "Cross Domain Operation" and is becoming more widely used around the world.  In his research, Shizu will consider possible roles and ways of cooperation between Japan and the United States under the strong Japan-U.S. alliance. 

Tetsuji Ito

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Global Affiliate Visiting Scholar, 2018-19
Development Bank of Japan
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Tetsuji Ito is a global affiliate visiting scholar at the Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center (Shorenstein APARC) for 2018-19.  Ito joined the Development Bank of Japan in 1995, and has been in charge of financing various fields, such as railway companies, urban development projects, and airline industries, etc.  Prior to joining APARC, he was Deputy General Manager and was responsible for planning corporate strategy and financing energy sectors, including the nuclear power related industry after the Great East Japan Earthquake.  Ito received his bachelor's degree of law from Tokyo University in 1995. 

Development Bank of Japan

Yangming Li

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Global Affiliate Visiting Scholar, 2018-19
PetroChina
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Yangming Li is a global affiliate visiting scholar at the Watler H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center (Shorenstein APARC) for 2018-19.  Li has over 30 years of experience in the IT domain.  Most recently, he was the President of Beijing Richfit Information Technology Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of China National Petroleum Corporation.  He oversaw 3,000 employees and was responsible for developing and implementing a market-focused, platform-based and internationalize business strategy.  He earned his bachelors degree in mathematics from Xiamen University and his MBA from Tsinghua University. 

 

 

PetroChina

Yuki Sakai

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Global Affiliate Visiting Scholar, 2018-19
Mitsubishi Electric
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Yuki Sakai is a global affiliate visiting scholar at the Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center (Shorenstein APARC) for 2018-19.  Sakai works for the research and development department at Mitsubishi Electric Corp., as an electric and electronic manufacturer in Japan.  He is a researcher in software engineering and user interface design for car navigation systems.  He received his PhD degree in Computer Science from Osaka University in 2013.  During his fellowship at Shorenstein APARC, his research will focus on joint research and development with startups. 

Mitsubishi Electric

Col. Masahiro Shizu

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Global Affiliate Visiting Scholar, 2018-19
Japan Air Self Defense Force
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Col. Masahiro Shizu is a global affiliate visiting scholar at the Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center (Shorenstein APARC) for 2018-19. Shizu has almost 20 years of experience at the Japanese Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  In his experience, he has been a member of the Joint Staff Office and the Air Staff Office as well as commanded units of the Japan Air Self Defense Force.  Most recently, Shizu was part of the Defense Planning and Policy Department where he was responsible for acquisition of defense equipment and creating future military strategy, operational plans and capabilities.

Japan Air Self Defense Force
Seminars
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