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.

Research Presentations (session 3 of 5) - Akai, Inoshita, and Chen

-

The formate 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 Corporate Affiliates Research Presentations, the following will be presented:

 

Hiroto Akai, Ministry of Finance, Japan, "New Trends of Corporate Finance in Japan and the Role of Corporate Governance"

After the launch of the Abe administration, the Japanese economy has been prospering thanks to a vibrant global economy and weaker yen.  In the wake of economic upswing, Japanese corporate profit increased to record-high level.  However, some economists argue that most Japanese corporations used increased profit to accumulate cash holding but they did not increase investment and dividend payment.  In his research, Akai characterizes the behavior of Japanese corporations in recent years using corporate financial data and clarifies the relationship with their corporate governance which is one of the most progressive policy areas in the Abe administration.  Akai also tries to develop the model to explore quantitatively the determination of corporate behavior.

 

Takahito Inoshita, Kozo Keikaku Engineering, "How Can Cities Identify Policy Needs by Using Natural Language Data"

Obtaining intelligence from large amount of data is getting more and more common in a variety of domains as information technology evolves and everyone has access.  Particularly in commercial sectors, many companies try to capture their customers' thoughts.  In public sectors, it is also important to know what their citizens think, prefer, want and need in order to improve their communities.  In his research, Inoshita examines how to make sure of information technology in the public policy domain, with a focus on extracting intelligence from natural language data generated by humans.

 

Michelle Chen, Yongjin Group, "Chinese Fintech Market Research — Balance Transfer Business"

Due to the shift in Chinese economic structure from an investment-driven model towards a consumption-driven model, an increase in outstanding balance of China personal consumption loan, more digital adoption, and innovation through technology development, the Chinese Fintech market is booming in recent years.  It presents immense opportunities for financial players. New business models are observed across the key areas in the financial services industry in China, such as online asset trading, online consumer finance, P2P, online investment, etc.  In her own experience, Chen has the opportunity to observe various Chinese Fintech start-up companies and do some research and investment.  One of her own investments, Samoyed Financial, provides online credit card repayment service in China.  In this research presentation, Chen shares her knowledge gained regarding the Chinese online credit card repayment market based on due diligence and first-hand observation.

Hiroto Akai Ministry of Finance, Japan
Takahito Inoshita Kozo Keikaku Engineering
Michelle Chen Yongjin Group
Seminars

Game Changer?: Elimination of Term Limits and Xi Jinping's Power

-

Please note: RSVP's are full for this event. Please email PLABOON@STANFORD.EDU to add your name to the waitlist.

 

During its March 2018 National People’s Congress (NPC) meeting, the PRC’s national delegates voted nearly unanimously to eliminate term limits for China’s president and vice president. Alongside this dramatic announcement, the NPC further announced drastic re-organization of Party and state such that the Chinese state administration saw significant cuts, consolidation and centralization of power under the CCP.

At this watershed moment, leading experts on Chinese politics will examine what these Constitutional changes bode for China’s future and Xi Jinping’s rule. Are these game changers? Is China abandoning key parts of Deng Xiaoping’s legacy?  How will these affect China’s authoritarian resilience or governance system going forward?  What are the short- and long-term implications of this decision for China’s continuing stability, sustained economic growth and foreign policy?

Please join us for this special panel event with top China experts as they discuss the significance and implications of the recent NPC decisions and Constitutional amendments.

fewsmith
Joseph Fewsmith is professor of international relations and political science at the BU Pardee School. He is the author or editor of eight books, including, most recently, The Logic and Limits of Political Reform in China (January 2013). Other works include China since Tiananmen (2nd edition, 2008) and China Today, China Tomorrow (2010). Other books include Elite Politics in Contemporary China (2001), The Dilemmas of Reform in China: Political Conflict and Economic Debate (1994), and Party, State, and Local Elites in Republican China: Merchant Organizations and Politics in Shanghai, 1890-1930 (1985). He is one of the seven regular contributors to the China Leadership Monitor, a quarterly web publication analyzing current developments in China. Fewsmith travels to China regularly and is active in the Association for Asian Studies and the American Political Science Association. His articles have appeared in such journals as Asian Survey, Comparative Studies in Society and History, The China Journal, The China Quarterly, Current History, The Journal of Contemporary China, Problems of Communism, and Modern China. He is an associate of the John King Fairbank Center for East Asian Studies at Harvard University and the Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer Range Future at Boston University.

 

gallagher
Mary Gallagher is professor of political science at the University of Michigan as well as the director of the Kenneth G. Lieberthal and Richard H. Rogel Center for Chinese Studies. She received her Ph.D. in politics in 2001 from Princeton University and a B.A. from Smith College in 1991.  In 1989, she was a foreign student in China at Nanjing University. Gallagher later taught at the Foreign Affairs College in Beijing from 1996-1997 and was a Fulbright Research Scholar from 2003 to 2004 at East China University of Politics and Law in Shanghai, China. In 2012-2013, she was a visiting professor at the Koguan School of Law at Shanghai Jiaotong University. Her book, Authoritarian Legality in China: Law, Workers, and the State is out from Cambridge University Press this year. Gallagher have also written/edited several other books, including Contagious Capitalism:  Globalization and the Politics of Labor in China (Princeton 2005), Chinese Justice: Civil Dispute Resolution in Contemporary China (Cambridge 2011), From Iron Rice Bowl to Informalization:  Markets, Workers, and the State in a Changing China (Cornell 2011), and Contemporary Chinese Politics: New Sources, Methods, and Field Strategies (Cambridge 2010).

 

miller
Alice Miller is a research fellow at the Hoover Institution and lecturer in East Asian studies at Stanford. Miller first joined the Hoover Institution in 1999 as a visiting fellow. She also served as a senior lecturer in the Department of National Security Affairs at the US Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, 1999-2014. Before coming to Stanford, Miller taught at the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) at Johns Hopkins University in Washington, DC. From 1980 to 1990, she was a professorial lecturer in Chinese history and politics at SAIS. From 1990 to 2000, she was an associate professor of China studies and, for most of that period, director of the China Studies Program at SAIS. She also held a joint appointment as adjunct associate professor in the Department of Political Science at Johns Hopkins from 1996 to 1999 and as adjunct lecturer in the Department of Government, Georgetown University, from 1996 to 1998. From 1974 to 1990, Miller worked in the Central Intelligence Agency as a senior analyst in Chinese foreign policy and domestic politics and as a branch and division chief, supervising analysis on China, North Korea, Indochina, and Soviet policy in East Asia. Miller has lived and worked in Taiwan, Japan, and the People’s Republic of China; she speaks Mandarin Chinese.

 

Shih
Victor Shih is an associate professor of political economy at University of California, San Diego, and has published widely on the politics of Chinese banking policies, fiscal policies and exchange rates. He was the first analyst to identify the risk of massive local government debt, and is the author of Factions and Finance in China: Elite Conflict and Inflation. Prior to joining U.C. San Diego, Shih was a professor of political science at Northwestern University and former principal for The Carlyle Group.Shih is currently engaged in a study of how the coalition-formation strategies of founding leaders had a profound impact on the evolution of the Chinese Communist Party. He is also constructing a large database on biographical information of elites in China.

 

Joseph Fewsmith <br><i>Professor of International Relations and Political Science, Boston University, Pardee School</i><br><br>
Mary Gallagher <br><i>Professor of Political Science; Director, Center for Chinese Studies, University of Michigan</i><br><br>
Alice Miller <br><i>Research Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University</i><br><br>
Victor Shih <br><i>Associate Professor, School of Global Policy & Strategy, University of California, San Diego</i><br><br>
Conferences

Research Presentations (session 2 of 5) - Lu, Okamoto and Watanabe

-

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 Corporate Affiliates Research Presentations, the following will be presented:

 

Jiangbo Lu, PetroChina, "The Influence Factors of International Crude Oil Price and the Feasible Countermeasure

Oil plays a vital role in the world economy, social development and national strategic security.  The international oil price fluctuates with dramatic and unpredictable changes and exerts far-reaching influences on the economic development of all countries across the world.  In his research, Lu shares a brief historic review of the international oil prices and analysis on the influencing factors of oil price fluctuation in the perspectives of supply-demand, finance, political and emergent events.  Further, Lu investigates the proactive and effective strategies for China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) to have high-quality development by reducing costs and increasing benefits to enhance the company's cord competitiveness against the drastic fluctuations of the international oil price.  

 

Takeshi Okamoto, Ministry of Economy, Trade & Industry, Japan, "The Role of Creation and Redistribution of Wealth with Regards to the Economic Welfare of a Country"

Increasing wealth often refers to material wealth such as income & property and, in general, is a good thing.  Economic growth always has high priority in government policy.  Utilizing AI technology, big data analysis, IoT, and so on, we aim to extend not only lifespan, but also "healthspan", to realize next-generation mobility technology, to foster talent for programming and so on from the viewpoint of economic growth.  All are important, however, by realizing these, will we be happier than we are now?  What issues should be considered as life expectancy exceeds 85 years while the population growth rate continues to decline?  In his research, focusing on people's happiness rather than economic growth, Okamoto aims to provide a slightly different viewpoint when considering the emphasis in government policies.

 

Hayato Watanabe, Hamamatsu Shinkin Bank, "Regional Financial Institutions:  Their Role in Connecting Japanese Manufacturing Businesses with Silicon Valley Start-ups"

Japan's global market share is rapidly shrinking.  As a regional financial institution, the Hamamatsu Shinkin Bank focuses on supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).  With a goal of connecting enterprises in Japan with Silicon Valley Start-ups focusing on manufacturing, Watanabe has interviewed several Silicon Valley venture capitalists with expertise in manufacturing development.  In his research presentation, Watanabe shares his findings on how and why Japanese SMEs need to modify their business style and practices to expand their market share, including how to make prototype products with start-ups in Silicon Valley.  
 

Jiangbo Lu PetroChina
Takeshi Okamoto METI, Japan
Hayato Watanabe Hamamatsu Shinkin Bank
Seminars

Research Presentations (session 1 of 5) - Morishige, Nishinaka, and Ryou

-

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 Corporate Affiliates Research Presentations, the following will be presented:

 

Hiroki Morishige, Shizuoka Prefectural Government, "Regional Revitalization:  Overcoming Population Decline by Innovation and Work-Style Revolution"

Population decline has been a major issue for Japan.  In the near future, this problem will cause a labor shortage and weaken local economies.  In order to overcome these, economic growth is an important key, and improvement of labor productivity is an essential element.  Labor productivity = GDP / Working hours, so we need to improve GDP by innovation and reduce working hours by work-style reform.  Morishige intends to propose approaches to realize regional revitalization in his hometown of Shizuoka by linking a bridge of innovation between Silicon Valley and Shizuoka.

 

Hiroshi Nishinaka, Ishin Co., Ltd., "How Large Japanese Enterprises Collaborate with Start-ups to Accelerate Innovation Effectively"

Silicon Valley continues to attract attention as the center of tech start-ups 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 sending people to accelerate internal innovation, utilizing the Silicon Valley ecosystem.  However, many of these Japanese enterprises face common difficulties due to the cultural gap and complicated decision-making processes.  In his research, Nishinaka will share some insights into how large Japanese enterprises collaborate with start-ups to accelerate innovation effectively.  

 

Jeong Ah Ryou, The Yozma Group, "Key Success Elements of Venture Capital Ecosystem in the U.S."

Korea is considered a country with an advanced venture capital industry.  In 2017, the amount of newly arranged venture funds was over $4.4 billion USD and the total investment amount is $2.4 billion USD, each setting the highest record respectively. Although, the total size of venture capital investment is rapidly increasing each year along with the support of policy-based funds, it should be noted that the supply of venture capital to start-ups is still not sufficient compared to Korea's market size.  In her research Ryou investigates the virtuous cycle of the venture capital ecosystem in the U.S., which has mainly been driven by the private sector.  Ryou will present some of her observations of key findings and current issues about the U.S. venture capital ecosystem.  

Hiroki Morishige Shizuoka Prefectural Government
Hiroshi Nishinaka Ishin Co., Ltd.
Jeong Ah Ryou The Yozma Group
Seminars

North Korea summit diplomacy

News Type
News
Date
Paragraphs

"Moon's proposal of a trilateral summit between the two Koreas and the United States, undermining China's influence, turned out to be nothing more than a pipe dream," said researchers at the Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center in a recently published article. "The series of summits that began with Kim's visit to Beijing should lead to Four Party Talks — involving the two Koreas, the United States, and China."

The full article in The Diplomat is available here.

Hero Image
kim yong nam
President Moon of South Korea meeting at Cheong Wa Dae with Mr. Kim Yong-nam of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of North Korea
Cheong Wa Dae
All News button
1

Hate Spin: Disinformation Campaigns and Identity Politics in Asia

-

Hate propaganda has been a feature of politics in India, Indonesia, and other Asian democracies long before the recent surge in interest in so-called “fake news” and intolerant populism in the West. This presentation dissects the political strategy of “hate spin,” which includes not only the use of hate speech or incitement, but also the creative manufacture of righteous indignation and popular mobilization framed as responses to victimhood. Examples include the “love jihad” conspiracy theory in India and blasphemy allegations in Indonesia, which have been used to devastating effect by religious nationalists. Existing religious-offense laws have backfired, while incitement laws, though necessary, are systemically incapable of dealing with hate propagandists’ highly sophisticated and distributed disinformation campaigns.  The speaker's book on this topic, Hate Spin, will be available for sale at his talk.

cherian george 2018 4x6
Cherian George is a professor of media studies at Hong Kong Baptist University. He is the author of Hate Spin: The Manufacture of Religious Offense and its Threat to Democracy (2016), which was named on Publishers Weekly’s list of the 100 best books of 2016. Prof. George’s PhD is from Stanford University’s Department of Communication (2003). He was previously a journalist with The Straits Times in his native Singapore. His latest book on Singapore is the self-published Singapore, Incomplete: Reflections on a First World Nation’s Arrested Political Development (2017).

Cherian George Professor of Media Studies, Hong Kong Baptist University
Seminars

The U.S.-Indian Partnership: A Linchpin for Asian Peace and Prosperity

-

No longer "estranged democracies," relations between the United States and India have been on a steady upward trajectory in recent years, though at times have fallen short of the lofty expectations set by others.  As we look ahead, the significance of a true U.S.-India security and economic partnership is just now coming into focus, and it is clear the potential is enormous.  Indeed, the positive ripple effects of a convergence between the world's two largest democracies would reverberate across Asia.  This opportunity, however, comes amid uncertain times in Asia.  China's march for primacy continues. Dangers from nuclear proliferation and rogue regimes loom large. The fractionalization of states and humanitarian crises are all too common.  We must then ask – what role can the United States and India play together to promote peace and stability, uphold and reinforce the post-World War II order, and shape and build new institutions across Asia and beyond? These are some of the questions Ambassador Verma will tackle in his remarks, while also providing historical context on the issues that have limited U.S.-India ties to-date. He will also provide insight on the future trajectory of the relationship, looking at how the United States and India -- two non-allies -- can work together to promote peace, economic growth, and democratic values during these uncertain times.

 

rich verma bio pic 4x6
Richard Verma is Vice Chairman and Partner at The Asia Group.  He previously served as the U.S. Ambassador to India from 2014 to 2017, where he led one of the largest U.S. diplomatic missions and championed historic progress in bilateral cooperation on defense, trade, and clean energy. Ambassador Verma also oversaw an unprecedented nine meetings between President Obama and Prime Minister Modi – leading to over 100 new initiatives and more than 40 government-to-government dialogues.

Ambassador Verma was previously the Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs, and also served for many years as the Senior National Security Advisor to the Senate Majority Leader.  He was a member of the WMD and Terrorism Commission and a co-author of their landmark report, “World at Risk.” He is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, and his military decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal and Air Force Commendation Medal.

In addition to his role at The Asia Group, Ambassador Verma is a Centennial Fellow at Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service, and he co-chairs the Center for American Progress’ U.S.-India Task Force.  Ambassador Verma is the recipient of the State Department’s Distinguished Service Award, the Council on Foreign Relations International Affairs Fellowship, and was ranked by India Abroad as one of the 50 most influential Indian Americans. He holds degrees from the Georgetown University Law Center (LLM), American University’s Washington College of Law (JD), and Lehigh University (BS).

This colloquia is co-sponsored with the Stanford Center for South Asia

Richard Verma Vice Chair and Partner, The Asia Group, Former U.S. Ambassador to India (2014-2017)
Seminars
South Asia Colloquia

The AIIB After Two Years

-

For directions to the Jen-Hsun Huang Engineering Center, please click here.

The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) commenced operations on January 16, 2016. The Bank has approved 24 projects totaling US$4.26 billion to date, and its approved membership totals 84 with 64 members having completed all membership requirements and 20 prospective members in the process of finalizing their membership.
 
President Jin Liqun will give his assessment of the bank’s first two years – its accomplishments and challenges – and the future direction of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. What is the potential impact of AIIB’s financing for regional infrastructure, trade connectivity and economic relations? How can multilateral institutions and various stakeholders best address the US$26 trillion infrastructure gap (from 2016 to 2030) in Asia? How is the AIIB distinguishing itself from other multilateral development banks like the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank? What is the AIIB’s commitment and contributions toward global economic governance and best international practices?

Jin Liqun
Jin Liqun is the inaugural President and Chair of the Board of Directors of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). Before being elected as the Bank’s first president, he served as Secretary-General of the Multilateral Interim Secretariat (MIS) tasked with establishing AIIB. Immediately prior to assuming the role of Secretary-General of the MIS, he was Chair of China International Capital Corporation Limited, China’s first joint-venture investment bank. From 2008 to 2013, he served as Chair of the Supervisory Board, China Investment Corporation. From 2009 to 2012, he served as Deputy Chair then subsequently as Chair of the International Forum of Sovereign Wealth Funds. From 2003 to 2008, Jin was Vice President, and then Ranking Vice President, of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), in charge of programs for South, Central and West Asia and private sector operations. He joined the Ministry of Finance in 1980, where he served as Director General and Assistant Minister before becoming Vice Minister in 1998. He was also a Member of the State Monetary Policy Committee. Earlier in his career, he served as Alternate Executive Director for China at the World Bank and at the Global Environment Facility as well as Alternate Governor for China at ADB. Jin holds a master’s degree in English Literature from Beijing Institute of Foreign Languages (now Beijing Foreign Studies University). He was also a Hubert Humphrey Fellow in the Economics Graduate Program at Boston University from 1987 to 1988. Jin is a national of the People’s Republic of China.

 

Mackenzie Room

Jen-Hsun Huang Engineering Building, 3rd Floor

475 Via Ortega, Stanford, CA 94305

Jin Liqun <i>President and Chair, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank</i>

Members of U.S. Congress Meet with Stanford Scholars to Discuss North Korea

News Type
News
Date
Paragraphs

Under the guidance of the Aspen Institute Congressional Program, thirteen members of Congress convened at Stanford University from March 2-5 to discuss policy options regarding the current North Korea crisis. The representatives deliberated with scholars and practitioners to acquire a better understanding of North Korea and its ruling regime, review the regional actors and their interests, assess the range of potential solutions to the crisis, and determine the role of Congress on this issue.

A report summarizing the program’s dialogue is now available for download. In addition to providing non-attributed comments from the proceedings, the document also includes the itinerary for the three days, the names of participants, as well as a collection of relevant publications.

The Aspen Institute Congressional Program was established in 1983 by former U.S. Senator Dick Clark. The program is for members of the United States Congress, and is both nongovernmental and nonpartisan in design. The program gives senators and representatives the opportunity to delve into complex and critical public policy issues with internationally recognized experts. Lawmakers are given the opportunity to explore policy alternatives in off-the-record settings, while simultaneously building relationships crucial to finding solutions.

 

 

Hero Image
Aspen Institure Logo
All News button
1
Subscribe to International Relations