On February 12, 2024, the ESRP invited five “Next Generation Leaders” students, primarily from the University of Hawaii to a workshop led by students associated with the University of Tokyo ESRP. Discussions were held on economic security, maritime security, and disinformation, with one presentation each from Japan and the United States.
In the first session, “Economic Security,” Minami Shichinohe (department of Arts and Science) from the ESRP side pointed out that the importance of and the role of IPEF were emphasized, and there are issues within the U.S. regarding IPEF initiatives. She argued that Japan should support the IPEF even without U.S. participation and play an important role in promoting economic cooperation in Asia and countering China’s economic influence.
The second session, “Maritime Security,” Masato Hata (department of economics) from the ESRP side presented “China’s hostile actions in the South China Sea, especially the provocative behavior of the Chinese Maritime Police” as an issue and proposed “comprehensive responses such as expansion of the Japan Coast Guard, capacity building including maritime exercises, personnel exchange, and introduction of new institutional frameworks” as a response.
The third session, “Disinformation,” was presented by Shintaro Tomizawa (department of Medicine) from the ESRP side. His presentation included a discussion on the threat of disinformation in the age of generative AI and social networking, and the relationship between disinformation, disaster, AI and politics.
After the third session, Mr. Chiang Min-yen, Research Fellow at the Research Institute for Democracy, Society and Emerging Technology (科技、民主與社會研究中心), gave a guest lecture entitled “Is Taiwan a Loophole in the Global Tech Sanctions Alliance?” After the lecture on Taiwan’s position in the semiconductor supply chain, legal and institutional issues, and other topics, a question-and-answer session was held on how to establish a supply chain in the future.
The following day, students who attended the event were invited by Mr. Philip Roskamp, Minister of the U.S. Embassy to Japan, to attend a reception held at the Minister’s residence. The Minister and Mrs. Roskamp and other diplomats, as well as students from Tokyo International University, attended the reception. We were warmly welcomed by the Ambassador and his wife and were able to hear frank talks from the diplomats. It was also a wonderful opportunity to interact with other students from various backgrounds.
