The first two decades of the 21st century have witnessed dramatic changes in international relations. It has become increasingly obvious that the relative power and influence of the United States over world politics is declining vis-à-vis new rising stars, most notably China. At the same time, the legitimacy of Western liberal norms and values (such as democracy, the rule of law, and human rights) that have constituted an important feature of an American-led order are being challenged by the rise of alternative norms and values, supported by rising authoritarian states. This trend has been further reinforced by rising public distrust of existing political systems in many Western democracies (in particular the United States), mainly stemming from detrimental effects of economic globalization. In addition, the international political stage, which was previously dominated by states, has increasingly featured non-state actors, including non-government organizations, multinational corporations, and terrorist groups. The enormous growth of non-state actors poses serious challenges to the power and authority of the state. These drastic changes in the realm of IR pose the significant question: What will be the shape of the world order in the 21st century?
In order to address this question, this seminar will examine the following:
1) Shifts in power distribution among, including the United States, China, Japan, India, and the major European countries.
2) Prospects for global governance (Pandemic, Climate Change, Financial Crisis)
3) New technology and geopolitics (US-China competitions, The roles of “Big-Tech” companies)
4) The political effects of economic globalization (The rise of populism and the decline of democracy in major countries)
5) Competition among differing norms and values: disputes over capitalism, democracy, human rights, and self-determination in the Middle East, Africa, and East Asia.
・ Australia’s Changing Policy toward Timor-Leste - Implications for the Indo-Pacific Strategy
・ Australian Submarine Bid - Why Japan Failed?
・ China’s Belt and Road Initiative - Analyzing the Economic Concepts and Current Situation
・ China’s Policy toward Humanitarian Intervention - The Case of DR Congo
・ Deprivation of Autonomy in Kashmir Cause
・ Green Mekong Initiative and Japan’s New “Green” Strategic Diplomacy
・ India’s Ambitions for Regional Power in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization
・ India and the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue
・ Indo-Pacific as a Path to the Unexplored Region
・ Iran’s National Interest in the Legal Convention of the Caspian Sea
・ Italy-China Relations - A Step towards Cooperation on the One Belt One Road Initiative
・ Japan’s Aid Policy - New dimensions for ODA Graduated Countries
・ Japan and the Rise of the “Human Security” Concept
・ Japan’s New Diplomacy for Central Asia
・ Japan’s Decision on Collective Self Defense under US Pressure
・ Japan’s New African Diplomacy
・ Japan’s New Initiative for Emission Trading - Advent of the JCM
・ Japan’s New Diplomacy towards Russia under the Abe Administration
・ Philippine’s New Foreign Policy towards the US
・ Reconciliation through Education in Post-Genocide Rwanda
・ Relationship between Conflicts and Development in Israel - Conflict as an Engine
・ Smart Nation as a Whole Strategy - Activating the Country with Knowledge and Technology