東京大学公共政策大学院 | GraSPP / Graduate School of Public Policy | The university of Tokyo

The class on September 29th for this course is canceled. October 6th will be the first class.

The class on September 29th for this course is canceled. October 6th will be the first class.

The class on September 28th for this course is canceled. October 5th will be the first class.

Sorry, this entry is only available in 日本語.

This class will not be conducted this year.

During my undergraduate study years, I always wondered why there is a lack of solid regional cooperation in East Asia despite the various commonalities China, Japan, and Korea share with each other. Not only does CJK have strong economic ties due to high export and import dependency, but it’s also in their interest to pursue regional collective security as the nations share regional proximity. Furthermore, CJK shares a similar historical background, and socio-cultural exchanges are becoming more vibrant as time passes. The fact that there is a lack of regional organizations like the EU and ASEAN in East Asia, even when cooperation among CJK in many areas, persisted caught my attention. After educating myself through East Asia relations classes and paying close attention to issues of contemporary international relations, I came to conclude that CJK is experiencing hostile conflict within the historical and political sphere while cooperation persists in economic and socio-cultural aspects. CJK’s complex form of relation manifested as the ‘Asian Paradox’, is deterring the formation of strong East Asian regional cooperation.

As I found an answer to the puzzling question, I was faced with a new set of questions: how can the Asian Paradox be effectively dealt with to establish a strong regional partnership in East Asia? In search of the new puzzling question, I advanced to graduate school and found myself an opportunity with the CAMPUS Asia program. Through the program, I got an invaluable chance to study in the best academic institutions of CJK and made acquaintance with colleagues from China and Japan who shared similar interests and concerns as I did. We often spent nights discussing existing trilateral conflicts and how we could overcome the obstacles to promote intensified and strengthened trilateral cooperative mechanisms. After two and half years of the CAMPUS Asia program, I realized the key to outstanding trilateral relations in the coming future was up to me and my CAMPUS Asia colleagues.

When I look back at the times I had in Korea, China, and Japan, I think about how much I learned, and how amazing time I had with every CAMPUS Asia member. I can still vividly remember the time we all went to Jeju’s most delicious seafood restaurant. I introduced Korea’s different seafood to my dear Chinese and Japanese friends, hoping they would like it. When I was in China, I had a fond memory of my Chinese friends taking me to a restaurant with delicious Beijing cuisine. Peking duck, 烤鱼, and 麻辣香锅 still remain to be my favorite Chinese dishes of all time. In Japan, I especially remember the amazing combination of ジンジャーハイボール and various 焼き鳥 that Japanese colleagues recommended. My friends probably felt the same way I did when I was hoping the delicious Jeju seafood would make a positive image of Korea. These heart-warming recollections of CAMPUS Asia made me understand that the CAMPUS Asia itself was a process of bettering the CJK relation. Every one of the members in CAMPUS Asia will become important figures in their respective fields, and the identity we have as CAPers will bring us together to strengthen CJK cooperative mechanisms in the future. This process based on constructivism will be slow, but the effect will be strong.

For those considering joining the CAMPUS Asia program, I would not hesitate for a second to strongly recommend joining the program. Not only do you get to build your academic portfolio in the best academic institutions in East Asia, but you also get to learn from the best academics and professionals in the field. Furthermore, by getting a chance to actually live in China and Japan, you will encounter and embrace the real China and Japan. Practically experiencing China and Japan by the skin can be very different from theoretical learning. Last but not least, you will get to make friends and colleagues of a lifetime. These friends will become a valuable part of your life, and they will positively influence your private and professional life.

I would like to take this chance to show my sincere appreciation and gratitude to all the CAMPUS Asia friends, and faculty members that made this amazing experience possible. You will always be part of me.

Thank you.

The class on September 29th for the course  “Transformation of Warfare and Technology” is canceled. October 6th will be the first class.

The class on September 28th for the course  “Practice Session for Macroeconomics” is canceled. October 5th will be the first class.

All classes will be suspended on the afternoon of Wednesday, September 30, 2020 due to opinion vote for the next president of the University of Tokyo.

I had a beautiful journey through the CAMPUS ASIA Program. In Tokyo, Seoul and Beijing, I met fascinating people, saw amazing landscapes, and enjoyed delicious foods. This program is an irreplaceable experience to my graduate school experience. Tokyo: After enrolling into GraSPP, I decided to join this ambitious program. As a former public servant, it was very stimulating for me to learn new topics with excellent students from various countries. The excellence of CAMPUS ASIA fellows was astonishing, which made this program more appealing and worth challenging. The lectures I took at UTokyo covered a wide range of subjects and were insightful.,During my time at UTokyo I developed a better understanding of the issues related to Japan, East Asia and the world. Seoul (Exchange): Because the political turmoil between Japan and South Korea had been very intense and the figures of South Korea are negatively depicted on media coverage, I did not have a big expectation of Seoul. Contrary to my expectation, I had a positive experience, and I learned a lot about South Korea. Topics include the ambivalent feelings of South Koreans on Japan, domestic problems such as extremely low birth rate, high unemployment rate and high poverty rate among the elderly, and a monopolized economic structure. My stay in Seoul gave me a clear-cut picture on our“near but far neighbor.” Beijing (Double Degree): I was impressed by the diversity at Peking University. Fortunately, I had a lot of opportunities to get acquainted with international students from Europe, Africa, North America, South America and Asia. Additionally, during the lectures, we had opportunities to discuss relevant issues such as Sino-U.S. relation, political turmoil around the COVID-19 and other political topics with Chinese professors. Surely, these opportunities are very valuable to deepen the understanding of the international relation around China and the world. Prior to this program, I saw China, Korea, and Japan as separate countries. Now that I have completed the program, I am able to see the three countries from a large perspective of “East Asia.”　Although there are difficult issues that lack a clear solution in East Asia,  the CAMPUS Asia Program will certainly give students a down-to-earth understanding on our neighbors, which allows us to become more international.  

The University of Tokyo’s Graduate School of Public Policy, Peking University’s School of International Studies and Seoul National University’s Graduate School of International Studies hosted a webinar "Public Policy Challenges in the post-COVID-19 Asia" on July 20, 2020, co-hosted by the GraSPP Public Policy Talk. Dean Hiroshi Ohashi, Dean Shiqi Tang, and Dean Jong-Ho Jeong discussed about the world with and beyond COVID-19. During the policy dialogue, three deans shared their own country's experiences during the recent wave of the COVID-19. Deans also presented their views on policy challenges in the post-COVID period. Two emerging challenges are the use of big data for government's policy making and the reversal of globalization. The COVID-19 has led governments to monitor the spread of pandemic using technology and mobility data. Based on China's case, deans discussed the importance of utilizing data but considered the problem of individual privacy in information sharing. Social distancing denies agglomeration and has disrupted flows of people and trade. Globalization will continue by accelerating the digitization of society, but may widen the digital divide. Given the global challenges, panelists talked about the importance of international cooperation and research collaboration through a platform like the BESETO CAMPUS Asia.  This event can be viewed from here.