Q1. What kinds of courses are you conducting?

A1. Right now, I am in charge of the peace science course International Conflicts for freshman students, Conflict Resolution in International Politics at the school of Law and Peacebuilding for the master students. Within IGS, I am going to be in charge of specialized subject of Peace and Conflict Research. I will be holding lectures about international situations such as civil war, regional conflict, and terrorism based on the cases that have happened in Africa, Middle East Asia, and Asia. I think it is really important to have these kinds of lectures in places like Hiroshima, where an A-bomb has been dropped.

Q2. What are you currently researching?

A2. In the field of International Relations I’m trying to find the causes of civil wars and conflicts, roles that society has to take in order to solve these problems, and the characteristics of these problems. I started to have an interest in the international society while studying abroad when I was a college student. During those times, the international society were changing rapidly, for example ending of the cold war, and Japan joining the PKO. So I started to ask myself “What can I do?” From this question, I started my research in conflict and peace studies. Throughout my caree as a UN delegate and working at an NGO, I’ve seen many political issues, conflicts in African countries, disarmament problems, and ethnic settlement problems. I think these experiences in various fields are connected to what I am doing right now.

Q3. Can you give us a message for high school students?

A3. In college, you have to find your own area of research by yourself. In IGS and the School of Integrated Arts and Science you have many chances to choose what you want to study. We welcome all students who want to challenge many things, or students who want to make an important contribution to society. In IGS, we will use English in our lectures. So this could be one of your big challenges as well. Also, learning other language can help you interact with many other people, so this can enrich your life too. I want all students to overcome their language barrier and speak out your thoughts to the world.