On July 12th, 2016, Hiroshima University invited Judge Hisashi Owada of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to the Higashi-Hiroshima campus and awarded an honorary doctorate degree at the Degree Awarding Ceremony. After the ceremony, Dr. Owada delivered a memorial lecture.



Dr. Owada and Mrs. Owada (front row, 4th and 5th from right)



After entering the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Judge Owada served as the Director General of the Treaties Bureau, Vice-Minister as well as an Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary and Permanent Representative of Japan to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and to the United Nations. In all of these roles, he has played a major role in Japan’s diplomacy, International Law, and International Relations. After serving the aforementioned positions, Judge Owada was appointed as the Judge of ICJ in Hague, the Netherlands, in 2003 and has been serving as the Judge since then. During 2009 to 2012, he served as the first Japanese ICJ President.





Dr. Owada delivering his remarks



As an Academic Adviser since April 2002, and as an Advisory Professor for the Graduate School of Integrated Arts and Sciences since July 2007, Judge Owada has been making great contributions to Hiroshima University in its education and research promotion by delivering lectures based on his rich insights and experiences in Japan’s diplomacy, International Law, and International Relations.

At the memorial lecture, Judge Owada covered “Diversifying International Societies and Universality in International Law” expounding established procedures for International Law, current situation of International Law, and environment surrounding International Law. Dr. Owada occasionally explained these topics from the view point of the history of human civilization. On his lecture, Dr. Owada likened the art of “practice” and “research” to a pair of wheels on a car, and told the audience of about 120 students that it is important to pay attention to the practice in the process of research.



A scene from the memorial lecture

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