CEPS and the Australia-Japan Foundation (AJF) Partnership

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‘The Australia-Japan Security Relationship and New Regional Security Architecture: Bilateral and Domestic momentum’

Over the past decade, Australia-Japan security relations have evolved and matured to become one of the most significant bilateral security relationships in the Asia-Pacific region. In September 2009, the Australian National University’s Department of International Relations and its Department of Political and Social Change were awarded a second grant of $50,000 by the Australia-Japan Foundation of the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs (DFAT) to continue its exploration of this relationship. The ANU team would also incorporate research and project outcomes from the previous year (2008) when this Project was inaugurated.

Outputs and Dissemination

Following on from the workshops held in March 2009 (‘The Australia-Japan Security Relationship and New Regional Security Architecture: Opportunities and Obstacles’) and September 2009, both of which focused on domestic and regional influences on security policy development in and between Australia and Japan, the project managers signed a contract with Palgrave Macmillan to publish the research outcomes from those workshops in an edited volume. Professor William Tow and Professor Rikki Kersten, in consultation with the workshop contributors, will adapt and tailor the workshop papers, as well as some additional contributions, to compose this edited volume. By offering in-depth analysis of the multidimensional regional security challenges confronting the Australian and Japanese governments (both of which are pursuing increasingly independent foreign policies and diplomatic postures), this volume will constitute a substantial and contemporary research outcome from the previous project activities funded by the Australia-Japan Foundation. Four of the papers presented at the Tokyo workshop in September 2009 are also scheduled to be published in a special issue of the Australian Journal of International Affairs in early 2011.

Virtual Security Classroom

A further project element developed in the second year (2009) of the AJF-ANU project will be the planning, testing, and implementation of the Virtual Security Classroom (VSC) proposed during the previous year’s undertakings. The VSC will connect students and academic staff at The Australian National University, Keio University and the University of Tokyo with existing internet video conference facilities, allowing live exchanges to be held on regional and global security challenges that exist between partner universities, in a combined ‘virtual’ teaching space. A preliminary planning meeting for the VSC was held in Tokyo on the 12th March 2010 between participants from the The Australian National University, Keio University and the University of Tokyo. The meeting confirmed each institution’s commitment to holding a VSC try-out session on 13th May 2010, a review of the try-out and panel seminar on 30th July 2010, and a further VSC module to be held on 21st September 2010. The meeting held in March 2010 confirmed the list of panelists for the 13th May session and discussed implementation and administrative tasks.

To follow is a list of activities projected for the implementation of the Virtual Security Classroom project:

Virtual Security Classroom Try-out

Thursday 13th May

On May 13, 2010, the first trial session of the Virtual Security Classroom project was convened. This session was convened in a joint seminar format and was facilitated by video conferencing facilities at The Australian National University (ANU) and the two campuses of Keio University. The Virtual Security Classroom was attended by six distinguished experts on Asian security issues, residing in Canberra and Tokyo. These experts gave presentations on various security issues confronting Northeast Asia, to an audience of approximately 50 graduate students of international relations, from the two universities. The joint seminar was divided into two major components: panel presentations and an open discussion forum. During the panel presentations, each speaker spent approximately seven minutes discussing their assigned topic. After a brief intermission, students were able to ask questions and interact with the presenters during the open forum.

The Japanese panelists were Professor Yoshihide Soeya and Associate Professor Ken Jimbo of Keio University, and Ms Wakana Mukai of the University of Tokyo. The Australian contingent, who were based at the Hedley Bull Centre at the ANU, was made up of Professor William Tow, Dr Andrew Phillips and Dr Brendan Taylor. The panelists imparted to students their perspectives on what constitutes the greatest threats to Asian regional security.

At the beginning of the session, Professors Tow and Jimbo welcomed all the participants and acknowledged the valuable contributions of the esteemed panel of speakers and the project proponents. Professor Jimbo commenced the proceedings with a talk on the dynamics between the US nuclear strategy and regional security structures, specifically the US-Japan alliance. This was followed by Professor Soeya’s assessment of the ramifications of instability on the Korean peninsula for Japan vis-à-vis its alliance with the US, as well as a discussion focusing on Japan’s ‘neighbourly’ relations with Korea and China. The third speaker, Ms Mukai, explored the potential threats of nuclear weapons proliferation resulting from volatility on the Korean Peninsula and South Asia.

Commencing on the Australian panel, Dr Taylor examined the implications of uncertainty over the future of the US-Japan-China strategic triangle, warning that the status quo seems ill-equipped to absorb tensions resulting from strategic competition in the region. Dr Phillips followed with an engaging and interesting portrayal of the possibility of a nuclear exchange in South Asia provoked by a terrorist atrocity masterminded by extremist elements based in Pakistan. Finally, Professor Tow explored the important role Australia could play as a middle power in the emerging Northeast Asian security dilemma.

The presentations were enriched by a lively interaction between the panelists and students during the ensuing open forum. Graduate students in both Canberra and Tokyo actively took turns posing challenging questions to members of the panel. Owing to the advanced video conference technology expertly coordinated in Canberra and Tokyo, panelists and students in Australia and Japan were able to interact with each other clearly and effectively throughout the session. In spite of the physical distance and perceptual hurdles of communicating through video conferencing technology, the dynamic exchange of ideas that characterised this seminar indicates a promising future for further development of the Virtual Security Classroom project.

Listen to a podcast of the Virtual Security Classroom session » (26.87MB 01:57:21)

Review Workshop and Seminar

Friday 30th July

Japanese academics involved in the 13th May Virtual Security Classroom session will visit The Australian National University to assess that session and interact with students who participated in the session, in order to acquire systematic feedback and to refine pedagogies for a subsequent VSC test session to be held in September 2010.

Virtual Security Classroom Module Session

Tuesday 21st September

Application of the July assessments and insights into a second GSIA-Keio/Tokyo VSC test incorporating lecture and dialogue formats (as opposed to the panel format used in the inaugural session) and with greater diversification of the subject matter.

It is anticipated that these three sessions will constitute the basis for more comprehensive VSC teaching in the postgraduate coursework programs of the participating universities during 2011, with the procurement of additional grant funding from independent sources.

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