Satoru Mori Seminar

It is said that the world has now entered a historical period of transition. China, having made rapid economic strides, has begun to exert economic coercion against other countries and is pushing forward with a military buildup. Russia, fueled by growing security anxieties and dissatisfaction with its own status, has resorted to invading its neighbor, Ukraine. Meanwhile, within the United States, a reaction against foreign policies pursued regardless of cost has led to a rise in unilateralism, with the country increasingly prioritizing power and interests over ideals. As these major trends in international politics intersect, the foundations of the U.S.-led international order are being shaken, creating significant uncertainty in the foreign relations of Japan and other nations.

In the Mori Seminar, we focus on the themes of how to understand increasingly fluid contemporary international politics and how Japan can survive within them. We engage in training to cultivate the ability to understand and decipher complex global movements from multiple perspectives by learning from the history and theory of international politics. Since international politics is woven from tradition and innovation, neither referring to history alone nor modeling thought through theory alone is sufficient to understand it. Therefore, in this seminar, we learn from both while also gaining practical insights from front-line practitioners. We place weight not just on members acquiring knowledge, but on honing their "sense" for seeing through international politics. I believe that the strong thinking and problem-solving skills required to formulate one's own "questions" to identify the essence of matters, derive answers, and think through the available options for response are directly linked to the qualities of a successful professional.

(Published: April 2026)