"Advanced Science and Technology and Security" Study Group
ROLES actively proposes interdisciplinary and cross-cutting joint research, utilizing the intellectual resources of researchers from a wide range of fields at the University of Tokyo and the Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology.
“Advanced Science and Technology and Security” focuses on the impact of the development of advanced science and technology on diplomacy, security and research in these fields.
This laboratory-interfacuty research group is comprised of natural scientists, advanced technology engineers, scholars on social/human sciences, focusing on the impact of emerging science and technology on diplomacy and security. It is also promoting security research using new technologies and tools, and is attempting to actively share the results of the research with society.
ROLES is participating in joint research projects that are constantly being conducted both within and outside the University of Tokyo, and is experimenting with interdisciplinary and cross-disciplinary research on diplomacy and security.
Four focus areas are highlighted.
Four focus areas are highlighted.
(1) Data Visualization of International Conflicts
(2) War and Peace as Changed by Robotics, Virtual Reality, and Augmented Reality
(3) Fake News and International Public Opinion
(4) Is AI a Game Changer?
(1) Data Visualization of International Conflicts
ROLES collaborates with the laboratory of Professor Hidenori Watanave of the Interfaculty Initiative in Information Studies and Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Information Studies (III/GSII) to devise and present a new style of research on diplomacy and security that comprehensively grasps and utilizes geospatial information.
We will propose methods and examples of “visualization” of the damage caused by the Russo-Ukrainian War and the Gaza conflict, the impact of natural disasters such as the Turkey-Syria earthquake in February 2023, and historical events in diplomacy, security, and international relations, using satellite images, old maps, and historical photographs, as well as big data and machine learning.
(2) Robotics, Virtual Reality, and Augmented Reality Changing War and Peace
ROLES will work with Professor Masahiko Inami (body informatics, body augmentation engineering, flexible technology, gamification, entertainment engineering) and Associate Professor Yasuaki Monnai (body informatics, high-frequency engineering) of the University of Tokyo's Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology (RCAST) to develop a cross-disciplinary approach to understanding the impact of robotics, virtual reality and augmented reality on diplomacy and security.
(3) Fake News and International Public Opinion
ROLES members are actively engagning with public debates in SNS and interactively making research on the impact of fake news on international security and diplomacy. New tools and technologies of systematically analyzing the information sphere are tested and introduced in cooperation with researchers and engineers in the field of computational social science.
ROLES members are actively engagning with public debates in SNS and interactively making research on the impact of fake news on international security and diplomacy. New tools and technologies of systematically analyzing the information sphere are tested and introduced in cooperation with researchers and engineers in the field of computational social science.
(4) Is AI a game changer?
ROLES has co-organized with TRENDS Research & Advisory of Abu Dhabi, UAE a two-day conference "Sustainable Security in 2024 and Beyond − The Role of AI" in September 2024 at the RCAST Campus of the University of Tokyo.
ROLES has co-organized with TRENDS Research & Advisory of Abu Dhabi, UAE a two-day conference "Sustainable Security in 2024 and Beyond − The Role of AI" in September 2024 at the RCAST Campus of the University of Tokyo.
Activity records
Members
Satoshi IKEUCHI
Professor
Satoshi Ikeuchi is Professor of the Division of Religion and Global Security at the Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology (RCAST) of the University of Tokyo. He is the founding head of the RCAST Open Laboratory for Emergence Strategies (ROLES).
For the year 2022-2023, he is Senior Visiting Scholar in Residence at the Moshe Dayan Center (MDC) for Middle Eastern and African Studies of Tel Aviv University.
He is a scholar on Islamic political thought and the Middle East politics. As a leading public intellectual in Japan, he has been vigorously publishing on the Middle East and Islamic affairs.
His first publication based on his doctoral studies, Gendai Arabu-no Shakai Shiso: Shumatsuron-to Isramu-shugi (Contemporary Arab Social Thought: Eschatology and Islamism), was published in 2002 and earned Osaragi Jiro Prize for Critical Works. He also earned Suntory Prize for Social Sciences and Humanities in 2009 for his book Islamu Sekai-no Ronjikata (Methods of Discussing Islam).
His book on the Islamic State Isulamu Koku no Shogeki (The Impact of the Islamic State) published in January 2015 was a nation-wide best seller in Japan and awarded Mainichi Publishing Cultural Prize. His recent publication includes Saikusu Piko Kyotei: Hyakunen no Jubaku (Sykes-Picot Agreement: One Hundred Years of Obsession) in 2016 and Shiiaha to Sunniha (Shite and Sunnite) in 2018 both published from Shinchosha. He is the recipient of the 12th Nakasone Yasuhiro Prize in 2016 for his academic works and social engagements.
His collection of literary essays and book reviews Shomotsu not Unmei (The Fate of Books) published in 2006 and earned Mainichi Book Review Award for the year.
He was a visiting professor at the Alexandria University 2007-2008, Japan Scholar chair visiting scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in 2009 and Visiting Fellow at the Clare Hall, University of Cambridge in 2010.
He specializes in Middle East politics and Arab-Islamic Thought, particularly on global Jihadism and its implications for international security.
Satoshi Ikeuchi is Professor of the Division of Religion and Global Security at the Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology (RCAST) of the University of Tokyo. He is the founding head of the RCAST Open Laboratory for Emergence Strategies (ROLES).
For the year 2022-2023, he is Senior Visiting Scholar in Residence at the Moshe Dayan Center (MDC) for Middle Eastern and African Studies of Tel Aviv University.
He is a scholar on Islamic political thought and the Middle East politics. As a leading public intellectual in Japan, he has been vigorously publishing on the Middle East and Islamic affairs.
His first publication based on his doctoral studies, Gendai Arabu-no Shakai Shiso: Shumatsuron-to Isramu-shugi (Contemporary Arab Social Thought: Eschatology and Islamism), was published in 2002 and earned Osaragi Jiro Prize for Critical Works. He also earned Suntory Prize for Social Sciences and Humanities in 2009 for his book Islamu Sekai-no Ronjikata (Methods of Discussing Islam).
His book on the Islamic State Isulamu Koku no Shogeki (The Impact of the Islamic State) published in January 2015 was a nation-wide best seller in Japan and awarded Mainichi Publishing Cultural Prize. His recent publication includes Saikusu Piko Kyotei: Hyakunen no Jubaku (Sykes-Picot Agreement: One Hundred Years of Obsession) in 2016 and Shiiaha to Sunniha (Shite and Sunnite) in 2018 both published from Shinchosha. He is the recipient of the 12th Nakasone Yasuhiro Prize in 2016 for his academic works and social engagements.
His collection of literary essays and book reviews Shomotsu not Unmei (The Fate of Books) published in 2006 and earned Mainichi Book Review Award for the year.
He was a visiting professor at the Alexandria University 2007-2008, Japan Scholar chair visiting scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in 2009 and Visiting Fellow at the Clare Hall, University of Cambridge in 2010.
He specializes in Middle East politics and Arab-Islamic Thought, particularly on global Jihadism and its implications for international security.
Yu KOIZUMI
Associate Professor
Areas of Expertise:
Russian Military Thought
Russian National Security Policy
Politics and International Relations of the Former Soviet Republics
Defence Technologies
Previously, Yu has held various positions, including Assistant Analyst at Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Research Fellow at Institute for Future Engineering (IFENG), Research Fellow at the National Diet Library, and also a visiting researcher at the Institute of World Economy and International Relations of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IMEMO RAN).
His publication in Japanese includes (in English translation titles): Russian MIlitary Strategy Today, 2021; The War in Ukraine, 2022; Okhotsk Nuclear Bastion, 2024.
His book "Teikoku" Roshia no Chiseigaku (Geopolitics of Russian "Empire") published in 2019 was awarded Suntory Prize for Social Sciences and Humanities in that year.
Yu has presented and published extensively on national security policies and strategies of Russia and the former Soviet republics, as well as defense technologies.
Yu holds a BA in Social Sciences and a MA in Political Science from Waseda University.
日本
Areas of Expertise:
Russian Military Thought
Russian National Security Policy
Politics and International Relations of the Former Soviet Republics
Defence Technologies
Previously, Yu has held various positions, including Assistant Analyst at Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Research Fellow at Institute for Future Engineering (IFENG), Research Fellow at the National Diet Library, and also a visiting researcher at the Institute of World Economy and International Relations of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IMEMO RAN).
His publication in Japanese includes (in English translation titles): Russian MIlitary Strategy Today, 2021; The War in Ukraine, 2022; Okhotsk Nuclear Bastion, 2024.
His book "Teikoku" Roshia no Chiseigaku (Geopolitics of Russian "Empire") published in 2019 was awarded Suntory Prize for Social Sciences and Humanities in that year.
Yu has presented and published extensively on national security policies and strategies of Russia and the former Soviet republics, as well as defense technologies.
Yu holds a BA in Social Sciences and a MA in Political Science from Waseda University.
日本
Hidenori WATANAVE
Professor of Interfaculty Initiative in Information Studies, The University of Tokyo
Yuka SASHIHARA
Institute of Science Tokyo
Masahiko INAMI
Professor at RCAST, University of Tokyo
Koki SHIGENOI
Associate Member of ROLES
Associated Researcher of RCAST, The University of Tokyo
Visiting Researcher, Interfaculty Initiative in Information Studies Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Information Studies, The University of Tokyo
Areas of Expertise:
Associated Researcher of RCAST, The University of Tokyo
Visiting Researcher, Interfaculty Initiative in Information Studies Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Information Studies, The University of Tokyo
Areas of Expertise:
International Politics
Islamic Political Thought
Economic Security
Prior to join UTokyo III-GSII, Koki Shigenoi held several research position include Al Jazeera Centre for Studies (2018-19), College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Hamad Bin Khalifa University (2018-19), Intelligence and Analysis Services at Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan (2019-20), Asia-Pacific Department at Konrad Adenauer Foundation (2020-21), National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS) (2022-23), Graduate School of Public Policy at The University of Tokyo (UTokyo GraSPP) (2023-24).
Edited Volume
· Japan's Role for Southeast Asia Amidst the Great Power Competition: and its Implication to the EU-Japan Partnership. Hanoi: Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, 2022.
Publication
· “Evaluating the effect of military intervention on rebel governance in terms of disaggregated human security.” (with Wakako Maekawa) Small Wars & Insurgencies 33/6 (2022): 1059-1084.
· “Strangeness and Strangers: An Annotated Translation and Introduction to Shāṭibī’s Iʿtiṣām.” [in Japanese] (with Nozomi Tajima) Journal of Global Studies 11 (2020): 339-372.
· “Strangeness and Strangers: A Translation and Introduction of a Hadīth Commentary on ‘Blessed Are the Strangers’ from Ibn Qayyim's Madārij al-Sālikīn.” [in Japanese] Journal of Global Studies 10 (2019): 191-225.
· “Strangeness and Strangers: Translation and Bibliographical Introduction on the Hadith Commentary Essay from “Majmūʿah al-Fatāwā” on “Blessed Are the Strangers” by Ibn Taymīyah.” [in Japanese] Journal of Global Studies 8 (2017): 177-204.
MISC.
· “The New Geopolitics of the Middle East (Part 3 & 4) : Shifts in Regional Dynamics 2001-2023.” [in Japanese] Foresight. February 16, 2025.
· “The New Geopolitics of the Middle East (Part 1 & 2) : Syrian Revolution and Geopolitical Setback for Russia and Iran.” [in Japanese] Foresight. December 28, 2024.
· “Small Yard, High Fence.” The Berlin Pulse 2023/2024. pp. 16-17.
· “Economic Zeitenwende? Lessons from Japan’s Economic Security Policy.” 49 security. December 2022.
· “Japan’s Chinese lesson: diversifying only production is not enough.” (with Aya Adachi) Mercator Institute for China Studies (MERICS). November 2022.
· “Beyond Indo-Pacific, Toward Great Power Competition: German Indo-Pacific Engagement Under the New Government.” (with Kikyo Taguchi) Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung. March 2022.
· “The Geo-economics of US-China Relations: What Does it Mean for ASEAN?” (with David Merkle) Diplomatic Briefing 4. February 2022. pp. 24-28.
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