Project Leader	Kawashima Shin (The University of Tokyo, the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences)
Collaborators	Aizawa Nobuhiro (Kyushu University, the Department of Cultural Studies and Faculty of Social and Cultural Studies) Aoki Maki (Institute of Developing Economies) Suzuki Ayame (Doshisha University, Faculty of Law) Takagi Yusuke (Institute for Policy Studies, National Graduate) Takahashi Tomoko (Kyoto University, Center for Southeast Asian Studies) Nakamizo Kazuya (Kyoto University, Graduate School of Asia and African Area Studies) Mieno Fumiharu (Kyoto University, Center for Southeast Asian Studies)
Research Project	A methodological case studies on foreign policies of developing and emerging powers : exploring an efficient and substantial combination with regional studies
Countries of Study	China, Taiwan, Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, India, Myanmar, Indonesia

Outline of Research

Asian studies, which had long focused on poverty and development, shifted in the 1990s towards research on economic growth and social transformation. Since the 2010s, Asian countries have strengthened their roles as significant "actors" in the international community, evolving their diplomacy from merely economic development-oriented policies to more explicit foreign policies. However, Japanese research on Asia has not fully adapted to these changes. There is a need to integrate regional studies' approaches with the perspectives of the field of international politics. This research aims to construct such a methodology and disseminate it both domestically and internationally.

Purpose of Research, Its Significance and Expected Results, etc

The purpose of this research is to establish the fields of "diplomacy" and "foreign policy" within Asian area studies and to position developing and emerging countries, including those in Asia, as central subjects in international politics and international relations research. To achieve this, we aim to conduct case studies primarily focused on Southeast Asia, East Asia, and South Asia, and explore the methodological possibilities and challenges, deepening discussions to form a new research area. The results of this study will be published in academic circles both domestically and internationally and are intended to lay the groundwork for future large-scale collaborative research proposals.

This research has three unique aspects. First, it aims to enhance the study of "diplomacy," which has not been sufficiently addressed in traditional Asian area studies. Second, it positions Asia, which has not been adequately targeted in international politics and international relations research, as a new methodological challenge. Third, it critically examines the current analyses that do not sufficiently incorporate regional research insights and emphasizes the significance of diplomatic studies based on regional research knowledge. Additionally, our approach is notable for organizing a cross-disciplinary research team that includes social sciences and regional studies, focusing on Southeast Asia, East Asia, and South Asia, and tackling emerging issues.

The significance of this study lies in the creation of a new research field, "Asian Diplomatic Studies Based on Regional Research." This allows for a more proactive depiction of the diplomacy and foreign policy of emerging and developing countries in Asia. This approach not only meets societal demands but also attempts to develop a new research field that reflects real-world social transformations, overcoming challenges from previous research areas. Furthermore, this study aims to re-evaluate the significance of regional research in contrast to the current analytical approaches to Asian diplomacy.

In terms of specific research methods and expected outcomes, we will accumulate case studies and advance discussions to pursue an intrinsic understanding that differs from conventional external interpretations. Research activities will be conducted both in person and online, and we plan to invite researchers from other regions, such as West Asia and Central Asia, to supplement our knowledge. Ultimately, the results of the individual case studies will be presented at academic conferences and are intended to be compiled into a volume of essays, with the goal of applying for a larger joint research project funded by the Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research in two years.

In summary, this research aims to bridge the gap between regional and diplomatic studies by creating a methodology that integrates the unique insights of Asian area studies with the perspectives of international political science. This new approach is expected to provide a more nuanced understanding of Asia’s evolving role in global diplomacy and foreign policy, enriching both academic and practical discourses on international relations.