Related Research Activities
PCRC promotes polar legal and policy studies in Japan, and established a Kobe Arctic Legal Order Studies Forum. This page introduces research activities related to the Arctic and Antarctic legal and policy studies in Japan and elsewhere, particularly by those members participating in the Forum.
December 27, 2018
Report of the FY2018 program for overseas visits by young researchers: The presentation in the Eleventh Polar Law Symposium
Report of the presentation in the 11th Polar Law Symposium, by Ph.D student Sakiko Hataya, has been published on the ArCS blog
(In Japanese).
April 10, 2018
Conference report on 3rd PCRC Symposium by Kobe students pulbished
The conference report of "The Role of non-Arcitc States/Actors in the Arctic Legal Order-making" written by Tony Cabus and Maiko Raita, two PhD students at Graduate School of International Cooperation Studies, is published in Current Developments in Arctic Law (2017), Vol.5, pp.8-11 (LAUDA (University of Lapland Institutional Depository)) . The report is a reflective review of the six sessions at the symposium hosted by PCRC on the theme of "The Role of Non-Arctic States/Actors in the Arctic Legal Order-making" in December 2017. The report highlights the symposium as the good opportunity for scholars both from Arctic States and Non-Arctic States to examine into the Arctic legal order-making process and exchange perspectives on the current and future Arctic process in the context of the evolution of international laws, enhancement of institutional arrangements, and involvement of an extended body of stakeholders.
January 15-18, 2018
November 13-16, 2017
PCRC members participated at Polay Law Symposium and Rovaniemi Arctic Spirit 2017
On November 13-16, 2017 Director Akiho Shibata, PhD student Maiko Raita, associate Prof Leilei Zou attended Polar Law Symposium and Rovaniemi Arctic Spirit 2017 held in Finland. Director Akiho Shibata hosted a session at Polar Law Symposium on “Policy-Relevant-Science (PRS) within the Context of the Arctic” where a new perspective on the policy-science nexus was examined based on the latest findings of a joint research project among PCRC, JAMESTIC (Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology), and Arctic Centre of University of Lapland. A science project proposal on the marine physical, chemical and biological observation in the Gulf of Anadyr on the Bering Sea served as a case study to examine policy-relevant-science nexus which is differentiated from such adjacent notions as science-policy interface, science-informed-policy, science communication and science diplomacy. Besides, Maiko Raito made a presentation on “FAO Port State Measures Agreement: a Model beyond LOS Convention”, examining extraterritorial port state jurisdiction and its Arctic implications.
October 6, 2017
Senior Research Fellow Nikolas Sellheim's New book "A Pocket Guide to Academic Publishing"
PCRC Senior Rsearch Fellow Nikolas Sellheim's new book "A Pocket Guide to Academic Publishing" has been published by UArctic. This book was written in the course of a seminar on academic publishing at the Polar Cooperation Research Centre, Kobe University, Japan. The seminar and book emerged as a response to the absence of a textbook on the ‘hows,’ ‘dos’ and ‘don’ts’ of academic publishing, the knowledge of which students have to acquire rather through learning-by-doing than through knowing them beforehand. This book is available on online.
August 1st, 2017
Associate Prof Leilei Zou's New Book "Arctic Fisheries, Arctic Fisheries Management and China's Response
Associate Prof Leilei Zou's new book "Arctic Fisheries, Arctic Fisheries Management and China's Response" (in Chinese) was published with China Ocean University Press in August 2017. The book has a review of Arctic fish dynamics under the climate change, the Arctic high seas and EEZs fisheries management regime, and China's response and contribution to the Arctic fisheries regime-building. The book also has the author's reflections on the ongoing Central Arctic Ocean Fisheries negotiations.
August 1st, 2017
Associate Prof's New English Text Book "Practical English for Distant-water Fisheries"
Associate Prof Leilei Zou coauthored “Practical English for Distant-water Fisheries”, a text book for English for specific purpose. The book was published with The Science Press in China in August 2017. The book is tailored for university students who specialize in marine science, fisheries resources, and fisheries management. The book begins with the introduction of the life in the sea, followed by a detailed elaboration on the various fishing gears and fishing documents for fishermen to fill in while conducting the fishing as well as those for fisheries officers while investigating the fishing vessel. The book ends with the introduction on the responsible fisheries.
July 5-7, 2017
Director Akiho Shibata and his Ph.D. student made presentations at SCAR-HASSEG
Director Akiho Shibata and his Ph.D. student, Narimitsu Kato, made independent presentations at SCAR Humanities and Social Sciences Expert Group Biennial academic conference, held in Hobart, Tasmania. Some parts of the conference, including the presentation by Director Shibata, are recorded in a nicely edited video: <https://vimeo.com/229227070>
HASSEG Conference 2017: Understanding the Antarctic region through the Humanities and Social Sciences from Stephen Curtain on Vimeo.
June 10, 2017
Assistant Professor Osamu Inagaki's presentation at ICASS IX
On June 10, 2017 Assistant Professor Osamu Inagaki made a presentation entitled "Legitimacy of the Arctic Council as a Treaty-Making Forum" at ICASS IX held in Umea, Sweden. In that presentation, he examined the negotiation process of the Agreement on Enhansing Arctic Scientific Cooperation within the Scientific Cooperation Task forcce, especially focusing on the function of the addendum to the Arctic Council Observer Manual in the negotiation.
May 9, 2017
Associate Professor Kentaro Nishimoto's New Publication
Associate Professor Kentaro Nishimoto , a member of Kobe Arctic Legal Order Study Forum, has published his commentaries on UNCLOS provisions relating to marine scientific research, in A. Proless ed., United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea: A Commentary (Hart Pub., 2017) . His commentaries relating to Article 255 on Measures to facilitate MSR and assist research vessels will have direct bearing on the evaluation of the new Agreement on Enhancing International Arctic Scientific Cooperation, which also applies to scientific activities in the Arctic Ocean, as examined by Shibata and Raita in 8 Yearbook of Polar Law (2017) .
May 1, 2017
Professor Alexander Sergunin's New Publications
・Pertti Joenniemi and Alexander Sergunin, "Russian Subnational Actors: Paradiplomacies in the European and Russian Arctic," in Lassi Heininen ed. Future Security of the Global Arctic: State Policy, Economic Security and Climate (Palgrave Macmilan, 2016), pp. 55-76.
・Valery Konyshev and Alexander Sergunin, "The 'Arctic Age' Ahead?" in The World in 100 Years (VES MIR Publishers, 2016), pp. 96-105.
April 8, 2017
Participation at Symposium on “China-Norway Dialoue on the Changing Arctic and International Cooperation”
On April 8, 2017 Dr. Leilei Zou, the prospective postdoctoral scholar at PCRC, was invited to attend the Symposium on “China-Norway Dialoue on the Changing Arctic and International Cooperation” held at Shanghai Institutes for International Studies. Ms Erna Solberg, Prime Minister of Norway, made a keynote speech highlighting that the Arctic should remain a safe, predictable and peaceful region. Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Trade, Industry and Fisheries of Norway were also present at the symposium. Besides, Arctic researchers from Norway and China gave presentations concerning the Arctic research updates and prospective joint Arctic research. Both politicians and researchers have agreed that the Arctic should be developed into a region of international cooperation based on international law where development is sustainable and where there is a good balance between commercial and industrial activity and environment concerns.
January 27-February 19, 2017
Dr. Leilei Zou at Fridtjof Nansens Institute of Norway as a visiting scholar
On January 27-February 19, 2017 Dr. Leilei Zou, the prospective postdoctoral scholar at PCRC, worked as a visiting scholar at Fridtjof Nansens Institute (FNI) of Norway. FNI is an independent foundation engaged in research on internaitonal environmental, energy and resource management politics and law. Norway is one of the Arctic states who feel the Arctic changes immediately and receive the impact of the Arctic changes immediately. Thus FNI has focused research recently on the Arctic changes under the climate change, Arctic marine issues and law of the sea, Arctic energy and environment, and etc. Dr. Zou conducted the cooperative research with FNI colleagues on the management of Arctic marine living resouces during her stay at FNI. Dr. Zou also gave a presentation on the role of non-Arctic states in Arctic living resources conservation and management.
January 23-26, 2017
Participation at 2017 Arctic Frontiers
On January 23-26, 2017 Dr. Leilei Zou, the prospective postdoctoral scholar at PCRC, attended Arctic Frontiers held at Tromsø, a northern city above the Arctic Circle in Norway. The theme of the academic arena this year is white space – blue future, indicating a promising Arctic future under sustainable development. The conference addresses the management of opportunities and challenges to achieve viable economic growth with societal and environmental sustainability. Dr. Zou attended policy, business and session panels, where academia, government and business brought together for discussions about decision-making and sustainable economic development in the Arctic. During the conference, Dr. Zou was also invited to attend meetings with representitives from The Arcric University of Norway and Norwegian Polar Institute where possible academic exchanges and cooperations with norwegian partners were discussed.
October 5-12, 2016
9th Polar Law Symposium and Arctic Circle Assembly
On October 5-9,2016 Director Shibata, Lindsay Arthur Tamm, former research fellow of the PCRC and Sakiko Hataya, M1 student of GSICS attended 9th Polar Law Symposium held in Akureyri and Reykjavik, Iceland. Lindsay and Sakiko made a presentation as Kobe University team entitled "The Role of Law in Japan's Arctic Policy" (photo left). They also attended Arctic Circle Assembly on 7-9, Ocotber (photo middle). On October 11-12, Director Shibata and Sakiko participated in the International Conference on the Arctic Council held at Univerisiy of Southern Denmark and Director Shibata made a presentation concerning the Agreement on Enhansing International Arctic Scientific Coopearation (photo right).
August 21-29, 2016
SCAR Open Science Conference (OSC)
On August 21-27, 2016 Director Shibata, Lindsay Arthur Tamm and Sakiko Hataya attended SCAR Open Science Conference (OSC) held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. In this conference, Director Shibata made a presentaiton entitled "An international lawyer in Japanese Antarctic research expedition: the role of social sciences in Antarctic field research" (Photo left and middle). Lindsay Arthur Tamm, research fellow of the PCRC, in her presentation entitiled "Mechanisms of enforcement in the Antarctic treaty system: Good governance or rubber stamp" examined effectiveness of the inspection mechanism in Article 7 of the Antarctic Treaty and Article 14 of the Madrid Protocol in terms of the Good Governance concepts (Photo right). Sakiko Hataya, M1 student of International Law Program in GSICS, observed the conference and she also attended the workshop of the APECS (Association of Polar Early Career Scientists) held in August 21.
August 9, 2016
Aki Tonami, Asian Policy in a Changing Arctic: The Diplomacy and Science at New Frontiers (Palgrave Macmillan, 2016)
Dr. Aki Tonami, researcher at University Copenhagen, has recently published a book "Asian Policy in a Changing Arctic." This book exammines the growing interest in the Arctic by Asian States and their involvement in the Arctic Governance. For details, please see here .
December 22, 2015
Professor Fujio Ohnishi's Comments on Japan-Russia Cooperation in the Arctic
Assistant Professor Fujio Ohnishi at Nihon University made comments on Japan-Russia Cooperation in the Arctic in the Article of Sputnik. The article is available here (in Japanese) .
December 9-11, 2015
Professor Kentaro Nishimoto speaks at Arctic shipping symposium in Singapore
Professor Nishimoto of Tohoku University speaks at international symposium on Governance of Arctic Shipping: Balancing Rights and Interests of Arctic States and User States. See the details from this website .
October 19, 2015
Professor Taisaku Ikeshima and Dr. Aki Tonami speak at the conference on Japan's Arctic policy in Washington DC
Professor Ikeshima of Waseda University and Dr. Tonami of Nordic Institute of Asian Studies, University of Copenhagen made presentations on Japan's Arctic policy at the conference "Charting Japan's Arctic Strategy" held by the Centre for the East Asia Policy Studies at Brookings Institution. For details, see this website.
September 23-26, 2015
Presentation at Eighth Polar Law Symposium by Kobe international law team
Professor Shibata and his international law team composed of 3 first year Master course students (Maiko Raita, Ki-ichi Kageyama and Narimitsu Kato: Photo) made a presentation on “An Agreement on Enhancing International Scientific Cooperation in the Arctic: Only for A8 countries and their scientists?” at 8th Polar Law Symposium held at University of Alaska, Fairbanks and Anchorage. See the program .
September 8, 2015
Seminar by Mr. Evan Bloom, Director at US State Department
In a seminar organized by Kobe Arctic Legal Order Studies Forum, Mr. Evan Bloom, Director of the Ocean and Polar Affairs Division of USDoS, gave a presentation in Tokyo on “Arctic Council under the U.S. Chairmanship 2015-17: Legal and Policy Issues and Their Prospects”. See the flyer
.
August 27, 2015
Professor Fujio Ohnishi’s contribution in a new book on Arctic and Asia now available
Assistant Professor Ohnishi at Nihon University College of International Relations has contributed a paper “Japan’s Arctic Policy Development: From Engagement to a Strategy” appears in a newly published book: Asian Countries and the Arctic Future .
August 6, 2015
Professor Akiko Okamatsu speaks at Arctic conference in Hawaii
Professor Okamatsu of Hosei University made a presentation on “Conflict between International Law and Domestic Law on the Vessel-Source Pollution in the Arctic” at the Round Table Session on Implementation of the Polar Code, at 2015 North Pacific Arctic Conference .
April 24, 2015
Seminar on The Arctic: Current Legal and Policy Issues held at Kobe University
In a seminar organized by Kobe International law program, Professors Timo Koivurova (University of Lapland, Finland), Natalia Loukacheva (University of Northern British Columbia, Canada), Cécile Pelaudeix (Aarhus University, Denmark), Akiho Shibata (Kobe University), and Researcher, Mr. Nikolas Sellheim (University of Lapland) made presentations on many of the current legal and policy challenges facing the Arctic. Professor Dire Tladi (Visiting Professor at Kobe University and University of Pretoria) and Professor Kentaro Nishimoto (Tohoku University) participated as commentators. See the program.