JSPS Core-to-Core Program on Antarctic Governance Research(2025-30)

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JSPS Core-to-Core Program
on Antarctic Governance Research (2025-30)

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Program Concept and
Research Objective

Antarctic governance today and towards the next century faces two inevitable challenges: the first is the drastic physical as well as ecological changes in the Antarctic, the consequences of which also affect the entire Earth, such as global sea-level rise from the melting of Antarctic ice-sheets; and the second is the global geopolitical instabilities and the claims for a “multipolar world order”. In light of these centennial challenges, JSPS Core-to-Core Program on Antarctic Governance Research (2025-30) argues that Antarctic governance must be re-examined and potentially re-arranged to reflect the interests of the Earth itself as identified by best available science of the time.

Research topics include, for example, Antarctic ice-sheet vulnerability and governance challenges; maintaining the peaceful use of Antarctica, with particular attention to potential dual use of Antarctic facilities and personnel; Antarctic bioprospecting and the implication of BBNJ agreement entering into force; and the governance of Antarctic tourism. This Program will also undertake research on issue-transcending topics, such as the concepts of “planetary boundaries” and “Earth System Law”. With Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meetings (ATCMs) being held in Japan in 2026 and Korea in 2027, policy-relevant research results may be produced as White Papers.

Program will be pursued through strategically coordinated collaborative research events combining Program seminars; topic-specific breakout sessions at major international academic conferences such as Polar Law Symposium and ATCMs; and early-career collaborative initiatives (ECCI).

Collaborating Institutions
and Researchers

This program aims to establish a world-wide and world-class network of interdisciplinary research institutions and scholars to effectively address the above Antarctic governance challenges. This network is strategically constituted, involving the Core Institution, which is Polar Cooperation Research Centre, Kobe University (Kobe PCRC) based in Japan, and two overseas Core Collaborating Institutions, namely University of Tasmania (UTAS) in Australia and Korean Polar Research Institute (KOPRI) in the Republic of Korea.

Akiho Shibata

Professor and Director, Polar Cooperation Research Centre (PCRC), Kobe University

James Anthony Press

Adjunct Professor, Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania (UTAS/IMAS)

Hyoung Chul Shin

President, Korea Polar Research Institute (KOPRI)

Kobe PCRC is supported domestically by three Cooperating Institutions with specific roles to play in this interdisciplinary research: National Institute of Polar Research (NIPR), providing Antarctic ecological and field operations expertise and knowledge; Hokkaido University Institute for Low Temperature Science (ILTS) providing physical oceanographic and glaciological expertise and knowledge; and Sophia University in Tokyo providing geopolitical perspectives as well as a theory and practice on dual-use technologies. Under Kobe PCRC, there are five cooperating researchers from abroad mainly from Europe, including Germany, The Netherlands, Finland and Iceland. Under UTAS, there is one cooperating institution, namely University of Wollongong, and several cooperating researchers mainly from the Southern Hemisphere, including Argentina, Chile and New Zealand. Under KOPRI, there are several cooperating researchers mainly from Asia, including China, India, Turkiye and Malaysia.