Greetings from 21JPSI’s Founding Director, Professor Adam Liff
Welcome to the website of the "21st Century Japan Politics and Society Initiative" (21JPSI), established at Indiana University (IU) in 2018.
Since 21JPSI’s establishment within the Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies (HLS), located in the heart of IU’s flagship Bloomington campus, we have endeavored to serve as the U.S.’ Midwestern hub for policy-relevant research, teaching, and programming on contemporary Japanese politics, society, and foreign policy. Our core objectives have been constant throughout the years:
(1) to invigorate, sustain, and expand research, teaching, and programming on contemporary Japan at IU (and beyond);
(2) to educate, raise awareness, and debate policy responses to the manifold political, social, and international challenges that Japan and America face today; and
(3) to serve as a forum for important conversations in the U.S. heartland about the importance of Japan and U.S.-Japan relations to the Midwest, the United States, East Asia, and the wider world.
Thanks in significant part to a pair of generous external grants from the Japan Foundation, since its establishment 21JPSI has helped seed a new tenure-track faculty position in contemporary Japanese society; facilitated the teaching of nine courses on various aspects of Japanese politics, society, and foreign policy; hosted recurring multidisciplinary speaker series, conferences, policy webinars, and academic manuscript workshops; and provided travel grants to support IU faculty and graduate student research in Japan.
It is an honor and privilege to serve as 21JPSI’s founding director. Please browse our website to learn more about what we do, and consider signing up for our event announcement mailing list. You may also wish to visit the East Asian Languages and Cultures (EALC) Department's website for more evidence of the Hamilton Lugar School's remarkable commitment to East Asian studies.
I hope that you will join us soon at one of our public events soon. See you there!
Founding Director, 21JPSI
Professor of East Asian International Relations
Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies
Indiana University