Elections Aftermath: Exploring Opportunities and Challenges in U.S.-Japan Relations

In a world marked by growing political volatility and escalating U.S.-China rivalry, the United States and Japan face a crucial opportunity to collaborate under new leadership to maintain and strengthen peace and stability in East Asia and beyond. Co-sponsored by Columbia University and Keio University, this full-day conference will convene top experts on East Asian and global politics to explore the challenges and opportunities arising from leadership transitions in both Tokyo and Washington and discuss how the two allies can shape the security and political dynamics of the Korean Peninsula, in Southeast Asia, across the Taiwan Strait, and the International Order. Join us as we examine how the U.S.-Japan partnership can navigate these complexities and shape a cooperative future in an increasingly intricate global landscape.

This event is hosted by the Weatherhead East Asian Institute and co-sponsored by China and the World Program, Columbia Journalism School, Keio Center for Strategy, Keio Institute of East Asian Studies, and APEC Study Center.

For non-Columbia affiliates, registration is required to access the Morningside campus. Registering will generate an email with a QR code which must be presented along with a government-issued ID (your name must match exactly the name registered for the event) at either 116 Street & Broadway or 116 Street & Amsterdam gates for entry. Please register by Nov. 15, 4 pm for campus access.

Registration: To attend this event in-person, please register HERE.

AGENDA:

November 18, Monday

Joseph D. Jamail Lecture Hall, Pulitzer Hall, Columbia Journalism School,

2950 Broadway, New York, NY 10027

9:00-9:10 am Welcome Remarks

• Duy Linh Nguyen Tu, Dean of Academic Affairs and Professor of Professional Practice, Columbia University
• Lien-Hang Nguyen, Director, Weatherhead East Asian Institute, Columbia University
• Yuichi Hosoya, Director, Keio Center for Strategy, Keio University

9:10-9:20 am Opening Videos

9:20-10:40 am Session 1 U.S.-Japan-South Korea Relations after the Elections

• Junya Nishino, Professor of Political Science, Faculty of Law and Politics, Keio University
• Ambassador Kathleen Stephens, Global Senior Advisor, McLarty Associates
• Scott Snyder, President & CEO, Korea Economic Institute of America
• Carol Gluck, George Sansom Professor Emerita of History, Columbia University
• Gerald Curtis, Burgess Professor Emeritus of Political Science, Columbia University (moderator)

10:50-12:10 pm Session 2 Japan and the U.S. in Southeast Asia after the Elections

• Ambassador Derek Mitchell, Senior Advisor, Center for Strategic and International Studies
• Ambassador Masafumi Ishii, Special Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Law, Gakushuin University
• Ken Jimbo, Managing Director, International House of Japan; Professor, Faculty of Policy Management, Keio University​
• Lien-Hang Nguyen, Dorothy Borg Associate Professor of the History of American-East Asian Relations, Columbia University
• Ann Marie Murphy, Professor, School of Diplomacy and International Relations, Seton Hall University (moderator)

12:10-1:00 pm Lunch Session or Break (TBD)

1:00-2:20 pm Session 3 China, Taiwan, and the U.S.-Japan Alliance after the Elections

• Andrew J. Nathan, Class of 1919 Professor of Political Science, Columbia University
• Thomas Christensen, James T. Shotwell Professor of International Relations, Columbia University
• Satoru Mori, Professor, Faculty of Law, Keio University
• Ayumi Teraoka, Postdoctoral Research Scholar and Lecturer, Columbia University
• George Miller, Associate Dean, Academic Affairs and Adjunct Professor, Columbia’s Journalism School (moderator)

2:30-3:50 pm Session 4 Global Politics and International Order after the Elections

• Yuichi Hosoya, Professor, Faculty of Law, Keio University
• Michito Tsuruoka, Associate Professor, Faculty of Policy Management, Keio University
• Stephen Biddle, Professor of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University
• Zongyuan Zoe Liu, Maurice R. Greenberg Senior Fellow for China Studies, Council on Foreign Relations
• Merit Janow, Professor of Practice in International Economic Law and International Affairs, Columbia University (moderator)

3:50-4:00 pm Closing Remarks

Conference Adjourn

To print the agenda, please click HERE.