Episode 4 features an engaging conversation with Associate Professor Jack Seddon from the Faculty of Political Science and Economics. Hosted by Fabian, a PhD student at Waseda’s Graduate School of Economics, this episode uncovers “the hidden architecture of the global economy.” Prof. Seddonshares insights from his research on the London Metal Exchange, revealing how global markets are shaped not only by economic forces but also by deep political struggles and institutional design. The discussion also delves into Prof.Seddon’s personal journey from capital markets lawyer to academic researcher, his experience working in Japan, and what makes the Faculty of Political Science and Economics’ English-based degree programs a unique place to studyinternational political economy.
This episode is based on the following research:
Jack Seddon (2020) Merchants against the bankers: the financialization of a commodity market, Review of International Political Economy, 27:3, 525-555.
About the Guest
Associate Professor Jack Seddon joined Waseda in 2019, where he works at the intersection between international political economy and economic history, employing theories of institutionalism and mixed research methods. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Oxford and has held visiting positions at the University of Pennsylvania, the Graduate Institute in Geneva, the European University Institute, and Georgetown University. Prof. Seddon is part of the Sterling Area Revisited Project, funded by the United Kingdom Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). He was also awarded a Lloyd’s of London UK-US Fulbright Scholarship in 2019-2020 to examine issues in global risk markets. Before beginning his graduate studies, he worked as a capital markets lawyer in London and Brussels.
Link to the transcript: https://www.waseda.jp/top/en/news/86307
In the third episode of season two of Waseda University’s podcast series Rigorous Research, Real Impact, our PhD student host Peter interviews Professor Alexander Bukh about his award-winning research on territorial disputes in Northeast Asia. Professor Bukh explains how these disputes—like those over Dokdo/Takeshima and the Northern Territories—are not just political or historical conflicts but are socially constructed through national identity narratives shaped by non-state actors. He also shares insights into his own academic journey, the unique research environment at Waseda, and how his seminars at the Graduate School of Asia-Pacific Studies encourage students to critically engage with issues of nationalism and international relations in the region.
This episode is based on the following book:
Bukh, A. (2020). These islands are ours : the social construction of territorial disputes in Northeast Asia. Stanford University Press.
About the Guest:
Professor Alexander Bukh teaches in the Graduate School of Asia-Pacific Studies. He has a PhD in International Relations from the London School of Economics (LSE) and has previously taught at LSE, Tsukuba University, and the Victoria University of Wellington. Professor Bukh specializes in international relations, international relations of Northeast Asia, and Japan-Korea and Japan-Russia relations. He is a member of the International Studies Association (ISA), the Association for Asian Studies (AAS), and the Association for Borderland Studies.
Link to the transcript: https://www.waseda.jp/top/en/news/86122
This latest episode features Assoc. Prof. Bryan Hikari Hartzheim (Faculty of International Research and Education), a leading expert in new media and video game studies, and PhD student Fabian (Graduate School of Economics) discussing the cultural significance and creative innovation behind video games. Through an exploration of “progressive game design” and the influential work of renowned game designer Hideo Kojima, listeners gain fresh insights into how video games shape society, storytelling, and global cultural conversations. Assoc. Prof. Hartzheim also introduces some of the courses he teaches as part of the English-based degree programs in the School of International Liberal Studies (SILS) and Graduate School of International Culture and Communication Studies (GSICCS), which offer a dynamic and interdisciplinary environment for students and researchers from around the world.
The book this episode is based on:
Hartzheim, B. H. (2023). HIDEO KOJIMA: Progressive Game Design from Metal Gear to Death Stranding. Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.Link to the transcript: https://www.waseda.jp/top/en/news/85958
About the Guest:
Dr. Bryan Hikari Hartzheim is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of International Research and Education. He teaches in the English-based degree programs of the School of International Liberal Studies (SILS) and the Graduate School of International Culture and Communication Studies (GSICCS). He recieved his Ph.D. in Cinema and Media Studies from University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). His research areas include aesthetics and art studies, game studies, media industry and production studies, and anime/manga studies.
In this season two inaugural episode, Associate Professor Theron Muller from the Faculty of Human Sciences joins PhD student Peter Chai to discuss his research on translanguaging, which views languages as interconnected and synchronously working together, within the Japanese sociolinguistic context. The episode also highlights one of Waseda’s innovative English-based degree programs in the Graduate School of Human Sciences, where Professor Muller teaches. Additionally, he offers valuable insights for researchers considering academic careers in Japan, emphasizing both the unique opportunities and cultural transitions involved in joining Waseda’s vibrant community.
The research this episode is based on:
Muller, T., & Adamson, J. L. (2024). Translanguaging in writing for academic and publication purposes: Autoethnographic insights from the japanese tertiary context. In Researching Multilingually: Conceptual and Methodological Failures, Struggles and Successes (pp. 55-75). Channel View Publications. https://doi.org/10.21832/9781788925709-005
Link to the transcript: https://www.waseda.jp/top/en/news/85788
About the Guest:
Dr. Theron Muller is an associate professor in the Faculty of Human Sciences, Waseda University. He has lived in Japan, including Nagano, Toyama, and Saitama, since 2000. Prof. Muller is an applied linguist and his interests include sociolinguists and English language teaching, specfically the interaction of language, society, and identity.
In this final episode of the first installment of the series, Assistant Professor Robert Fahey (Waseda Institute for Advanced Study) serves as the guest and talks candidly with his Research Assistant Romeo Marcantuoni (Ph.D. Candidate, Graduate School of Asia-Pacific Studies) about their joint research project examining the rise of Japan’s Sanseito party, which was founded during the COVID-19 pandemic. Their conversation explores the interplay between conspiracy beliefs, the increasingly complex information environment, populist movements, and the broader political system in Japan and beyond.
Link to their discussion paper "From conspiracy theory movement to challenger party: The case of Japan’s Sanseito": https://www.waseda.jp/inst/wias/assets/uploads/2025/01/dp2024001.pdf
Link to the transcript: https://www.waseda.jp/top/en/news/83437
About the Guests:
Guest Assistant Professor Robert A. Fahey:
Dr. Robert A. Fahey is an assistant professor of political science at the Waseda Institute for Advanced Study in Tokyo, Japan. His research interests include populism, polarisation, the effects of conspiracy theory belief, and Japanese politics. He is currently working on a series of large-scale surveys aimed at discovering what kinds of conspiracy beliefs are widespread in East Asian countries, and how those beliefs impact the political and social life of those nations.
MC Ph.D. Candidate Romeo Marcantuoni:
Romeo Marcantuoni is a Ph.D. candidate at the Graduate School of Asia-Pacific Studies at Waseda University. He earned his MA and BA in Japanese Studies at KU Leuven, Belgium. His research centers on Japan's progressive parties.
In episode 7, Professor Toru Yoshikawa (Faculty of Social Sciences) speaks with MC Assistant Professor Yun Jung Yang (Waseda Institute for Advanced Study) about his recent research exploring gender diversity in top management teams, particularly women in the role of the Chief Human Relations Officer (CHRO). Professor Yoshikawa worked with a team of researchers that investigated why women are increasingly appointed to the CHRO position in the US but less so to other executive roles. Additionally, he uses his expertise to reflect on gender diversity, ESG (environmental/social/governance), and DEI (diversity/equity/inclusion) initiatives at companies in Japan, as well. Link to transcript: https://www.waseda.jp/top/en/news/83354 About the Guests:
Professor Toru Yoshikawa (Guest)
Dr. Toru Yoshikawa began working at Waseda University's Faculty of Social Sciences in 2023. He specializes in business administration, strategic management, corporate governance, top management teams, innovation, and international business. He obtained his PhD from York University and has previously taught at Nihon University, McMaster University, and Singapore Management University. Prior to that he spent a number of years working in the finance industry. Dr. Yoshikawa is a member of the Academy of Management, the Academy of International Business, the Strategic Management Society, and the International Corporate Governance Society.
Assistant Professor Yun Jung Yang (MC)
Dr. Yun Jung Yang is an Assistant Professor at the Waseda Institute for Advanced Study (WIAS). Her primary research interests lie at the intersection of international politics (international relations) and comparative politics, and more specifically armed conflict and human rights violations. In particular, she mainly investigates child soldiering and rebel groups’ tactical decisions during armed conflict. Dr. Yang is also interested in overall human rights violations in conflict zones, conflict outbreak and management, international regulations (i.e. international laws), international security, and criminal psychology. She received her PhD from the Department of Government, University of Essex in 2022.
Guest Professor Gracia Liu-Farrer (Graduate School of Asia Pacific Studies) joins MC Assistant Professor Robert Fahey (Waseda Institute for Advanced Study) to explore skill-based migration policies in Asia, a region with more people on the move than any other. Japan features heavily in the discussion, with its increasingly liberal migration policies despite its persistent image as a country comparatively closed to immigration. Professor Liu-Farrer also explains the social construction of skill—how skill is constructed and valued in political, social, and economic contexts—and how migration stands to address societal issues such as demographic crises and labor shortages both in Asia and more broadly.
Link to transcript: https://www.waseda.jp/top/en/news/83220 About the Guests:
Guest Professor Gracia Liu-Farrer
Dr. Gracia Liu-Farrer is Professor of Sociology at the Graduate School of Asia-Pacific Studies, and Director of Institute of Asian Migrations, Waseda University, Japan. Her research investigates cross-border migration and immigrants’ socioeconomic and geographic mobility in Asia and Europe. Her articles have appeared in International Migration Review, Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies and International Migration. She co-edited Routledge Handbook of Asian Migration (2018, with Brenda Yeoh) and authored monographs Labour Migration from China to Japan: International Students, Transnational Migrants (Routledge, 2011) and Immigrant Japan: Mobility and Belonging in an Ethno-nationalist Society (Cornell University Press, 2020).
MC Assistant Professor Robert Fahey
Dr. Robert A. Fahey is an assistant professor of political science at the Waseda Institute for Advanced Study in Tokyo, Japan. His research interests include populism, polarisation, the effects of conspiracy theory belief, and Japanese politics. He is currently working on a series of large-scale surveys aimed at discovering what kinds of conspiracy beliefs are widespread in East Asian countries, and how those beliefs impact the political and social life of those nations.
In this episode, Professor Takashi Kubota (Waseda Law School) sits down to chat with MC Assistant Professor Robert Fahey (Waseda Institute for Advanced Study) about the potential of Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) in Japan using international comparisons. He shares his expert knowledge of the Japanese legal system, highlighting the aspects that obligate Japan’s government to communicate with the public on financial matters, and yet notes how low awareness of CBDC remains a significant obstacle to its introduction. Professor Kubota also weighs in on the question of whether CBDC, or digital currency in general, may potentially replace fiat currency in the future.
Link to transcript: https://www.waseda.jp/top/en/news/82942
About the guests: Professor Takashi Kubota
Professor Kubota has been teaching at the Waseda Law School since 2004. Prior to that, he worked for eight years at the Bank of Japan and taught as an associate professor at Nagoya University. Professor Kubota has served as an advisor to the government of Japan through his positions on a number of committees, including the Strategic Committee on International Promotion of Japanese Law and the Japanese Law Translation Committee.
Professor Kubota was educated at the University of Tokyo (LL.B. in 1990, LL.M. in 1993), Harvard Law School (LL.M. in 1996) and Osaka National University, where he received a Ph. D. in International Public Policy in 2003. His research interests include international finance, international business law, cyber law, and negotiation.
MC Assistant Professor Robert Fahey
Dr. Robert A. Fahey is an assistant professor of political science at the Waseda Institute for Advanced Study in Tokyo, Japan. His research interests include populism, polarisation, the effects of conspiracy theory belief, and Japanese politics. He is currently working on a series of large-scale surveys aimed at discovering what kinds of conspiracy beliefs are widespread in East Asian countries, and how those beliefs impact the political and social life of those nations.
Assistant Professor Jessy Escande (Waseda Institute for Advanced Study) converses with MC Assistant Professor Robert Fahey (Waseda Institute for Advanced Study) about the vital role that cultural transfer through “cultural ferrymen” such as J.L. Borges’ Book of Imaginary Beings has played in the development of a fantasy gaming tradition that is both uniquely Japanese and truly global. In this episode, Professor Escande shares his expert understanding of Japanese video games and their intricate ties to global folklore and mythology by elaborating on how mythical creatures like the rakshasa, the Kujata, the Dullahan, and more made their way into popular culture in Japan.
Link to transcript: https://www.waseda.jp/top/en/news/82855
About the Guests:
Assistant Professor Jessy Escande
Dr. Jessy Escande holds a PhD in comparative literature from Osaka University and is currently an Assistant Professor at the Waseda Institute for Advanced Study (WIAS). At WIAS his researches the reception of foreign cultures in Japanese fantasy works, and particularly the role of games as cultural brokers. Prior to taking his position at Waseda he served as a teaching fellow and researcher at Osaka University.
MC Assistant Professor Robert Fahey
Dr. Robert A. Fahey is an assistant professor of political science at the Waseda Institute for Advanced Study in Tokyo, Japan. His research interests include populism, polarisation, the effects of conspiracy theory belief, and Japanese politics. He is currently working on a series of large-scale surveys aimed at discovering what kinds of conspiracy beliefs are widespread in East Asian countries, and how those beliefs impact the political and social life of those nations.
Associate Professor Marisa Kellam (Faculty of Political Science and Economics) joins MC Assistant Professor Robert Fahey (Waseda Institute for Advanced Study) to talk about their mutual research interests: populism and democracy. The focus of the episode is Professor Kellam’s recently published article, “Who's to Blame for Democratic Backsliding: Populists, Presidents, or Dominant Executives?”, which she wrote together with her former Waseda PhD student. The research was based on data spanning 98 countries, 856 elected executives, and a 50-year period. Listen for tips on how they managed such a large dataset and how it produced a clear answer to the question of who is actually to blame for erosions to democracy that occur during their terms in office. Link to transcript: https://www.waseda.jp/top/en/news/82695
About the Guests:
--Associate Professor Marisa Kellam--
Dr. Marisa Kellam is an associate professor at Waseda University, where she researches the quality of democracy in Latin America. Her research links institutional analysis to various governance outcomes in democracies within three lines of inquiry: political parties and coalitional politics; mass electoral behavior and party system change; and democratic accountability and media freedom.
After earning a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA), Dr. Kellam spent several years as an assistant professor at Texas A&M University. Since moving to Tokyo in 2013, she teaches international and Japanese students in the English-based degree program of Waseda University’s School of Political Science & Economics. During her 2021-2023 sabbatical, she was a visiting scholar at the Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law at Stanford University.
--MC Assistant Professor Robert Fahey--
Dr. Robert A. Fahey is an assistant professor of political science at the Waseda Institute for Advanced Study in Tokyo, Japan. His research interests include populism, polarisation, the effects of conspiracy theory belief, and Japanese politics. He is currently working on a series of large-scale surveys aimed at discovering what kinds of conspiracy beliefs are widespread in East Asian countries, and how those beliefs impact the political and social life of those nations.
Waseda University Professor Lara Tienshi Chen (School of International Liberal Studies) serves as the guest expert again for episode two of "Rigorous Research, Real Impact". Professor Chen was raised in Yokohama, Japan and spent more than 30 years of her life categorized as “stateless”. In episode two, she introduces the advocacy work she does through her NPO Stateless Network and talks about moonlighting as a documentary filmmaker. She also explains her very difficult decision to ultimately take up Japanese citizenship.
Link to the transcript here: https://www.waseda.jp/top/en/news/82589
About the Guest:
Professor Lara Tienshi Chen, School of International Liberal Studies
Professor Chen obtained her PhD in International Political Economy from the University of Tsukuba. She went on to conduct research at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Harvard University, and the University of Tokyo. She worked for the National Museum of Ethnology, Osaka prior to joining Waseda's School of International Liberal Studies in 2013. Professor Chen is also the founder of the NPO Stateless Network and works closely with the student volunteer club Stateless Network Youth.
Waseda University Professor Lara Tienshi Chen (School of International Liberal Studies) serves as the guest expert for the first two episodes of "Rigorous Research, Real Impact". Professor Chen was raised in Yokohama, Japan but spent more than 30 years of her life categorized as “stateless”. In episode one, she shares her personal experience living as a stateless person and recounts how this influenced her decision to research statelessness, culminating in her book “Stateless.” Prof. Chen then draws the line between her life experience and her current work at Waseda, where she continues to positively impact society by advocating for stateless people both in Japan and across the world.
Link to the transcript here: https://www.waseda.jp/top/en/news/82406
About the Guest:
Professor Lara Tienshi Chen, School of International Liberal Studies
Professor Chen obtained her PhD in International Political Economy from the University of Tsukuba. She went on to conduct research at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Harvard University, and the University of Tokyo. She worked for the National Museum of Ethnology, Osaka prior to joining Waseda's School of International Liberal Studies in 2013. Professor Chen is also the founder of the NPO Stateless Network and works closely with the student volunteer club Stateless Network Youth.