The Japanese-German Center Berlin (JDZB) and the Graduate School of East Asian Studies at Freie Universität Berlin (GEAS) would like to invite you to a lecture by

Professor Richard J. Samuels (MIT Boston / Einstein Visiting Fellow, FU Berlin)

on his latest book
Special Duty: A History of the Japanese Intelligence Community
(published by Cornell University Press, 2019)

The public talk will be introduced and chaired by
Professor Verena Blechinger-Talcott
(Vice-President for International Affairs, Director of the Graduate School of East Asian Studies, and Director of the Center for Area Studies at FU Berlin)

on Wednesday, October 9th, at 18:00
at the Japanese-German Center Berlin, Saargemünder Str. 2, 14195 Berlin
(opposite of subway station U3 Oskar-Helene-Heim)

Richard Samuels dissects the fascinating history of the intelligence community in Japan. Looking at the impact of shifts in the strategic environment, technological change, and past failures, he argues that Japan has endured a roller-coaster ride when it comes to intelligence gathering and analysis and probes the reasons for that. He illustrates the century-long history of Japan’s struggles to develop a fully functioning and effective intelligence capability, and elucidates how, in his view, Japanese leaders have begun to reinvent their nation’s intelligence community.

Richard J. Samuels is Einstein Visiting Professor and leads the Junior Research group Security in East Asia at GEAS, Freie Universität Berlin. The book launch also concludes a 5-year period of research of the Einstein Visiting Fellow Project at GEAS, generously funded by the Einstein Foundation Berlin. The book launch event is supported by JDZB (Japanese-German Center Berlin).

Time & Location

Oct 09, 2019 | 06:00 PM

JDZB Berlin (Japanese-German Center Berlin)
Saargemünder Str. 2
14195 Berlin