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Project Talk | John Jacobs

Feb 01, 2024 | 04:00 PM - 06:00 PM
***Please note the change of rooms: the talk takes place in the library (room 006) at the Grad School Villa (ground flloor to the right after entering the building)***


The Japan Self-Defense Forces’ Cooperation with European Militaries in U.S.-led Out-of-Area Operations’

Abstract

This talk examines the state of affairs of Japan’s security cooperation with NATO, the EU, and individual European states, and particularly focuses on Japanese and European participation in military operations and defence exchanges. My presentation will outline my proposed post-doctoral research project, and we will discuss each other’s ideas for future projects relating to security issues for Japan or Europe. My proposed project examines why, in three post-9/11 multinational operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, and off the coast of Somalia, the Japan Self-Defense Forces had a propensity to cooperate with European forces rather than with Japan’s U.S. ally. Yet, in contrast to the U.S.’ other Asia-Pacific allies, Japan did not formally participate in EU nor NATO-led operations. Strategic culture, identity, interdependencies and alliance hedging, explanations advanced in International Relations studies, fail to account for Japan’s behaviour. Instead, I aim to show how multinational operations led by NATO, the EU, and U.S.-led coalitions vary in their decision-making procedures and command-and-control (C2) structures (e.g. ‘lead nation’ in the U.S.-led Multi-National Force Iraq (MNF-I) vs ‘integrated’ in the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan), and argue that this variation affects Japanese willingness to cooperate with European forces.

GEAS alumnus John Jacobs will discuss his project with all interested PhD researchers and students in Political Sciences/Japanese Studies interested in security studies, international relations, and so forth.

Everyone is welcome to join without registration!

Time & Location

Feb 01, 2024 | 04:00 PM - 06:00 PM

*LIBRARY 006*, ground floor to the right
Grad School Villa
Hittorfstr. 18
14195 Berlin