Faculty Information - VYAS Utpal

■ Education

1.	2003～2006	〔Doctorial Course〕, Faculty of Social Sciences, School of East Asian Studies, University of Sheffield, Completed, Ph.D
2.	2002/10～2003/09	〔Master Course〕 East Asian Political Economy, Faculty of Social Sciences, School of East Asian Studies, University of Sheffield, Completed, MSc
3.	1995/10～1998/07	Faculty of Law, University of Birmingham, LLB

■ Academic and professional experience

1.	2018/04～2020/09	Graduate School of Asia Pacific Studies, International Relations Division Head
2.	2015/04～2016/03	International Relations and Peace Studies Division Leader
3.	2012/04	Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University International Relations and Political Economy Associate Professor
4.	2009/04～2012/03	Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University Assistant Professor
5.	2007/04～2009/03	Kobe University Graduate School of Law JSPS Postdoctoral Fellow
6.	2004/09～2006/04	Kobe University Graduate School of Law MEXT Scholar
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■ Message

Message to undergraduate students: Studying towards a university degree is not only a chance to expand your knowledge, but also to learn about and challenge your conceptions of yourself and of how you think about the world. Take time to become more aware of yourself and your real interests and goals in life. Message to graduate school students: Postgraduate study is an opportunity to reassess your knowledge, and increase your expertise in your chosen topics together with like-minded fellow students. It may be your best, and last chance to think deeply, so take advantage of the opportunities pro-actively.

■ Current specialized field

Area Studies (East Asia), Politics, International Relations, Area Studies (European Union), Political Economy (Key Word：Japan, China, East Asia, Europe, international relations, political economy, comparative politics)

■ Books and theses

1.	2023/12	Article	Zeitenwende: the view from Japan EUI RSC Policy Brief 23(2023) (Single)
2.	2021/03	Book	Japan UK relations before and after the Brexit referendum (chapter in Kolmas, Michal Sato, Yoichiro eds. Identity, culture and memory in Japanese Foreign Policy, Bern: Peter Lang) Kolmas and Sato (eds) Identity, culture and memory in Japanese Foreign Policy pp.63-84 (Single)
3.	2020/04	Article	Cool, warm, soft and sharp: paradigms of cultural exchange in Japan–China relations International Journal of Cultural Policy (Single)
4.	2017/04	Book	China’s financial power in Asia: strategic implications of RMB internationalization for regional relations (chapter in Rothman, Vyas, Sato eds, Regional Institutions, Geopolitics and Economics in the Asia Pacific: Evolving Interests and Strategies) pp.46-58 (Single)
5.	2017/04	Book	Introduction (chapter in Rothman, Vyas and Sato, Regional Institutions, Geopolitics and Economics in the Asia Pacific: Evolving Interests and Strategies) pp.1-10 (Collaboration)
6.	2017/04	Book	Regional Institutions, Geopolitics and Economics in the Asia Pacific: Evolving Interests and Strategies (Collaboration)
7.	2017/03	Book	'The UK's identity as a globalised nation state' chapter in Social and Economic Problems and Challenges in the Contemporary World, eds Dordevic, Branislav, Tsukimura Taro and Ladevac, Ivona, p161-172 pp.161-172 (Single)
8.	2016/03	Book	Financial power and national identity in East Asia: the Chinese challenge (chapter in 'Globalized World: Advantage or Disadvantage') pp.141-154 (Single)
9.	2015/03	Book	Common interest without coordination (chapter in 'The North Korea Crisis and Regional Responses') (Collaboration)
10.	2015/03	Book	The North Korea Crisis and Regional Responses (Collaboration)
11.	2015/03	Book	The North Korea problem: humanitarian implications, chapter in 'The North Korea Crisis and Regional Responses' pp.37-52 (Single)
12.	2015/02	Book	Internationalisation of China’s renminbi: global power or premature overconfidence? chapter in 'Major International Issues in the 21st Century from the Perspective of Japan and Europe' pp.37-49 (Single)
13.	2014/12	Book	Regionalism in Northeast Asia: national identity and development as barriers to co-operation and reconciliation, chapter in 'Regionalism and Reconciliation' pp.89-110 (Single)
14.	2012/01	Book	The Japan Foundation in China: an agent of Japan's soft power? chapter in 'Researching Twenty-First Century Japan: New Directions and Approaches for the Electronic Age' pp.11-41 (Single)
15.	2010/12	Book	Soft Power in Japan-China Relations: State, sub-state and non-state relations (Single)
16.	2010/12	Article	Japan's international NGOs: a small but growing presence in Japan-China relations Japan Forum 22(3-4),pp.467-490 (Single)
17.	2008/08	Article	The Japan Foundation in China: An agent of Japan's soft power? Electronic Journal of Contemporary Japanese Studies (Single)
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■ Conference presentations

1.	2023/12/03	Japan-Europe political economic relations and values: what is the significance of the Zeitenwende? (Asia Pacific Conference 2023)
2.	2023/09/15	Japan-EU political economic relations and values: business as usual or Zeitenwende? (EJARN Conference 2023 EU-Japan Relations, Lund, Sweden)
3.	2022/12/04	Japan-UK-EU relations: economic and security cooperation in a changing international political economy (2022 Asia Pacific Conference, Ritsumeikan APU, Beppu)
4.	2022/09/01	The political economy of RMB internationalisation: political ideology with Chinese characteristics (British Association of Chinese Studies, St Antony's College, Oxford University)
5.	2021/12	UK-Japan relations after Brexit: the Call of the East (2021 Asia Pacific Conference)
6.	2021/02/18	Book Talk: Identity, Culture and Memory in Japanese Foreign Policy (RCAPS Current Research Seminar)
7.	2020/11/14	International cultural exchange: paradigms and problems in Japan-China relations (Asia Pacific Conference Asia Pacific and Beyond: A Pursuit for Inclusion and Innovation)
8.	2019/09	Japan-UK relations before and after the Brexit Referendum (Joint East Asian Studies Conference 2019, Edinburgh)
9.	2018/12	Changing Japan-UK relations after the Brexit referendum (AP Conference 2018, Beppu, Japan)
10.	2018/11	The backlash against globalization, national identity changes and the reconfiguration of Japan-UK relations (National Identity and Japanese Revisionism Workshop, AP Conference, Beppu, Japan)
11.	2017/11/12	Populism and inequality in the West and East (Asia Pacific Conference)
12.	2017/04	Varieties of populism: West and East (Regional Conflicts and Integration in East Asia)
13.	2016/11	Asia Pacific Studies: a fundamentally open discipline (Asia Pacific Conference)
14.	2016/09	The UK’s identity as a globalised nation state: to be or not to be? (Social and economic problems and challenges in the contemporary world)
15.	2015/11	Strategic implications of RMB internationalisation for Japan and South Korea (Asia Pacific Conference 2015, Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, Beppu, Japan)
16.	2015/09	Currencies, financial power and international status (Nurturing Communities and Bridging Divides in Japanese Political Studies Conference, University of Sheffield, UK)
17.	2015/09	Financial power and international status in East Asia: a comparison of China and Japan (Globalized World: Advantage or Disadvantage Conference, IIPE Belgrade)
18.	2015/03	Japan's approach to soft power: keeping up with the competition? (Japan and China's Soft Power Conference, White Rose East Asia Centre/Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Sheffield, UK)
19.	2015/01	China's financial power in Asia: strategic implications of RMB internationalisation (Regional Integration (Geoeconomics) and Geopolitics in East Asia)
20.	2014/09	Internationalisation of the RMB: Global power or premature overconfidence? (Major international issues in the 21st Century – from perspective of Japan and Europe, IIPE, Belgrade)
21.	2013/12	The North Korea problem: humanitarian implications (The North Korea Problem from Regional Perspectives International Workshop, Ritsumeikan APU, Beppu, Japan)
22.	2013/09	Regionalism in Northeast Asia: national identity and development as barriers to co-operation and reconciliation (Regionalism and Reconciliation Conference, IIPE Belgrade)
23.	2013/07	Regional governance and institutions: measuring progress in governance and institutionalisation in regions (UNESCAP Northeast Asia Office Expert Consultation Meeting)
24.	2012/07	China: Current politics, economy and society and future prospects (Oita Kaikokai Memorial Lecture)
25.	2012/02	Soft power, identity and FDI: China’s changing attitude towards foreign direct investment (SEAS Open Seminar)
26.	2011/11	International relations, national identity and foreign direct investment: China’s changing relationship with FDI (IAAPS Annual Conference)
27.	2011/06	Thinking about globalization (APU Open Lecture)
28.	2011/03	Teaching International Politics in a Multinational Classroom: Popular Films as a Pedagogical Aid (ISA International Conference, Montreal)
29.	2010/11	Teaching International Politics in Multinational Classroom: Popular Films as Pedagogical Aid (MediAsia 2010: The Asian Conference on Media and Mass Communication, Osaka)
30.	2008/10	Japanese local governments in international relations: Kobe City's activities in China (Japan Studies Association of Canada)
31.	2008/09	Civil society in East Asia: Japanese NGOs' activities in China (Still the Asian Century? University of Birmingham)
32.	2008/01	Japan's soft power agents and Japan-China relations (Kobe University Graduate School of Law Political Studies Workshop)
33.	2007/09	The current state of Japan-China relations and future prospects (Japan and the Balkans in the Age of Globalization, Institute for International Politics and Economy, Belgrade, Serbia)
34.	2007/09	The current state of Japan-China relations and future prospects (Japan Meets Southeast Europe,Institute for International Relations, Zagreb, Croatia)
35.	2006/05	Japan's soft power in China (SEAS Open Seminar)
36.	2005/12	Japan's soft power in China (Social Science Department Workshop, University of Tokyo)
37.	2005/09	Soft power and Japan's post-normalisation cultural relations with China (British Association of Japanese Studies)
38.	2005/04	Soft power theory and Japan-China cultural exchange (Graduate School of Law, Kobe University)
39.	2004/04	Japan's Soft Power in East Asia (East Asian Studies Postgraduate Conference)
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■ Research topic, funded research and KAKENHI

1.	2023/04～2026/03	Research on Japan-UK-EU political and economic relations after Brexit (Key Word : Japan-UK relations/Japan-Europe relations/ Brexit / International political economy / Japanese companies)
2.	2018～2020	The backlash against globalisation, national identity changes and the reconfiguration of UK-Japan relations (Key Word : )
3.	2013/04～2015/03	China's economic diplomacy and soft power strategy: internationalisation of the renminbi (Key Word : )
4.	2007	British Academy/JSPS Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (Key Word : )
5.	2004	MEXT Postgraduate Scholarship (Key Word : )

■ Awards and honors

1.	2020	Faculty Award in the field of Research
2.	2013/07	Faculty Award for Teaching