5,100 miles separate Tokyo from Stanford. But for Hiroyuki Fukano, the distance was measured in more than miles. It was also a journey of time and memory–of 30 years, to be precise.

As a visiting fellow in the 1988-89 cohort of APARC’s Corporate Affiliate Program (now called Global Affiliates Program), Fukano joined Center alumni and friends from the last four decades for reunions in Beijing and Tokyo. In all, more than 100 former affiliates and visiting fellows gathered to reconnect with peers, meet new ones, and reflect on their times at Stanford.

"These gatherings are a reminder, both to our faculty and alumni, of the power of the APARC experience to change lives,” shared Director Gi-Wook Shin, who delivered welcoming remarks at both events. “We have with us alumni and affiliates from the private and public sectors, as well as from academia. They are doing amazing work in their specific fields; work influenced, in part, by their time at Stanford.”

“Clearly, the APARC experience stretches beyond barriers, both geographical and temporal.”

The gatherings also underscored the influence of the APARC experience on strengthening connections across Asia at large. For example, one Korean affiliate flew in for the Tokyo event, while a Japanese alum, now working in China, joined his Stanford peers at the Beijing gathering.

“It’s an especially unique bond that the affiliates share,” noted Global Affiliates Program Manager Denise Masumoto. “Regardless of the industry or field from which they come, their fellowship year at APARC is a unifying experience for them; it’s something each of them carries forward into everything they do.”

Fukano, who delivered remarks at the Tokyo event, echoed this sentiment. As he reflected on the thirty years that had passed since his time at Stanford, he shared that, even to this day, his year at APARC still held great significance for him.

Director Shin was joined at the events by several Center faculty members. Professor Takeo Hoshi, director of the Japan Program at APARC, updated the Tokyo audience on new research and partnerships being explored by the program.

Professor Jean Oi, director of the China Program at APARC, addressed the Beijing gathering at the Stanford Center at Peking University (SCPKU). Professor Oi spoke about the program’s collaboration this fall with SCPKU on their "On the Road to China" program, which brings Stanford students to SCPKU for three months of coursework and area experiences.

We thank everyone who joined us for these alumni events and look forward to seeing even more friends and partners next time.

Prof. Takeo Hoshi, Lei Guo (2016-17 Visiting Scholar, Peking University), and Masami Miyashita (2011-12 Corporate Affiliate, Ministry of Economy, Trade & Industry, Japan)

Luguang Li (2002-03 Corporate Affiliate, PetroChina) and Professor Gi-Wook Shin

Masami Miyashita (2011-12 Corporate Affiliate, METI, Japan, now based in Hong Kong) and Zhuoyan Wang (2016-17 Corporate Affiliate, PetroChina)

Zhuoyan Wang (2016-17 Corporate Affiliate, PetroChina)

Jung-Yi Lee (2013-14 Visiting Scholar, Hanmaum Peace & Research Foundation)

Xiuxiao Wang (2016-17 Visiting Scholar, Central University of Finance and Economics) and Professor Gi-Wook Shin

Liang (Leon) Fang (2014-15 Corporate Affiliate, China Sunrain Solar Energy Co., Ltd.) and Zhuoyan Wang (2016-17 Corporate Affiliate, PetroChina)

Hong Cheng (2016-17 Visiting Scholar, Wuhan University), Lei Guo (2016-17 Visiting Scholar, Peking University), Professor Takeo Hoshi, and Jianxiong Liu (2016-17 Visiting Scholar, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences)

Professor Jean Oi and Guofeng Sun (2003-04 Corporate Affiliate, Research Institute of People’s Bank of China)

Lei Guo, 2016-17 Visiting Scholar from Peking University, and Professor Andy Walder

Image

Beijing reception on September 10, 2018

Toshiyuki Watanabe (2017-18 Corporate Affiliate, The Asahi Shimbun) and Takahito Inoshita (2017-18 Corporate Affiliate, Kozo Keikaku Engineering)

Hiroyuki Fukano (1988-89 Corporate Affiliate, ITOCHU Corporation)

Takashi Imoto (1998-99 Corporate Affiliate, Kansai Electric Power Company), Yasuhiro Kanda (2005-06 Corporate Affiliate, Kansai Electric Power Company), and Professor Takeo Hoshi

Aki Takahashi (2015-17 Corporate Affiliate, Nissoken), Kenichi Kamai and Kimie Kawamoto (affiliate representatives from Nissoken)

Ryuichiro Takeshita (2014-15 Corporate Affiliate, Huff Post Japan), Toshiyuki Watanabe (2017-18 Corporate Affiliate, The Asahi Shimbun) and Takahito Inoshita (2017-18 Corporate Affiliate, Kozo Keikaku Engineering)

Yotaro Akamine (2007-08 Corporate Affiliate, Tokyo Electric Power Company)

Professor Gi-Wook Shin and Keiichi Uruga (2013-14 Corporate Affiliate, Ministry of Economy, Trade & Industry, Japan)

Tadashi (Brian) Miyakawa (2000-01 Corporate Affiliate, IBM, Japan)

Yohei Saito (2016-17 Corporate Affiliate, Future Architect Inc.), Col. Daisuke Nakaya (2016-17 Corporate Affiliate, Japan Air Self Defense Force), Akihiko Sado (2016-17 Corporate Affiliate, The Asahi Shimbun), Hiroki Morishige (2016-18 Corporate Affiliate, Shizuoka Prefectural Government) and Aki Takahashi (2015-17 Corporate Affiliate, Nissoken)

Tokyo reception on September 5, 2018

Like a lot of people, Colin Kahl long thought of Washington, D.C. as the place to be when it comes to matters of international security. Today, Kahl, who served as national security adviser to former Vice President Joseph Biden, has a different opinion.

"A lot of the most cutting-edge policy questions and international security challenges of this century are, in a strange way, west coast issues," said Kahl, who took over as co-director of social sciences for Stanford's Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC) in early September. He points to the role of technology in reshaping the global balance of power, the increasing importance of the Asia-Pacific region to the U.S. economy and security, and the country's changing demographics.

Kahl is one of three new directors at research centers run by The Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (FSI). Also in September, Anna Grzymala-Busse took over as director of The Europe Center (TEC) and David Lobell became the Gloria and Richard Kushel Director of the Center on Food Security and the Environment (FSE).

In separate interviews, the incoming directors outlined goals that differed in substance, but had similar objectives: to focus on issues that have historically been important to their centers while advancing work on new and emerging challenges. All three also talked about further leveraging Stanford's interdisciplinary approach to education and research.

"The centers within FSI all address research and policy challenges that are constantly changing," said Lobell, a professor of earth system science who joined FSE in 2008, three years after it was formed. "As part of FSI, we have unique opportunities to better understand the interplay of our specific area within the broader context of international security."

Michael McFaul, FSI's director, said the new leaders take over at an exciting time for their respective centers — and for FSI.

"Coming into a new academic year, I am excited about the tremendous momentum within FSI and its six research centers," said McFaul, who is also the Ken Olivier and Angela Nomellini Professor of International Studies. "Our ability to generate interdisciplinary, policy-oriented research, to teach and train tomorrow's leaders, and to engage policymakers has never been stronger."

Big Data & Food

As FSE's director and a researcher himself, Lobell says he's excited about the potential for technology to solve longstanding questions surrounding food security and world hunger. Satellite imagery of small-scale farming around the globe, for instance, is rapidly advancing efforts to improve crop productivity. "Historically it's been really hard to get good data," said Lobell, whose recent projects include using machine learning to identify poverty zones in rural Africa and map yields of smallholder farms in Kenya. 

"The measurement possibilities from new and different data technologies are going to be really important going forward," said Lobell, who is also looking to add expertise in water management and micronutrients, either by funding new graduate fellowships or hiring new faculty.

Europe and Beyond

For her part, Grzymala-Busse's primary goals at The Europe Center are to develop its international intellectual networks and strengthen its long-term institutional footing. "I am excited to build on our existing strengths and bring together even more historians, anthropologists, economists, and sociologists," said Grzymala-Busse, who joined Stanford faculty in 2016 and teaches political science and international studies. "Europe is ground zero for a lot of what's happening in the world, whether the rise of populism or the economic crises, and you can’t understand these developments without understanding the history, cultures, and economics of the region."

A Third Nuclear Revolution

For CISAC, international security is no longer just about nuclear security, says Kahl, who is one of two co-directors at the center; Rodney Ewing serves as the center's co-director of science and engineering, while Kahl oversees the social sciences.

Kahl says that nuclear weapons will remain a key focus for the center as North Korea, Iran, Russia, and China move to build or modernize arsenals. But, the center will also look at emerging technologies that are becoming serious threats. He cites as examples the rapid rise of cyberattacks, pandemics and biological weapons, and artificial intelligence and machine learning.

"My plan is to ensure that Stanford continues to play a profound leadership role in the most critical security issues facing the world today," said Kahl, who came to Stanford last year as the inaugural Steven C. Házy Senior Fellow, an endowed faculty chair at FSI.

Said McFaul, "We welcome three remarkable individuals with the skills and vision to guide their respective centers into the future."