EXPLORING NEW FORM OF THINK TANK FOR EMERGING DIPLOMATIC ISSUES: SPACE AND CYBERSPACE

摘要

The project "ESPRIT - Emerging Strategic domain Policy Research platform In inTernational relationship" aims to explore the new form of think tank in Japan dealing with emerging diplomatic issues related to space and cyberspace domains collaborating with academia. The outerspace and cyberspace have been incrementally considered as emerging domains of national security, and governments and organizations have paid growing attention to issues of those domains from the viewpoint of national security. However, strategic studies for these emerging issues are still immature in countries including Japan. Think tank may play the significant role for dealing with such issues, however, the role, in influence or mechanism of the think tank providing solutions to Japanese government has been weak or not well-established or even not considered in Japan; thus, in this sense, we may say we don't have the think tank for space policy issues in Japan in a real sense. Upon these background, Mitsubishi Research Institute, one of the independent think tank in Japan dealing with space policy and technology issues, has been implementing the study to explore the new form of think tank in Japan dealing with emerging diplomatic issues related to space and cyberspace collaborating with the University of Tokyo supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), Japan since 2013. Specific issues we have studied in this project are: 1) Studies of Existing Space Policies (Comparative study of U.S., Europe, Asia and other countries' policies); 2) Promoting international cooperation framework discussed in U.N. and multilateral treaty; 3) Proposing direction of outerspace and cyberspace diplomacy for Japanese government with neighboring countries like ASEAN countries; 4) Proposing policy for mutual cooperation in the field of emerging domains based on the foundation of the Japan-U.S. alliance; and 5) Building diplomatic context for cyber security. In this paper, the outcome of this project will be presented especially about the possible new form of think tank for space policy issues in Japan or in our Asian region. The options/solutions we have studied are: 1) academic-private-industrial partnership where the neutrality is also assured; 2) capacity building or exchanging professionals based on such partnership; 3) integration of policy-oriented and technological/engineering professionals; 4) supporting mechanism for public decision making in an emergency; or 5) building regional/international partnership for strengthening the diversity and capability of the think tank.