EIJS Research News
New Article
Nakamura, H. Richard & Ström, Patrik
"How Geoeconomics Advances Geopolitical Cooperation: The Case of EU-Japan Relations"
Czech Journal of International Relations, 18 February 2025
MIRAI 2.0 Call for funding applications - Academia/Industry collaborations
MIRAI 2.0 currently has an open call to award funding for Japanese-Swedish Research and Innovation projects.
The call is open between 7 June and 17 September 2021 and for employees at Swedish universities, businesses, or public sector organisations who would like to collaborate with partners in Japan. The funding is aimed at collaboration projects that contribute towards achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Thematic focus areas are:
- Ageing
- Sustainability
- Materials Science
- Innovation & Entrepreneurship
- Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Visit https://www.mirai.nu/funding/ for more details and application documents.
MIRAI 2.0 Research and Innovation Week 2021
On June 7-11, 2021 the University of Gothenburg is hosting MIRAI 2.0 Research and Innovation week. The theme for the conference is International collaboration in a digital era – Fostering innovative minds for the future.
This digital event will gather researchers from all member universities in Sweden and Japan as well as university leadership representatives, industry and research funding agencies. Connect with researchers within your field and join scientific sessions within MIRAI 2.0 themes: Ageing, Artificial Intelligence, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Materials Science and Sustainability.
This event focuses on connecting researchers with similar interests as well as discussing and sharing collaboration ideas. Researchers from MIRAI 2.0 universities can join our digital poster session and present their own research. A matchmaking event with researchers, companies and organizations will be arranged to support cross sector exchange of expertise and ideas.
For detailed information MIRAI 2.0 Research and Innvocation Week 2021
Information - Call for Papers: Euro-Asia Management Studies Association (EAMSA)
The 37th Euro-Asia Management Studies Association Conference
"Europe-Asia Trade & Investments: Does distance matter? October, 20–23, 2021, Łódź, Poland.
For more information please visit the Conference website. http://www.eamsa2021.uni.lodz.pl/
ODA, Japan and Europe in the Post-COVID World: A Dialogue with Marie Söderberg
Marie Söderberg was interviewed by Nikolay Murashkin, research fellow at the JICA Ogata Sadako Research Institute for Peace and Development (JICA Ogata Research Institute) via Zoom about Japan, ODA and the Institute in the post-coronavirus world.
In Japanese: ODA, Japan and Europe in the Post-COVID World
New Publication
“Japan-EU relationship: Recommendation on SPA” Edited by Rabea Brauer, Naoki Takiguchi, Axel Berkofsky, Marie Söderberg and Paul Midford
The Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAS) in Tokyo and the Euorpean Japan Advanced Research Network (EJARN) organized a joint conference on EU-Japan relations titled "The EU and Japan - Really Getting Things Done" in Tokyo on November 2019. This conference invited European and Japanese scholars and policymakers to present their respective work and research on EU-Japan political-security relations and cooperation, and EU-Japan trade and investment relations. The purpose of this publication is to take a few of the most innovative ideas presented at the conference and add some new thoughts and initiatives that have developed since then.
Dissertation Defense by Min Tian
Date and Time: 1 December 2020 at 13:15-
Venue: Room KAW, Stockholm School of Economics
Min Tian from the European Institute of Japanese Studies and Department of Marketing and Strategy will defend a PhD dissertation entitled “Innovation through digitalization: How Sociotechnical Tensions Drive Innovation” on Tuesday December 1, 2020, at 13.15 in room KAW.
The opponent is Associate Professor Dina Koutsikouri, Department of Applied IT, University of Gothenburg.
The China-Europe Economic Cooperation Round Table
On August 26th, 2020, as one of the Boao Forum for Asia Economist Roundtable Series, the China-Europe Economic Cooperation Round Table was held on online by Boao Forum for Asia and its European partners. Patrik Ström, Deputy Director of the European Institute of Japanese Studies was one of the invited panellists.
The EU-Japan Strategic Partnership Agreement
The COVID-19 crisis drives the need for creativity in international collaboration.
In this article, Patrik Ström, Marie Söderberg, and Åsa Malmström Rognes discuss the importance of Strategic Partnership Agreements (SPA). With COVID-19 and tensions between China and the USA, SPAs can play an important role to foster creativity and innovation. Focusing on the SPA between the EU and Japan, the authors highlight three critical innovation areas – connectivity, health, and multilateral collaboration. By using COVID-19 as a catalyst, strengthening collaboration between countries, but also between state and private organizations can help to drive innovation and economic prosperity.
This is EIJS's contribution to the project "Sweden Through the Crisis". A comprehensive report from more than 50 researchers exploring how and why Sweden's approach to COVID-19 is different, and how to navigate the challenges caused by the pandemic.
Marie Söderberg: Expert Comment
“Connectivity and Infrastructure: Can the EU-Japan Partnership make a Difference?”
Marie Söderberg gave a presentation at a conference titled “Innovation and Connectivity: Key Drivers in EU-Japan Cooperation organized by the Elcano Institute in Madrid on Feb 20. Marie Söderberg was one of the speakers under the session “Promoting Quality Infrastructure to Achieve Sustainable Growth and Resilient Connectivity”. Marie Söderberg’s Expert Comment after the meeting was published on the Elcano web page.
Thesis Proposal Defense by Peter Popovics
Date and Time: 18 October 2019 at 10:00-12:00
Venue: Room 320, Stockholm School of Economics
Peter Popovics from the European Institute of Japanese Studies and the Department of Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Technology will be defending his thesis proposal entitled "Failing forward: Creating new innovation through resourse re-utilization from prior failure" on Oct. 18, 10:00-12:00 in Room 320. If you would like to have a copy of his thesis proposal, please contact Peter Popovics.
Dissertation Defense by Ivar Padrón-Hernández
Date and Time: 8 October 2019 at 10:15-
Venue: Room KAW
Ivar Padrón Hernández from the European Institute of Japanese Studies and the Department of Marketing and Strategy will defend his PhD dissertation entitled “When International Strategy Meets Local Institutions: Subsidiary Influence in the Context of Headquarter Initiatives” on Tuesday 8 October 2019, at 10.15 in room KAW. .
The opponent is Professor Philip Nell, WU (Vienna University of Economics and Business).
Marie Söderberg i DN om Japan Ekonomiska Rävsax
Marie Söderberg är chef för det Europeiska institutet för Japanstudier vid Handelshögskolan. I en artikel i DN berättar hon vad vi borde ha lärt oss av Japans ekonomiska rävsax de senaste 30 åren, och hur demografin i landet hindrar ekonomin från att ta ordentlig fart.
På frågan om omvärlden kan dra lärdom av Japan för att slippa göra om samma misstag svarar Marie Söderberg:
– Det är svårt att jämföra eftersom landets befolkningsstruktur är så speciell. Är det något som finns att lära så är det att utvecklingen av befolkningen ska vara jämn. I Tyskland minskar den, men inte alls så snabbt som i Japan. Och i Sverige växer befolkningen.
"Japan fast i ekonomisk rävsax under 30 år"
Dissertation Defense by Ji-Wong Song
Date and Time: 3 June 2019 at 10:15-
Venue: Room Ragnar
Ji-Won Song from the European Institute of Japanese Studies and the Department of Marketing and Strategy defended his PhD dissertation entitled “Institutional Variety: Exploring the Interplay Between Context and Agency in Korean and Japanese Business Systems” on Monday June 3, 2019, at 10.15 am in room Ragnar.
The opponent is Associate Professor Sophia Seung-Yoon Lee, Dept. of Social Welfare, Ewha W. University, Seoul, Republic of Korea. Currently (Spring 2019) Visiting Professor, School of Business and Economics (at Lehrstuhl für Personalpolitik), Freie Universität Berlin.
Sweden-Japan Foundation Research Grant
Peter Popovics, our PhD candidate at EIJS and the House of Innovation has been awarded a research grant by the Sweden Japan Foundation, presented by Princess Christina, Mrs. Magnuson (sister of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden).
The grant was donated by the 'Marianne och Marcus Wallenbergs Stiftelse’ and will be used for data collection in the context of a new research project focusing on ‘how resources generated by failed innovation projects are reused in subsequent innovation initiatives within Japanese firms’. Peter will carry out his research as a Visiting Scholar at the Waseda Innovation Lab (at Waseda University).
Research Grant to EIJS
Patrik Tingvall, senior research fellow at the European Institute of Japanese Studies has received a grant of SEK 4 million from Marianne and Marcus Wallenberg foundation for the 3 year project “Trade with Distant Partners: EU’s Free Trade Agreements with East-Asia, Impact on Trade and Investments”. The project will begin on the 1st of July, 2019.
Dissertation defense by Enrico Fontana
Date and Time: 19 December 2019 at 10:15-
Venue: Room KAW
Enrico Fontana from the European Institute of Japanese Studies and the Department of Marketing and Strategy defended his PhD dissertation entitled “Corporate Social Responsibility Sensemaking: The Change Agency of Executives in Bangladesh and CSR Workers in Japan” on Wednesday December 19, 2018, at 10:15 in room KAW.
The opponent was Professor Kent Eriksson, KTH Royal Institute of Technology.