We wish to congratulate Professor of Political Science Yves Tiberghien on his appointment as the Konwakai Chair in Japanese Research at the Institute of Asian Research (IAR), School of Public Policy and Global Affairs, as of July 1, 2021 for a two year term. Dr. Tiberghien has a long history with the School of Public Policy and Global Affairs (SPPGA), as Director Emeritus of the Institute of Asian Research, former Co-Director of the Master of Public Policy and Global Affairs (MPPGA) program, Co-Director of the Center for Japanese Research (CJR) over the past two years, and a SPPGA Faculty Associate.
“I am thrilled to begin my stint as Konwakai Chair in the Institute of Asian Research, following in the footsteps of Professor Emeritus Masao Nakamura. This new role will support research on the global lessons from Japan’s pioneering role in political economy, innovation, and environmental policy, as well as work on global environmental and economic governance. I also envision the role of the Konwakai Chair to act as a catalyst for policy opportunities between the SPPGA and Japan, Korea, and East Asia, and a vector for further Vision 20 opportunities globally for MPPGA students. I am looking forward to playing an active role in the global governance thematic cluster of the SPPGA.”
– Professor Yves Tiberghien
As Chair, Dr. Tiberghien will:
- lead policy research, training, and engagement with policy communities in and concerned with Japan and Northeast Asia;
- teach one or more courses of relevance to the Konwakai Chair and the school and MPPGA program over the term of the initial appointment;
- organize an annual workshop, demonstrate productivity in research output (including refereed publications and policy reports), and success in raising the profile of the IAR and SPPGA through engagement with policy communities and by building bridges between SPPGA and policy communities in Canada and Northeast Asia; and,
- demonstrate our institutional commitment to incorporate anti-racism in their work and to contribute to the development of a ‘toolkit’ or models to assist our faculty in this sort of policy engagement.
“I am thrilled that Yves is joining the Institute of Asian Research team again as Konwakai Chair, and I look forward to working closely with him in this new role.”
– Associate Professor Kai Ostwald, Director, Institute of Asian Research
Prof. Tiberghien is a Distinguished Fellow at the Asia-Pacific Foundation and an International Steering Committee Member at Pacific Trade and Development Conference (PAFTAD). In November 2017, he was made a Chevalier de l’ordre national du mérite by the French President. He is also a visiting professor at Tokyo University (Graduate School of Public Policy) and at Sciences Po Paris (Paris School of International Affairs).
Concurrently, Dr. Tiberghien has published a new book, The East Asian Covid-19 Paradox (Cambridge University Press), as part of the Cambridge Elements series on Politics and Society in East Asia. The COVID-19 pandemic triggered the first global public health emergency since 1918, the greatest economic crisis since the Great Depression, and the greatest geopolitical tensions in decades. Global governance mechanisms failed. Yet, in 2020, East Asian countries (with caveats) managed to control COVID-19 better than most other countries. They increased intra-regional integration through the signing of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement, despite their position on the security front line. What explains this East Asian COVID paradox in a region devoid of strong regional institutions? In this work, Dr. Tiberghien argues that high levels of institutional preparation, social cohesion, and global strategic reinforcement in a context of situational convergence explain the results.
