EUSI -EU Studies institute-

Prospective and conviction for EUSI activities
The European Union (EU) is now a huge economic and political community unified of twenty-seven member states, of which 2008 GDP is more than that of USA and over two and a half times of Japan. The EU has so dramatically enhanced its presence in the world since the end of the 20th century that it seems impossible to talk about the politics, economy and culture of both the world and Japan without thinking of the EU in this early 21st century. The EU is a remarkable actor in every policy area and is having great influence over the world. We, nowadays, have to have more interest for, know more about and promote a wide-ranging exchange between the EU.

EUSI could hopefully become a centre for those purposes in Japan and Asia-Pacific, because it has two advantages as below.

One is that EUSI has a new support of the European Commission along with the inheritance of the major activities of EUIJ Tokyo Consortium which had also been sponsored by the European Commission for three and a half years. EUSI has already had the basis as a centre of Japan.

The other is that Hitotsubashi University, Keio University and Tsuda College, each of which is the academic excellence with a great success in EU studies in Japan, has formed a consortium. Hitotsubashi University and Tsuda College have been members of EUIJ Tokyo Consortium and Keio University has established the Keio Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence for EU Studies which has been solely authorized in Japan. If these universities collaborate closely with each other, EUSI would make global success and, networks.

It needs consistent effort without saying for EUSI to develop as an important centre for EU academic studies in Japan and Asia-Pacific. Although it must face many issues on the way, EUSI has enough resources and qualifications to overcome them. I hope EUSI will be the most important centre for EU academic studies in Japan and Asia-Pacific. I confirm the conviction that it could be. All of your continuous support and cooperation will be highly appreciated.

We gratefully announce that the EU Studies Institute in Tokyo (EUSI) has formally been launched on April 1 after the preparation from December 2008, with holding its Opening Ceremony on May 22, 2009.

EUSI is a centre where the Consortium of three Tokyo universities of Hitotsubashi University, Keio University and Tsuda College is responsible for managing education, research and outreach activities on the EU related issues under the sponsorship of the European Commission during four and a half years.

The EU now is a global actor as: having twenty-seven member states with nearly five hundred million populations; exceeding even the US economic scale; circulating the common currency EURO in sixteen states; and developing the Common Foreign and Security Policy. The EU standards, such as the safety standards applied to the environment, food or toy goods, are becoming globalised beyond the EU territory.

However, in Japan, the EU relatively seems underestimated especially compared to the USA. It motivates us to assist the three activities in Japan: improving the EU related education programme both in quantity and quality to get young people more interested in the EU; developing the EU studies in a variety of research fields; and promoting outreach activities to increase the general awareness of the EU more pricisely to the public in Japan.

As a result it would be a pleasure if EUSI could contribute to the advance of exchange and coordination between Japan and the EU and its member states. In addition, strengthening partnerships with both the Second-Phase EUIJ Kansai and the newly founded EUIJ at Waseda University, we aim to make full progress in academic education and research, and outreach activities on the EU related issues in Japan.

We would highly appreciate your understanding and cooperation with EUSI activities.