On June 10, 2023, Keio Center for Strategy (KCS) hosted an open symposium titled “The Challenge of University-Based Diplomatic Security Think Tanks: The Competitiveness and Cooperations between Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology (ROLES, Tokyo University) and Keio University Global Research Institute (KGRI, Keio University)”.

The event featured Professor Yuichi Hosoya, Keio University (Director of KCS), Professor Satoru Mori, Keio University (Deputy Director of KCS), Professor Satoshi Ikeuchi, Director of ROLES, and Junior Associate Professor Yu Koizumi, Deputy Director of ROLES. They thoroughly discussed the values and challenges of a university-based diplomatic security think tank and explored the possibilities of cooperation between ROLES and KCS.

As the role of think tanks continues to expand, the seminar highlighted aspects not found in conventional think tanks. Key topics discussed included the formation of intellectual networks, the independence of researchers in project planning, and the advantages of being located within educational institutions while also touching on various other social problems. Overall, the central question was how to generate “new knowledge” in ways never done before, and in response, the participants discussed how think tanks need to serve as “game changers” amidst a rapidly shifting global landscape.