The Hon. Kazuhiko Togo, formerly Japan's ambassador to the Netherlands, will join the department of political science at the University of California, Santa Barbara, in January as the Public Policymaker-in-Residence for the current academic year. He will teach four courses during winter and spring quarters on topics including East Asian languages and culture, foreign policy of the Soviet Union, modern Japanese history, and current issues in Japanese foreign policy.
"Having Ambassador Togo at UCSB for an extended period is an incredibly attractive opportunity for our students and faculty," said John Woolley, professor and chair of the Department of Political Science. "He has deep and extensive foreign policy experience and is prominent in contemporary policy discussions. He also has great knowledge of academic international relations theory and experience in teaching at the university level. This is a most unusual combination of talents. It is hard for me to imagine a better fit for the Public Policymaker-in-Residence program."
Togo retired from Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2002 after more than three decades in public service. Prior to serving as ambassador to the Netherlands, he held a series of positions that culminated in appointments as Director-General of the European and Oceanian Affairs Bureau and Director-General of the Treaties Bureau. From 2004 to 2006 he was a lecturer and research staff member in the Department of East Asian Studies at Princeton University and at the Princeton Institute for International and Regional Studies. He also has been a visiting professor or special lecturer at other universities in Europe and Japan, including the Moscow State University of International Relations, Tamkang University in Taiwan, Sophia University and Keio University in Tokyo, and Leiden University in the Netherlands.
Togo is the author of numerous books and articles including "Japan's Foreign Policy 1945-2003: The Quest for a Proactive Policy" (Brill, 2005). He also co-edited the forthcoming "Russian Strategic Thought Toward East Asia" and "Japanese Strategic Thought Toward Asia" (Palgrave Macmillan, 2007), with Gilbert Rozman, Musgrave Professor of Sociology at Princeton University, and Joseph Ferguson, vice president of the National Council of Eurasian and East European Research.
"I am indeed looking forward to coming to Santa Barbara and sharing my experience as a practitioner in the Japanese Foreign Ministry for more than 30 years, as well as what I have been researching since my retirement in 2002," said Togo.
In conjunction with Togo's residency, the Center for Cold War Studies at UCSB will host an international conference in May directed by Toshi Hasegawa, professor of history. "Historical Memories and Resurgence of Nationalism in East Asia: Paths to Reconciliation" will feature, among others, Rozman; Mike M. Mochizuki, associate professor of political science and international affairs at The George Washington University; Peter Digeser, professor of political science at UCSB; and Haru Fukui, professor emeritus of political science at UCSB. The conference is sponsored by the United States-Japan Foundation, an organization dedicated to promoting understanding between the people of the United States and Japan.
Togo's appointment is made possible by the Public Policymaker-in-Residence Program, an initiative sponsored by the UCSB College of Letters and Science's Division of Social Sciences. The program brings to UCSB individuals involved in the public policy process who share their expertise with the campus community. The 2005-06 Public Policymaker-in-Residence was former California Assemblywoman Hannah-Beth Jackson, who co-taught courses in political science and sociology.
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