We are delighted that Tsuda College, with financial support from the EU Commission, has now entered its third year promoting as a member of the Consortium for EU studies (the EUSI) EU studies in Japan through a series of educational, research, and outreach activities.

Our purpose is two-fold: to deepen exchange with academics from EU member states and to provide knowledge and information about the EU for students and the local community. By building strong partnerships with a diversity of researchers and institutions, we aim to make the EUSI a leading research centre for EU studies in Japan.

The university, nowadays, is increasingly required to cooperate with a variety of organizations and to contribute to society. International funding and collaboration are crucial elements in achieving these goals, elements that will ensure Japanese universities have a voice in and an understanding of global events.

Prof. Masayuki Ike-uchi
Governor Governing Board of EUSI
Vice President of Tsuda College

The Consortium for EU studies, EUSI (EU Studies Institute in Tokyo), made up of Tsuda College together with Hitotsubashi University and Keio University, has been actively engaged in collaborative activities of joint research, education and outreach. To date, we have been successful in developing original research methods and perspectives that connect regional studies with international relations. We hope to continue these achievements through a number of activities, outlined below.

Our first priority is to further develop the network of international connections that has been already been established. Building on the solid research and education base shared by the three universities, we intend to cooperate even more closely with EUI Florence, the universities and institutes in Europe, and worldwide EU centres Regarding the latter, we need to observe the EU from other points of view and cooperate with other institutes outside the EU, such as those in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, Russia and America. To achieve these goals, Tsuda's extensive international networks, both inside and outside Europe, will be utilised.

The second goalrelates to the promotion of research and education. As mentioned above, research at Tsuda College has long been characterised by an original method in which international relations are rooted in a regional perspective. Building on this tradition, we are pursuing a number of new research areas: the study of EU integration from the viewpoint of historical transitions in the world; a sociological analysis of the unique structure of EU integration; the exploration of the significance of EU integration as an area study; and the study of IT policy as identified by the EU.

Two Joint Research Groups, 'Law and Politics' and 'Economics', will simultaneously engage in EUSI research activities. Tsuda College, as a member of this Consortium, intends to be an active contributor to these research and educational activities.

Prof. Takamoto SUGISAKI
Executive Committee Member of EUSI