Professor Richard J. SAMUELS talks about his latest book "Special Duty: A History of the Japanese Intelligence Community" (published by Cornell University Press, 2019).
The public talk will be introduced and chaired by Professor Verena BLECHINGER-TALCOTT (Vice-President for International Affairs, Director of the Graduate School of East Asian Studies, and Director of the Center for Area Studies at FU Berlin).

Professor Richard SAMUELS dissects the fascinating history of the intelligence community in Japan. Looking at the impact of shifts in the strategic environment, technological change, and past failures, he argues that Japan has endured a roller-coaster ride when it comes to intelligence gathering and analysis and probes the reasons for that. He illustrates the century-long history of Japan’s struggles to develop a fully functioning and effective intelligence capability, and elucidates how, in his view, Japanese leaders have begun to reinvent their nation’s intelligence community.

Professor Richard SAMUELS, a renowned and highly honored expert in the field of international relations with a focus on Japan, is Ford International Professor of Political Science and director of the Center for International Studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Among his numerous publications are several award-winning books. Since 2015, he is Einstein Visiting Fellow at the Graduate School of East Asian Studies at Freie Universität Berlin (GEAS), where he directs a research group on East Asian Security with the generous support of the Einstein Foundation Berlin.

The lecture will be held in English. After the talk and discussion, JDZB will invite the audience for refreshments. Professor SAMUELS will have copies of “Special Duty” at hand to sign them for purchasers.

For registration, please return the requested information by E-Mail to Sabrina WÄGERLE swaegerle@jdzb.de by 2 October 2019:
Name, Position, Institution, E-Mail