Introduction

With the support of the Akino Memorial Research Fellowship from the United Nations University, I conducted over a year of field research in Azerbaijan from 2000 to 2001. Since then, my research has expanded to cover the entire former Soviet region, extending further to include neighboring areas such as Eastern Europe and the Nordic countries. Through comparative analysis, I have pursued an integrated approach that bridges area studies and international politics. My areas of specialization include international relations, studies of the former Soviet Union and its neighboring regions, and conflict and peace studies.

■Russia's Foreign Policy and Strategy
・Research Objectives: To analyze Russia's diplomatic strategy, efforts to expand its influence, cyberattacks, and hybrid strategies, and evaluate Russia's position and threats in the post-Cold War international order.
■The Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict and the South Caucasus Region
• Focusing on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, this study examines Russia's and regional states' involvement in the South Caucasus region, elucidates the structure of the conflict, and explores the reality of regional instability and its geopolitical implications.
■ Unrecognized States and the Architecture of Global Politics
・This project examines the internal logic that drives unrecognized states, while also highlighting their dual role: as instruments of great power competition and as potent sources of international instability.
■ Geopolitics in the Margins： Power, Identity, and Uncertainty
・Focusing on nations caught between geopolitical giants—such as between Russia and the West, or between Russia and China—this study explores the challenges of achieving genuine independence and the strategies of diplomatic balancing they adopt for survival.
■ Arctic Geopolitics: The New Frontier of International Relations
・As the Arctic grows in strategic significance, this research investigates the emerging dynamics of international politics in the region and the competition among major powers for influence and resources.　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　■China-Russia Relations and Great Power Competition
• To analyze the coordination and competition between China and Russia, and evaluate the impact of their diplomatic strategies on the international order and regional security.
■Japan-Russia Relations
・To clarify the structure of cooperation and conflict in Japan-Russia relations, focusing on issues such as the Northern Territories, and explore prospects for diplomatic resolution.

Areas of Research

・Russia's hybrid warfare and its impact
・Comparative study of democratization and peacebuilding in the former communist bloc
・International politics from the perspective of the former Soviet Union
・Study of unrecognized states
・Geopolitics in the Margins： Power, Identity, and Uncertainty　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　・Post-Soviet Borderlands: Security and Political Dynamics　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　・Ukraine war

Social Contributions

・Enhancing understanding of frozen conflicts and hybrid warfare to inform international relations and conflict resolution strategies.
・Highlighting the importance of historical context and international diplomacy in achieving lasting peace.
・Understanding the international impact of unrecognized states and their relationship with major powers' foreign policies for global political stability and conflict resolution.　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　・By examining international politics through the lens of the former Soviet region, this project aims to raise new questions and offer critical perspectives and analytical approaches to global issues.