7 Oct 2025
Professor Atsuko Higashino Addresses UK-Japan Relations Leaders in London
Mark Logan recently had the privilege of meeting Professor Atsuko Higashino at the Jiji London Seminar series, where she delivered a compelling keynote address on Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the strategic responses required from Europe and Japan.
The seminar attracted some of the leading figures in UK-Japan relations in the UK, making for a truly enriching exchange of perspectives on this critical geopolitical issue.
Professor Higashino is a distinguished scholar at the University of Tsukuba's Faculty of International Studies, where she currently teaches International Relations, International History, and the politics and policies of the European Union.
She holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Birmingham and has previously held positions at the University of Birmingham as a Lecturer and at Hiroshima City University as Associate Professor. Her academic journey also includes a notable period as a special assistant for the Japanese Delegation to the OECD in Paris, where she conducted research on the organisation's outreach activities.
Professor Higashino's extensive expertise spans EU enlargement - particularly regarding Turkey and the Western Balkans - the European Neighbourhood Policy, the Eastern Partnership, and EU-China relations.
She has written prolifically on the Ukraine Crisis since 2014 and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine War since 2022, with particular focus on the EU's response. Her keynote presentation bridged European and Asian geopolitical considerations with remarkable clarity and depth.
Logan extends his sincere thanks to Masaki Kondo and Momoko Sunohara for their exceptional stewardship of this seminar series, which has been fostering UK-Japan dialogue since the 1970s.
Looking ahead, an exciting collaboration between the organisers and Logan, a specialist in East Asia and UK politics, is forthcoming. Further details will be announced soon.