Kazuharu Kiyono * Doctor of Economics , University of Tokyo * "Domestic and International Strategic Interactions in Environment Policy Formations" (with M. Okuno Fujiwara), Economic Theory, 2003 The goal of the Vision Team is to develop a conceptual framework for identifying the types of institutions possible to build to meet the needs of human society in the future based on the concrete study of a wide range of political-economic systems from an international perspective. Underlying this goal is an awareness of the need for constructing institutions capable of dealing with the economic uncertainties and political crises that exist in the world today. The team intends to formulate valid proposals for building institutions in a world where borders are losing their traditional meaning. The Vision Team counts nearly half of the participants in the GLOPE Project among its members, and it is the team most closely involved in the process of addressing practical, real-world problems. Team members are engaged in a number of research activities that adopt a wide range of different perspectives. The concrete projects being undertaken and the regions selected as target areas are as follows: 1. We seek to identify, through the analysis and evaluation of the functions of various political-economic systems, the kinds of institutions best suited to a time of increased globalization. Subjects of research include such international economic institutions as the IMF and the World Bank as well as regional entities like the European Union. 2. We plan to survey and analyze the examples of multilateral cooperation and conflict resolution within the international community along with recent examples of structural transformation involving such processes as democratization. Based on the results of research, we intend to devise a conceptual framework for organizing institutions that will contribute to peace construction and regime change. 3. We will focus on the problem of the global commons within the context of globalization, with the aim of identifying new institutions better suited to the task of addressing environmental and various other concerns associated with the growing fluidity of labor, capital and knowledge. Project 1: Domestic and Transnational Political-Economic Institutions under Globalization UNIT A/ An International Comparison of Monetary and Fiscal Institutions Globalization has led to an increased level of interdependence between political and economic systems. In a world where insufficient information and transaction costs are facts of life, institutions have a vital role to play. With this in mind, our unit plans to carry out an international comparison of monetary and fiscal institutions from the standpoint of the comparative political-economic analysis. Participants: Shiro Yabushita, Hiroya Akiba UNIT B/ The European Union as International Institution The European Union (EU) -- which originally took the form of regional economic cooperation and then gradually acquired political significance -- serves as case study in the historical development of political-economic institutions. Our unit proposes to undertake a political-economic analysis of recent developments in the EU. Participants: Hideko Magara, Koji Fukuda Project 2: Peace Construction and Regime Transition After the end of the Cold War, the pattern of international relationships underwent dramatic change. This project will focus on the current state of economic development and structural change in Asia and Eastern Europe in an effort both to clarify the mechanisms involved in resolving disputes and to explain the nature of institutional development in countries and regions undergoing the transition to democracy Participants: Takayuki Ito, Masahiko Genma Project 3: The Dynamics of Change in Political-Economic Institutions This project addresses three issues related to the global commons: 1) public economic policies intended to encourage businesses and individuals to tap their latent potential while promoting international fluidity; 2) the possibility of using an influx of foreign companies and foreign workers or immigrants to serve as fresh sources of labor and capital; 3) designing institutions necessary for the protection of the earth's environmental resources as a global commons. Participants: Kazuharu Kiyono, Yasunori Ishii, Atsuko Ueda PROJECT MEMBER Hideko Magara Hiroya Akiba Kouji Fukuda Masahiko Gemma Takayuki Ito Yasunori Ishii Akira Sadahiro Atsuko Ueda   Copyright © Waseda University, 21COE