Waseda Institute of Political Economy早稲田大学 現代政治経済研究所

Director of WINPEC : KOBAYASHI Tetsuro

RIKEN, the Institute of Physical and Chemical Research, which once counted among its founders such luminaries as Shigenobu Ōkuma, Jōkichi Takamine, and Eiichi Shibusawa, earned the reputation of being a “paradise for scientists.” This was thanks to its bold financial model and a research environment that fostered free and creative thinking, from which a great number of exceptional talents emerged. In contrast, the current environment surrounding academic research in Japan is far more challenging: researchers are increasingly burdened by financial constraints, growing administrative demands, and precarious employment conditions. Despite these hardships, researchers continue to persevere, devising creative approaches to generate new knowledge and striving to share their findings with the world through rigorous peer-reviewed publications. At a time when the world faces monumental challenges—climate change, armed conflict, demographic decline, and the retreat of democratic values—the expectations placed upon the social sciences have never been higher.

In the face of such circumstances, Waseda Institute of Political Economy aspires, albeit on a modest scale, to become a shining “paradise for social scientists.” To achieve this, our foremost priority is supporting individual researchers in conducting their work with intellectual freedom and sharing their achievements globally. Secondly, in alignment with Waseda University’s vision to “shine on the world stage,” we must strengthen our networks with outstanding scholars across the globe. Through research groups, seminars, and workshops led by our institute’s faculty, we aim to provide opportunities for meaningful engagement with world-leading researchers, thereby generating excellent academic ideas and contributing to the development of the next generation of scholars.

RIKEN, once celebrated as a haven for scientists, is said to have cultivated a culture of free and original thinking even as it faced severe financial constraints and material shortages. Similarly, our institute aspires to become a vibrant hub of intellectual freedom—where, despite various limitations, we gather resourceful ideas from within and beyond our organization, and take on the complex issues facing contemporary society in the realms of politics, economics, journalism, and media. Through these efforts, we seek to communicate research of global significance and contribute to the advancement of knowledge on an international scale.