In an era marked by geopolitical tensions and shifting global alliances, traditional models of international trade such as comparative advantage no longer fully capture the complexities of globalisation and deglobalisation. Dr Xingwei Hu, Computational Economics Lead at the International Monetary Fund, introduces a novel framework grounded in competitive advantage to better understand strategic positioning in the global trade network. Drawing on his expertise in applied mathematics, econometrics, and game theory, Hu models the global economy as a network of interconnected nations, each striving to optimise their position through a combination of cooperation and competition. Central to his approach is a quantitative measure of competitiveness derived from a network-based social welfare function, allowing for assessment of national utility within the broader trade ecosystem. This data-driven framework also employs the Nash bargaining solution to resolve trade disputes and guide mutually beneficial policy decisions. Using historical trade data from 2000 to 2019, Hu evaluates the impacts of key geopolitical events–including the rise of China, Brexit, and the US‐China trade conflict–on global competitiveness. His findings demonstrate that competitive advantage, unlike comparative advantage, accounts for strategic behaviours, asymmetric relationships, and the non-permanent nature of trade alliances. The work also suggests that bargaining solutions offer more equitable outcomes than direct confrontation, particularly for less competitive nations. This research offers policymakers a robust analytical tool for navigating globalisation, anticipating trade disruptions, and developing future-proof strategies in an increasingly interconnected and contested global economy.

In exploring the history of interior design in Japan, the styles of residential spaces and offices have not been studied as extensively as those of commercial facilities and public buildings. To fill this gap, a trio of Kansai-based researchers–Professor Emeritus Setsuko Katayama from Kyoto Women’s University, Professor Hitomi Yabe from Tezukayama University, and Dr. Takayuki Nakamura, Head of the Living Space Research Laboratory–are working to bring together their diverse expertise in interior design, architectural history, and industry practice. Each scholar offers a distinct perspective: Yabe contributes as a former professional designer, Nakamura brings insight from the housing and furniture industries, and Katayama offers a historically grounded academic lens. Their research sheds light on how changes in lifestyle, technology, and industry since World War II have shaped Japanese interior design in homes and offices. Western influences, particularly American, grew significantly after the war, not only due to the presence of US troops but also through collaborations with Japanese professionals and the establishment of interior design firms by former US military officers. The urgent need for postwar housing led to the construction of concrete‐structured apartments with modern dining kitchens, which redefined everyday spatial habits. This period also saw the emergence of key movements: the Kanto (Tokyo‐centric) and Kansai (Osaka-centric) styles, and design collectives such as the Osaka based ‘Maison de Création’, which incorporated Bauhaus and other Western philosophies into Japanese interiors. By examining these historical developments through a multidisciplinary lens, the researchers, based in the Kansai region where many of Japan’s interior industry leaders have originated, aim to reconstruct a more comprehensive and human-centered narrative of Japan’s interior design history.

The structures of markets heavily impact consumer prices. As an example, oligopolistic market behaviour means a small number of large companies dominate a sector, and prices don’t necessarily reflect costs, meaning that the consumer pays an increased price. Economics seeks to ensure markets operate fairly and this is tied into consumer welfare given the pressing nature of current challenges such as cost of living and inflation. Dr Ivi Theodoulou is using econometrics to study economics and exploring the impact on society and welfare. In her PhD thesis, she explored market power and price transmission mechanisms in UK supply chains. This involved investigating the degree of market power held by retailers across three sectors: milk/dairy products, road fuels and electricity. She explored the oligopsonistic (retailers’ power over suppliers) and oligopolistic (retailers’ power over consumers) dynamics within these supply chains, and studied the cost pass through (CPT) mechanism for the three supply chains. She found evidence of asymmetric price transmission (APT), indicating that price increases are more readily passed on than price decreases, negatively impacting the consumer. CPT and APT are particular areas of interest for Theodoulou, with a focus on energy markets. In a 2024 study, she sought to estimate CPT and APT in the UK’s road fuels supply chain. She utilised a novel approach in the form of a statistical method that tracks delayed effects over time called a distributed lag econometric model; this was the first study of its time to apply this model to the UK road fuels sector.

Associate Professor Tomoki Kurasawa, based at Ehime University’s Graduate School of Agriculture, is pioneering research into water quality management in subsurface dams, with a particular focus on the mass transport mechanisms in soil-rock mixed media such as Ryukyu limestone. Subsurface dams, which utilise underground aquifers without requiring surface structures, offer sustainable water resource solutions. However, water retention can lead to quality deterioration due to pollutant accumulation. Kurasawa’s research explores the unique properties of Ryukyu limestone, a sedimentary rock with high porosity and permeability, revealing it to be a complex mixture of soil and rock–a material type with limited academic understanding. By combining high-resolution X‐ray CT imaging and advanced particle recognition algorithms, Kurasawa seeks to model microstructural pore networks and enhance understanding of how fluids and contaminants move through these materials. His work integrates field investigations, including borehole dilution testing and porosity analysis, with sophisticated laboratory simulations, bridging microscale phenomena with macroscale water management objectives. This research not only supports the design and sustainability of subsurface dams in Japan but may also inform the viability of such infrastructure globally. Beyond his scientific pursuits, Kurasawa is committed to raising awareness and interest in geotechnical and agricultural civil engineering among younger generations. By linking research to societal challenges and embracing cutting-edge technologies, he promotes the field’s relevance in addressing environmental and disaster-prevention needs. His efforts highlight the vital role of multidisciplinary research in tackling the complex interactions between natural materials and human water usage.

Universities everywhere continually aim to improve the education they provide, enhancing students’ knowledge and providing research and training opportunities. At Japanese universities, traditionally a Final Project combining undergraduate research and a senior capstone programme is completed. Associate Professor Takero Nishino, Department of Business Administration, Kyoto Tachibana University, Japan, conducted a survey to gain insights on Final Projects and found that 95 per cent of departments conduct a Final Project, 83 per cent require all students to complete one and 91 per cent of the Final Project results are submitted in the form of research papers. Nearly half are linked to the educational objectives set out by the department, demonstrating that the Final Project effectively measures the final learning outcomes of an institution’s undergraduate programme, promoting quality assurance in the education provided. He believes that promoting the unification of evaluation standards for the Final Project and sharing the results inside and outside the university would improve the quality of undergraduate education and enhance perception of its worth on a larger scale. Nishinoâ–™s work to improve higher education through Final Project combines a quantitative approach using a questionnaire survey to gather data; a qualitative approach involving analysis of the interviews and the collection documents related to the evaluation criteria; and an experimental approach based on action research in multiple sites.

Not only do students need to acquire knowledge about subjects, they also need to feel motivated and inspired. This provides the confidence to tackle subjects head on. In response to a concerning decline in interest from young people in the natural and physical sciences, Associate Professor Tomotaka Kozuki wants to spark enthusiasm for science and technology among children. He aims to do this by appealing to their curious nature and encouraging interest in learning and excitement of the unknown. He is working closely with collaborators Associate Professor Yutaka Kobayashi and Professor Takashi Terashige to overcome challenges associated with visualising electricity. The researchers are developing novel ammeters and voltmeters that visualise currents and voltages, making them accessible and understandable to primary and secondary school teachers and students alike. Using the ammeters and voltmeters they developed, teachers and students can observe the Joule heat generated in the resistor with a thermography camera. This helps them to see and understand the relationship between current and voltage. Having presented his findings so far at conferences, Kozuki is already garnering interest from fellow researchers. He and the team are also conducting mock lectures for primary and secondary school teachers, providing educational support. He conducted a survey and found that 57 per cent of teachers believe they are not good at teaching electricity, which confirms a lack of confidence with this field that needs to be rectified.

Japan has a system that facilitates the entry of foreign human resources into the country and their subsequent ability to obtain residency. The process is much easier in Japan than in other countries. Japan wants to ensure the door is open not just for white-collar workers but also foreigners working as skilled blue-collar workers. This is to encourage more people to encourage a career in Japan and yet Japan needs to ensure that appropriate and adequate career support is available. Assistant Professor Rie Takanuma at the School of Entrepreneurial and Innovation Studies at Kanazawa University in Japan is conducting research geared towards moving away from the perception of Japan as a monoculture and instead opening the country up. She believes that in addition to the knowledge, skills and competencies discussed in multicultural counselling, it is important to have discussions from an ontological perspective that can serve as a foundation. Through this work Takanuma hopes to help open up a multicultural society and is also serving as a board member of the Association for International Talent Development in Japanese Corporations (AITD), which strives to realise a working style that maximises individual strengths. She believes that career guidance should extend beyond helping people to choose a career, to encompass helping them to choose a way of life. She and her collaborators are working to understand more about multicultural and social justice career consulting through interviews and surveys regarding the needs of Japanese students and international students. So far, the researchers have found that Japanese and international students have different interpretations of the word ‘career’, with Japanese students thinking about their life and career while Chinese international students consider their work and career.

The continuous development of education is important in order to ensure it keeps growing and improving. Professor Toshikazu Ikeda, College of Education, Yokohama National University, Japan, is a Professor of Mathematics who is a proponent of revolutionary knowledge growth through overturning, expanding, and integrating acquired knowledge and skills. This is about progression through bridging the gap between a knowledge goal and the existing knowledge base through developing techniques and pathways to that goal. Ikeda believes that by inserting revolutionary knowledge growth into the mathematics curriculum in Japan, children can be encouraged towards more independent and problem solving based thinking. He has performed an analysis of current teaching materials which involved examining local teaching materials in a specific area, using lessons to analyse and evaluate those materials and looking at long-term global teaching materials that give a deeper examination of specific topics, focusing on how and where it can be used and how students react to the content. In his work, Ikeda uses modelling as a problem solving tool and to develop techniques to deepen learning and lead to revolutionary knowledge growth. Ikeda is collaborating with Professor Max Stephens, Melbourne University, to produce lectures centred on revolutionary growth knowledge for students at teacher training colleges. A key part of Ikedaâ–™s work is teaching mathematical modelling in order to help students understand the importance of mathematics and develop their abilities.

The emperor is a symbolic figure in Japan and the imperial family is key to tradition and identity. By exploring the history of the Japanese imperial system it is possible to more deeply understand contemporary society. Associate Professor Midori Endo, Humanities Division, Faculty of Core Research at Ochanomizu University, Japan, is interested in how the past impacts the present. She specialises in Japanese ancient history, with a particular focus on the ancient Japanese imperial system and its lasting influence on culture. She is also interested in social structures, including changes in the status of women in Japanese society. She wants to shed light on the creation of the imperial system’s involvement in the decline of women’’s political and social status after the 9th century. She is investigating the roles of women around the emperor and how these changed. In one recent study, she looked at the characteristics of Japan’s ancient rulership structure based on the residential patterns of ancient Japanese emperors and their families, focusing on words derived from residences such as ‘East Palace’, ‘Middle Palace’; and ‘Back Palace’, and carried out a comparative study between Japan and China. Endo discovered that the Empress of Japan was introduced as the ‘mother of the Emperor’s childre’ rather than as the ‘wife of the Emperor’ and that the role of the empress was to give birth to the emperor’s children and take care of them as the mother. She did not hold the power to divide the royal power. This challenges the common belief that royal power was divided among the emperor’s families.