Comparative Industry Policy Studies [Autumn Semester]

Prof. Takafumi Kurosawa and Prof. Shuji Hisano

This course is aimed to provide students with an in-depth understanding of key issues and concepts of both industrial and agricultural policy development, and help students obtain a comparative and international perspective necessary to look into the future direction of sustainable development.

This course consists of two separate parts, offered on alternating weeks. The one (Part A) is study on industrial policy in majorcountries and competitiveness of industries, focusing on manufacturing industries given by Prof. Kurosawa. The other (Part B) isabout international agricultural policy given by Prof. Hisano.

Part A: Comparative Study on Industry Policy and Competitiveness of regions (Prof. Kurosawa) --- Japan's industrial policy has beenconsidered a symbol of its "uniqueness" and has long been a focus of studies on the Japanese economy. Today, however, there isa need for international comparison of policies,with consideration on the major technological innovations since 1990s and the development of international division of labor ofEast Asian countries. In Part A, the lectures shall analyze the industrial policy and industrial competitiveness of the region from acomparative perspective, considering the characteristics of each industry.

Part B: International Agricultural Policy (Prof. Hisano) --- While uneven development between industrial and agricultural sectors isstill an acute problem needing to be solved at the local, national and global levels, the sustainability of agriculture itself has alsobeen debated anddefined variously. Agricultural sustainability is not just meant to employ environmentally friendly ways of farming. It also includesdimensions of economic viability as well as social justice and equity. In this regard, highly developed, industrial modernagriculture is far from, or maybe detrimental to, sustainable, even if it incorporates environmental standards and certificationschemes. In this part of the course, the participants will be first introduced into the concept of agricultural sustainability andconstellation of agricultural policy issues, while learning the framework of international political economy, by which we willcritically analyse the contemporary agri-food system; then discuss on how the governance of agriculture and food has beenshaped and should/can be reshaped from a sustainability perspective. Documentary films concerning agricultural and food issueswill also be used to help stimulate discussions.

1) Lecture on international political economy of agriculture

• Assignment: Documentary films "King Corn" and "Food, Inc."
  

2) Discussions on the films and agricultural policy

3) Lecture on discourse analyses of food security and biotechnology politics 

• Assignment: Documentary films "The World According to Monsanto"
  

4) Discussions on the films and biotechnology politics

5) Lecture on alternative agri-food initiatives (social movements)

• Assignment: Documentary films "Black Gold" and "The Bitter Taste of Tea" 
  

6) Discussions on the films and the possibilities/limitations of alternative initiatives