Yasuhito Fukushima Seminar: Addressing Policy Challenges in International Relations and Space

Yasuhito Fukushima, Associate Professor, Faculty of Policy Management; Graduate School Committee Member, Graduate School of Media and Governance

Fields of Expertise: Space Policy, Space Security, International Security, International Relations    

My research examines policy issues related to space development and utilization through the perspectives of international security and international relations.

I lead two seminars, one on “International Relations” and the other on “Space Policy.” Individual research is at the core of both seminars. This approach reflects my belief that students should put SFC’s philosophy of “problem finding and problem solving” into practice through academic research. Identifying one’s own research topic, clarifying the problem through engagement with existing scholarship, and developing evidence-based answers are experiences that will continue to serve students well after graduation.

The Space Policy Seminar is one of the few university seminars in Japan dedicated to this field. It is a small group of five students. This gives everyone ample opportunity to contribute to discussions and allows for close engagement with each student.

Although the seminar is only in its second year, the students have taken an active role from the very beginning. Discussions unfold naturally each week.

While individual research remains the central focus of the seminar, students also have opportunities to deepen their understanding of space policy through readings of relevant literature, guest lectures, and visits to related facilities.

Furthermore, collaboration with other seminars is expanding. Together with Assistant Professor Shotaro Sakai of the Faculty of Environment and Information Studies and members of his Planetary Science Seminar, the Space Policy Seminar is working to develop the “Space Futures Campus” initiative. At the SFC Camp for Designing the Future in August 2026, Professor Sakai and I will jointly hold a workshop titled “Envisioning Space Futures: How Would We Live on the Moon and Mars? Exploring Challenges and Solutions.” The workshop is designed for high school students, with members from both seminars participating as student staff.

An understanding of space law is also essential to the study of space policy. With this in mind, the Space Policy Seminar is collaborating with the Space Law Seminar led by Associate Professor Yu Takeuchi of the Department of Law, Faculty of Law. In September 2026, we will hold a joint retreat in Tsukuba, where students will present their individual research and visit JAXA.

As the weekly seminar sessions devote considerable time to presentations of individual research, students are expected to advance their research independently outside the classroom. It is therefore important to have a topic that they are passionate about and want to pursue.

Below, students describe the seminar in their own words. Their perspectives offer a sense of what the seminar is like.

The student comments below have been translated from the original Japanese.

Student A (Third-year, Faculty of Policy Management)
Research Topic: SpaceX’s Independence from External Control Enabled by Massive Private Capital and Business Diversification: Risks of U.S. Defense Space Policy’s Dependence on Commercial Procurement and the Limits of Governance

“In Professor Fukushima’s seminar, I study the relationship between SpaceX and U.S. space policy. In an era when private companies are taking an increasingly prominent role in space development, I am interested in how governments and the private sector work together and how this relationship affects national security. With only five students, we are a close-knit group where we can exchange ideas openly with Professor Fukushima. I think one of our greatest strengths is this welcoming yet intellectually stimulating environment.”

Student B (Second-year, Faculty of Policy Management)
Research Topic: Maritime Security through Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) Integrating Space Assets and Uncrewed Vehicles (UxVs)

“Students in the seminar pursue individual research on a wide range of policy issues related to space, from wargaming to the space business. Guest lectures, visits to defense facilities, and opportunities to interact with government agencies and companies allow us to experience the front lines of space policy. My own research explores a multilayered approach to Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA), integrating space assets such as SAR satellites and satellite VDES with uncrewed vehicles, including UAVs, USVs, and UUVs, to detect suspicious vessels and verify their activities on site.”

Student C (Fourth-year, Faculty of Environment and Information Studies)
Research Topic: Satellite Attacks that Generate Debris and the Security of Space Assets

“Everyone in Professor Fukushima’s seminar conducts research related to space security. Because we are a small group with shared interests, the feedback we receive from Professor Fukushima and fellow seminar members is extremely substantive. For anyone who is serious about studying space security, I cannot imagine a better environment. We also have many opportunities to interact with other space-related seminars, making this an ideal place for anyone with a strong intellectual curiosity about space.”

Student D (Third-year, Faculty of Environment and Information Studies)
Research Topic: How Much Does National Security Demand Affect the Value of Commercial Space Companies?

“In Professor Fukushima’s seminar, we deepen our understanding of space security through readings of academic literature and discussions. My own research focuses on the value of commercial space companies, which at first glance may seem unrelated to security. But as I explore the topic through discussions with Professor Fukushima, who brings expertise across a broad range of fields, and with students pursuing diverse research topics, I have come to see how closely the two are connected. I find this fascinating. I think the opportunity to pursue such a wide variety of research topics is one of the seminar’s greatest strengths.”

Student E (Third-year, Faculty of Policy Management)
Research Topic: Ambiguity Created by China’s Rendezvous and Proximity Operations (RPO) and the Challenges for Space Security

“In this seminar, students pursue individual research on issues that interest them in the fields of space security and space policy. One of its attractions is the opportunity to deepen our research while gaining exposure to space policy in practice and at the forefront of the field through readings of English-language literature and visits to organizations engaged in space-related activities. My research focuses on China’s rendezvous and proximity operations (RPO). I analyze the nature of the ambiguity created by these activities and, with particular attention to space situational awareness (SSA), examine the challenges they pose to existing frameworks of space security, including deterrence.”

Yasuhito Fukushima - Associate Professor, Faculty of Policy Management / Member of the Graduate School Committee, Graduate School of Media and Governance (Faculty Profile)