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international international

also increasingly assertive in its periphery. The “but I was doing something that I
situation is tense in East, Southeast and South
Asia, China having active territorial disputes loved, namely academic research.
with India, Vietnam, the Philippines, Japan and and when it comes to love, we
others. Add to this the crystallization of the Sino-
American tensions over Taiwan, a more active don’t count.”
Russia in the region and a growingly provocative
North Korea, and you get the region with the
highest potential for great power conflicts in the
world. Things are changing extremely rapidly in
Asia, and if history has taught us something, it is
that periods of flux are particularly destabilizing
in international politics. diplomats and journalists to this day. Lastly, I
Interview with You were working as a journalist for Kyodo realized how important qualitative journalism
is for citizens, particularly in an era filled with
Lionel P. news, and at the same time you were working on misinformation and disinformation. Journalism
your PhD. How did you manage to conciliate it
is a very demanding activity that does not get
Fatton all, in addition to your family life? the recognition it deserves. It is crucial for our
Looking back at this period of my life, I do
societies. This is the reason why I hold journalists
not really know how I managed to deal with in high esteem.
all the constraints. I was working in Geneva,
pursuing a PhD at Sciences Po Paris, and my You have observed International Geneva
Assistant Professor of two daughters were born while I was striving to closely for many years. How would you describe
International Relations and find an equilibrium between these two activities. it to somebody who has never experienced it
and knows very little – if anything – about it?
The incredible support I received from my wife
Outreach Coordinator to the was essential. I would not have made it without International Geneva is a unique ecosystem,
United Nations and NGO as her. Also, I think the keys were stamina and although it is difficult to delineate it precisely.
organization. The time I could dedicate to my
International civil servants, diplomats, journalists
Webster Geneva Campus different endeavors was so limited that I had no who cover international news, academics
choice but to boost my productivity. I got my are part of it, of course, but some bankers,
You are an assistant professor of international organize conferences and activities related to PhD in four years and with the highest honors, scientists, private companies, local politicians,
relations and outreach coordinator to the International Geneva in order to expose my while a friend of mine who had more time for philanthropic organizations and so on should
United Nations and NGOs at Webster Geneva students to the practice of international politics her research finished the program in seven years. also be included. International Geneva, given
Campus. Could you please tell our readers and diplomacy. Needless to say, my average sleeping hours were its importance in world politics, is a particularly
about what you do? ridiculously low. But I was doing something that interesting laboratory to better understand
The two most important aspects of my job are Your research interests include international I loved, namely academic research. And when it international trends. Power competition also
research and teaching. Regarding the former, and security dynamics in East and Southeast comes to love, we don’t count. plays out in Geneva, with countries promoting
I specialize in security dynamics and military Asia, China-Japan-U.S. relations, Japan’s their values, norms and narratives and trying
affairs in the Indo-Pacific region. In this regard, security policy, civil-military relations and What did journalism give to you on a personal to control the international agenda as well
I am also a research collaborator at Meiji neoclassical realism. Nowadays most of the level? as international organizations themselves.
University in Tokyo. I have recently published attention is around Ukraine or Gaza, as if I have always possessed an academic mind, International Geneva is also a fascinating world of
a book titled Japan’s Rush to the Pacific War, China/Japan/Taiwan are on the margins. seeking to understand problems and puzzles in paradoxes. It is heterogeneous and multicultural
which explores the dysfunctions in Japanese Do you think that these latter are ‘sleeping’ their entirety and complexity. This is one of the while forming a relatively coherent grouping of
civil-military relations that led the country potential sources of conflicts/crises? How do main reasons why I decided to leave journalism people and organizations. It is both bureaucratic
to adopt an increasingly aggressive foreign you see the development in this part of the at some point, news coverage being often too and dynamic. And it is open in some regards,
security policy during the 1930s. My current world? superficial, frustrating me. But journalism has but secret in others. Diplomacy sometimes takes
research projects include an analysis of Japan’s Well, the focus on Ukraine and Gaza is, helped me get closer to the practitioners in my place under the spotlight, but most often unfolds
growing involvement in the Taiwan Strait’s understandably, particularly strong in Europe and domain, namely international politics. It has behind closed doors. Last paradox, Geneva
security dynamics and a comparative study of the Middle East. This is less so in other regions. forced me to go out of the library, to see the International is both boring and full of surprises.
Germany and Japan’s reactions to the war in I recently travelled to the United States and, real world and to better capture the importance You can witness two ambassadors trading barbs
Ukraine. As for teaching, I mostly lecture on exchanging with government officials, it appears of human agency in politics. Meeting so many at a session of the Human Rights Council in the
international relations and political science, in clearly that China remains at the center of their interesting and brilliant people has been a very morning, and see the same two persons talking
addition to courses on research methods. Apart attention. Not only is China the second largest enriching experience, and I am delighted that I to each other around a glass of champagne in the
from these research and teaching activities, I economy and military power in the world, it is was able to maintain terrific relations with many evening.

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