Professor Saadia Pekkanen, director of the Jackson School’s Ph.D. program and a Japan space expert is quoted by Nature International Weekly Journal of Science in an article discussing the future of Japan’s space agency. Recently, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), received negative attention after a software error caused the agency’s Hitomi X-ray astronomy satellite

Nicholas Steele, a UW undergraduate in International Studies, was awarded a Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowship to study Chinese with the CET Program in Beijing this summer.  He is spending the summer “exploring the old and new city, building friendships, and only speaking Mandarin.” He writes, “I have gotten to know Beijing through

Ph.D. Candidates Clint Work and Seonhee Kim have co-authored a piece about the latest developments in South Korea’s space program, highlighting the military and economic logic behind South Korea’s desire to take on humanity’s last frontier. The article was published in Sino-NK, which is a scholarly collective dedicated to Northeast Asia. Work and Kim are Junior Fellows in the International Policy

Jackson School Professor Saadia Pekkanen gives an insider’s look into how the rise of commercial space players developing smallsats (a.k.a. small satellites) are playing a big role in monitoring activity in the disputed South China Sea in her latest Forbes article “South China Sea Tensions: How Do We Know What’s Really Happening?“

Over most of the past decade, Japan has been attempting to galvanize a foothold in the small satellite industry. The nation sees the potential of the technology for both economic and security reasons, and has steered space policy with the intent of capitalize on it. While these changes provide some level of promise, as reflected

Newer, smaller, and potentially transformative businesses are today bringing forth what can best be described as a revolution in space affairs, writes Jackson School Professor Saadia Pekkanen, an expert in outer space and international relations, in her latest Forbes article “Japan looks set to dominate “newspace” in Asia; India, China in play.” Pekkanen analyzes Japan’s policy

China’s space industry has launched a new round of commercialization as a combined result of two national strategies—the streamlining of the defense industry and the “Going-Global” of domestic manufacturers. The former aims at increasing the profitability and efficiency of China’s defense enterprises and will allow more private capital to participate in the traditionally state-dominated industry.

Each year, the Jackson School of International Studies co-sponsors the Washington State Council for the Social Studies spring conference, a professional development event organized by K-12 educators. This year, the conference was held March 11-13 at Campbell’s Resort on Lake Chelan, Washington, and was attended by over 160 teachers from across the state. The theme

Splash is a Seattle-based international non-profit organization that helps provide safe water to hundreds of thousands of children living in urban poverty in Asia and Africa. Alumnus Eric Stowe (M.A., international studies, 2003), who founded Splash after working in China’s orphanages, is interviewed in the February issue of the University of Washington’s College of Arts &

In introducing the Feb. 18 panel discussion “Taiwan 2016 Elections: Retrospect and Prospect,” Jackson School of International Studies Director Reşat Kasaba also highlighted the start of a new initiative at the School around the study of Taiwan. Thanks to a recent major grant and a generous gift from an anonymous donor, the School plans to help