Research Activities
Research Projects 2026
Reexamining International Institutional Theory: Perspectives of Small and Middle powers
Outline
The Russian invasion of Ukraine in March 2022 and the inauguration of the second Trump administration in the United States in January 2025 have triggered a growing trend of viewing great power politics as the essence of international politics. In this context, how are small and middle powers attempting to assert their presence in international politics? A key factor here is international institutions in areas such as economics, environment, and security, including international regimes, global governance, security communities, and regional security complexes. This is because international institutions have functioned as valuable frameworks in which not only great powers but also small and middle powers can assert their presence in international politics.
In this study, we summarize previous research on the relationship between small and middle powers and international institutions, and then examine mainly the current situation of international institutions since the 2020s, focusing on small and middle powers.
Period
April 2026 - March 2027
Members
| Role | Member |
|---|---|
| [ Organizer ] | Darwisheh, Housam |
| [ Co-researcher ] | Imai, Kohei |
| [ Co-researcher ] | Cheng, Fang-Ting |
*Affiliations are as of April 2026.
Expected Outcome
- Theoretical Research Report