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Hugo Dobson

Professor of Japan's International Relations, University of Sheffield
Hugo Dobson was awarded his PhD from the School of East Asian Studies at the University of Sheffield in 1998. His thesis explored Japan’s participation in United Nations-sponsored peacekeeping operations.

He has worked as a research fellow in the International Centre for Comparative Law and Politics at the University of Tokyo (1997-1999) and lecturer in the international relations of East Asia in the Department of Politics and International Relations at the University of Kent (1999-2000).

He returned to Sheffield in 2001 as a lecturer in Japan’s international relations, becoming a senior lecturer in 2005 and a professor in 2009. Hugo was Head of the School of East Asian Studies from 2013 to 2019.

His research interests are broadly divided into two strands. The first strand focuses upon Japan's role in international relations, multilateral organisations and global governance, especially the G7 and G20. He has participated in G7 and G20 engagement groups known as the Think 7 and Think 20 that act as an 'ideas bank'.

The second strand of his research explores the role of images in shaping our understanding of international relations and Japan’s role in the world, from postage stamps and logos to TV programmes such as The Simpsons.

He has been the recipient of a number of research grants and has been invited to teach and research at various institutions around the world including the University of Tokyo, Hosei University in Tokyo, Zurich University and Charles University in Prague.

G7 overcomes internal wrangling and ‘irrelevance’ barbs to strike US$50 deal to support Ukraine

Jun 20, 2024 05:36 am UTC| Insights & Views Economy

In the 26 months since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, the west has been riven with disagreement about how much and what support it will provide for Volodymyr Zelenskys government. There are two main reasons for...

Shinzo Abe's killing: the history of political violence in Japan

Jul 11, 2022 05:41 am UTC| Politics

Our reaction upon hearing the news of the shooting of former prime minister Shinzo Abe was one of shock and incredulity in equal measure. What followed was a frenzy of trying to piece news reports and gossip together to...

Economy

Wall Street Slides as Treasury Yields Surge to 19-Year High

Wall Street stocks closed lower Tuesday as a sharp U.S. Treasury bond sell-off pushed long-term yields to their highest level in nearly two decades, weighing heavily on technology shares. Rising oil prices and renewed...

Oil Prices Rise as US-Iran Tensions Renew Strait of Hormuz Supply Fears

Oil prices climbed on Tuesday, extending their weekly gains as renewed US-Iran tensions heightened concerns about crude supply disruptions through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the worlds most important energy shipping...

Gold Prices Slide as Treasury Yields Surge, Fed Minutes in Focus

Gold prices fell sharply on Tuesday as surging U.S. Treasury yields and higher oil prices pressured the precious metal, while investors awaited the Federal Reserves July meeting minutes for fresh clues on the U.S. interest...

US Dollar Holds Steady as Fed Rate Bets and Iran Tensions Drive Markets

The U.S. dollar traded largely flat on Tuesday as expectations for a dovish Federal Reserve offset concerns over rising oil prices, elevated Treasury yields and continued tensions between the United States and Iran. The...

UK Wage Growth Holds at 3.5% as Unemployment Rises

UK wage growth excluding bonuses remained at 3.5% in the second quarter of 2026, while unemployment increased, pointing to further signs of weakness in the countrys labor market, according to the latest data covering June...

Politics

Philippines Confident in U.S. Defense Commitment Despite Middle East Redeployment

The Philippines does not expect a slowdown in military cooperation with the United States despite the redeployment of some American defense assets from the Indo-Pacific to the Middle East, a Philippine military official...

Gaza Zoo Struggles to Save Animals Amid War

Children visiting a zoo near Gazas Nuseirat refugee camp are greeted by a heartbreaking sight: lions, chimpanzees and other animals weakened by hunger, stress and years of conflict. Despite severe shortages of food,...

US Eyes Refinery Boost as Trump Seeks Relief From High Gas Prices

U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Washington is preparing measures to help refiners increase fuel production as the Trump administration looks for ways to bring down gasoline prices following the U.S.-Israeli war on...

Trump Says Kim Jong Un Responded to Outreach After US Scales Back South Korea Military Drills

U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has responded to his recent outreach, signaling renewed communication between the two leaders as Washington moves to reduce joint military...

Trump Says Iran Should Surrender as Nuclear Deal Talks Stall

U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday that Iran is unlikely to accept the agreement he considers necessary to end the war with the United States, insisting Tehran must surrender and abandon any path toward developing a...

Science

Blue Origin New Glenn Explosion Could Delay Launch Operations Until 2028

Blue Origin is facing a significant setback after a dramatic explosion involving its New Glenn rocket severely damaged a launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. According to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, repairs to the...

Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Launch Pad Test, Delaying Space Ambitions

Blue Origin suffered a major setback after its uncrewed New Glenn rocket exploded during a launch pad test in Florida on Thursday, raising new challenges for Jeff Bezos space company as it competes with Elon Musks SpaceX...

SpaceX Delays Starship V3 Launch Ahead of Potential Record IPO

SpaceX on Thursday postponed the highly anticipated launch of its 12th Starship rocket test from Texas after technical issues interrupted the final countdown. The company now plans to attempt the Starship V3 launch again...

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

Technology

OpenAI Tightens AI Safety Monitoring After Security Incidents

OpenAI is strengthening oversight of its most advanced artificial intelligence models as the company works to prevent unexpected or potentially dangerous behavior from increasingly autonomous AI systems. The ChatGPT...

Moody’s Affirms NVIDIA Aa1 Rating as AI Data Center Guarantees Reach $105 Billion

Moodys Ratings has affirmed NVIDIA Corporations (NASDAQ: NVDA) Aa1 senior unsecured rating and Prime-1 short-term commercial paper rating, while maintaining a positive outlook. The decision follows NVIDIAs plan to provide...

Anthropic Eyes $10B-Plus Credit Line Ahead of Potential IPO

Anthropic is reportedly considering expanding its revolving credit facility beyond an initial $10 billion target as the artificial intelligence company prepares for a potential initial public offering. Major Wall Street...

Moody’s Upgrades Vodafone Hybrid Debt Ratings to Baa3

Moodys Ratings has upgraded four hybrid debt securities issued by Vodafone Group Plc (NASDAQ: VOD) to Baa3 from Ba1, following amendments to the instruments terms and conditions announced by the telecommunications group....

BofA Sees Micron EPS Topping $230 by 2030, Backs Major Stock Upside

Bank of America expects Micron Technology (NASDAQ: MU) to deliver more than $230 in earnings per share by fiscal 2030, significantly above Wall Streets current peak estimates, as artificial intelligence demand reshapes the...