Podcast : East Asia in a Dollar Dominated World

In this first episode of Season 3 of Waseda's English research podcast "Rigorous Research, Real Impact", host and Waseda student Kanon Kurabayashi speaks with Professor Tomoo Kikuchi of the Graduate School of Asia-Pacific Studies about the US dollar’s continued dominance of the global financial system and what it means for East Asian economies. They explore why the Renminbi has yet to challenge the dollar’s international role, how growing US-China trade tensions and economic competition are reshaping the global economic order, and how Japan can respond. Professor Kikuchi also discusses the advantages of studying global economic issues from Japan and at Waseda University, drawing on the University’s longstanding connections across Asia and its diverse international academic community.

 All podcast episodes are available for free on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and YouTube.

Episode Release Schedule  

■Episode 2（Release date: 2026/9/24）： 

Professor Akihiko Kaneko (Faculty of Political Science and Economics)— 

“Japan’s Economic Future: Aging, AI, and Automation” 

■Episode 3（Release date: 2026/10/14）： 

Assistant Professor Shahida Pervin (Faculty of Political Science and Economics)— 

“Migration, Labor Shortages, and Japan’s Economic Future”  

■Episode 4（Release date: 2026/11/04）： 

Professor Shinji Hasegawa (Faculty of Social Sciences)—  

“Global Goals, Local Realities: Rethinking Sustainable Business”