Human Security Lecture Series at Kanagawa University – What Does It Mean to Protect?

With the invitation of Professor Corey Wallace of the Faculty of Foreign Languages at Kanagawa University, James Kaizuka , Research Fellow, JICA Ogata Research Institute for Peace and Development (JICA Ogata Research Institute) delivered a series of three guest lectures on the topic of human security and protection in December 2025. The lectures were given to around 30 undergraduate students, both Japanese and international, and were centered around exploring the theme of what “protection” really means.

The three lectures focused on the perspectives of protecting livelihoods, dignity, and lives. The first lecture used a fictionalized example of a country facing a natural disaster, showcasing how both physical and social infrastructure are important to protect livelihoods in difficult times. The second lecture showcased how both human rights (including issues like proportionality and the rule of law) and economic perspectives such as poverty alleviation are necessary to protect dignity. The final lecture showcased the importance of disaster preparedness for saving lives and finally elaborated on the differences between human security and the responsibility to protect (R2P) doctrine when protecting lives. The three lectures each incorporated JICA case studies, such as flood defense projects in Bangladesh, judicial capacity development in Vietnam, and disaster mitigation measures in the Philippines.

Students also took part in interactive activities relating to the topics. For example, in the second lecture, students participated in a budgeting exercise where they had to formulate a spending plan with different circumstances depending on their assigned country. Students were asked to reflect at the end on the difficult decisions they would have to make and whether their plans would really constitute “living in dignity”. In the final lecture, students were asked to determine what kind of action they felt would be appropriate in a fictionalized, but challenging situation which combined elements of various real-world scenarios. They responded to these scenarios with aplomb, reflecting well on the challenges of real-world policymaking in relation to what it really means to protect.

Overall, the students responded positively, reflecting that they had reevaluated what “protection” meant and had come to understand that it encompassed numerous dimensions, and must be addressed comprehensively to ensure the safety of people’s livelihoods, dignity, and lives.