1. Full name of doctoral candidate: NGUYEN VO HUYEN DUNG 2. Gender: Female
3. Date of birth: June 21, 1983 4. Place of birth: Da Nang
5. Decision on admission of doctoral students: Decision No. 1806/2018/QD-XHNV dated June 29, 2018, of the Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi.
6. Changes to the training process: the training period has been extended from June 30, 2021 to June 29, 2022.
7. Thesis Title: The Process of Deploying Japan's Soft Power in Southeast Asia (2001-2021)
8. Major: International Relations 9. Code: 9310601.01
10. Scientific Supervisors: Supervisor 1: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Hong Thai
Supervisor 2: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Phan Hai Linh
11. Summary of the new findings of the thesis:
- Research objective: To clarify the process of deploying Japan's soft power in Southeast Asia from 2001 to 2021, assess the impacts of this process, and propose some policy implications for Vietnam.
- Research subject: the process of deploying Japan's soft power in Southeast Asia from 2001 to 2021.
Research approach and methodology:
To complete this thesis, the main approach used is the international relations approach. This approach helps the author analyze the issue of soft power in international relations in general and Japan's soft power in particular from an international relations perspective. Simultaneously, to provide a comprehensive overview of Japan's soft power deployment in Southeast Asia from 2001 to 2021, the thesis also employs a historical approach. Through this approach, the author systematically organizes information across three main areas—culture, economics, and politics—in chronological order, thereby analyzing and identifying commonalities that serve the goal of strengthening Japan's soft power in Southeast Asia. Furthermore, the thesis utilizes an interdisciplinary approach to analyze and explain comprehensive issues based on the application of perspectives and research methods from related scientific disciplines.
In terms of methodology, the thesis will be conducted based on the comprehensive application of historical methods, logical methods, analytical-synthetic methods, comparative methods, and SWOT analysis methods, in which:
- Historical method: This method supports the author in researching the process of Japan's deployment of soft power in chronological order.
- Logical method: a method that helps the author organize events and rationally evaluate the process of deploying Japan's soft power in Southeast Asia.
- Analytical-synthetic method: The author uses this method to classify the collected sources, synthesize and systematize them into groups of information serving each main argument in the thesis.
- Comparative method: The historical comparison method helps the author compare the effectiveness of strategies and policies used by Japan during the period from 2001 to 2021. In addition, the synchronic comparison method is used by the author to compare the level of influence of Japan's soft power in Southeast Asian countries with that of other countries through specific collected data and results.
- SWOT analysis method: The author uses this method to analyze Japan's strengths and weaknesses in deploying soft power in Southeast Asia, while also providing predictions about opportunities and challenges for the development of Japan's soft power in the region, possible adjustments to further enhance the positive effects of strategies and policies, and strategic calculations to proactively counter other soft power forces in the region.
Main results and new contributions of the thesis:
- The thesis has clarified the theoretical and practical basis of Japan's soft power deployment in Southeast Asia.
- The thesis presented and analyzed the stages of Japan's soft power deployment in Southeast Asia. Based on secondary sources, the author analyzed Japan's soft power deployment activities at each stage, mainly focusing on three main areas: culture, economic cooperation & development aid, and political value diplomacy, thereby identifying the objectives of Japan's soft power deployment through these activities.
- The thesis assessed the impact of Japan's soft power deployment in Southeast Asia from 2001 to 2021 based on an analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Simultaneously, based on this analysis, the thesis also provided predictions regarding the future prospects of Japan's soft power deployment in Southeast Asia.
- Based on analyses and assessments of the positive and negative impacts of Japan's soft power deployment in Vietnam, this thesis proposes several policy implications for Vietnam to learn from Japan's experience and proactively develop policies and strategies to address issues arising during the deployment of Vietnam's soft power.
- The novelty of this thesis lies in its systematic demonstration of the role of cultural diplomacy, economic diplomacy through economic cooperation and development aid, and political value diplomacy in Japan's soft power deployment and promotion from 2001 to 2021. Simultaneously, the thesis summarizes this process through two specific phases with prominent characteristics, thereby demonstrating Japan's soft power potential and the trend of continued use of soft power in Southeast Asia. Therefore, the thesis is a relatively complete research work on Japan's soft power deployment in Southeast Asia from 2001 to 2021 and has valuable reference value for scholars interested in this field.
12. Directions for further research:
The author will continue to research Japan's soft power in Southeast Asia in the future, especially in the post-COVID-19 pandemic context, when the situation in the region and the world has undergone new, more complex, and contradictory changes.
13. Publications related to the dissertation:
- Nguyen Vo Huyen Dung (2019), “The Quadrilateral (USA - Japan - India - Australia) in the Indo-Pacific: Opportunities and Challenges”, National Scientific Conference on Research and Teaching of Foreign Languages, Linguistics & International Studies in Vietnam, pp. 112-120.
- Nguyen Vo Huyen Dung (2019), “Japan steps up in Indo-Pacific region”, Strategic Vision for Taiwan Security, Vol. 8 (42), pp. 4 – 11.
- Nguyen Vo Huyen Dung (2019), “Economic, political and cultural factors in promoting Japan's soft power in Southeast Asia”, 2019 International Graduate Research Symposium Proceedings, pp. 196–203.
- Nguyen Vo Huyen Dung (2020), “Opportunities and Challenges of ASEAN in the United States' Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy”, Humanities & Social Sciences Reviews, GIAP Journals, Vol.8 (1), pp. 659 – 665.
- Nguyen Vo Huyen Dung (2020), “Cool Japan Strategy: Effectiveness & Limitations”, National Scientific Conference on Research and Teaching of Foreign Languages, Linguistics and International Studies in Vietnam, pp. 103–114.
- Nguyen Vo Huyen Dung (2020), “Impacts of the Asia-Pacific security architecture on Vietnam-Japan relations”, International Workshop on Structural Prospects in Asia-Pacific to 2025 and Vietnam's Countermeasures, pp. 248 – 254.
- Nguyen Vo Huyen Dung (2020), Vietnam's cultural diplomacy in integration period, 2020 International Graduate Research Symposium & 10th East Asia Chinese Teaching Forum Proceedings, pp. 83 – 91.
INFORMATION ON DOCTORAL THESIS
1. Full name: NGUYEN VO HUYEN DUNG
2. Sex: Female
3. Date of birth: June 21, 1983
4. Place of birth: Da Nang
5. Admission decision number: 1806/2018/QD-XHNV dated June 29, 2018 by Rector of University of Social Sciences and Humanities, VNU Hanoi.
6. Changes in academic process: extend training time from June 30, 2021 to June 29, 2022.
7. Official thesis title: Process of implementing Japan's soft power in Southeast Asia (2001-2021)
8. Major: International Relations
9. Code: 9310601.01
10. Supervisors: 1st Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Pham Hong Thai
2nd Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Phan Hai Linh
11. Summary of the new findings of the thesis
- Research Purpose: to clarify the process of implementing Japan's soft power in Southeast Asia from 2001 to 2021 and to assess the impacts of this process, suggesting some policy implications for Vietnam.
- Research Objectives: the process of implementing Japan's soft power in Southeast Asia from 2001 to 2021.
- Research methods:
+ The thesis uses international relations approach as the main approach for analyzing the soft power issues in international relations in general and Japan's soft power in particular from international relations viewpoint. Besides, in order to generalize the whole process of implementing Japan's soft power in Southeast Asia from 2001 to 2021, the historical approach is also used. In addition, the thesis also uses interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approach to analyze, explain general problems on the basis of applying viewpoints and research methods from nearby sciences.
+ In terms of methods, the thesis was carried out on the basis of applying a synthesis of historical method, logical method, analytical-synthetic method, comparative method, SWOT analysis method, including:
- Historical method: This method supports the author to study the Japan's process of implementing soft power in chronological order.
- Logical method: a method that helps the author arrange events and reasonably evaluate the process of implementing Japan's soft power in Southeast Asia.
- Analytical-synthetic method: the author uses this method to classify the collected documents, synthesize and systematize them into groups of information for each of the main points of the thesis.
- Comparative method: the comparative chronological method helps the author to compare the effectiveness of strategies and policies Japan has used in the period from 2001 to 2021. In addition, synchronous comparison method is used by the author when comparing the influence of Japan's soft power in Southeast Asian countries with some other countries through specific data and results.
- SWOT analysis method: the author uses this method to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of Japan in the process of implementing soft power in Southeast Asia and makes forecasts about opportunities and threats for the development of Japan's soft power in the region, adjustments may be made to further increase the positive effects of strategies and policies in parallel with strategic calculations to proactively deal with other soft powers in the region.
Main results, new contributions of the thesis:
- The thesis has explained the theoretical and practical basis of the process of implementing Japan's soft power in Southeast Asia.
- The thesis has presented and analyzed the stages of the process of implementing Japan's soft power in Southeast Asia. Based on secondary information sources, the author has analyzed the implementing activities of Japan's soft power in each period, mainly focusing on three main areas including culture, economic cooperation & aid development, diplomacy of political values, thereby indicating the goals of implementing Japan's soft power through these activities.
- The thesis has assessed impacts of the process of implementing Japan's soft power in Southeast Asia in the period 2001 - 2021 based on analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and challenges. On that basis, the thesis also provides a forecast of the process of implementation of Japanese soft power in Southeast Asia in the future.
- Based on the analysis and assessment of the positive and negative impacts of the process of implementing Japan's soft power in Vietnam, the thesis has proposed some policy implications for Vietnam in order to absorb lessons learned from Japan as well as proactively adopting policies and strategies to deal with problems arising in the process of implementing Vietnam's soft power.
- The new point of the thesis is that it has learned and proven the role of cultural diplomacy, economic diplomacy through economic cooperation and development aid and political diplomacy in the process of Japan implementing and promoting soft power from 2001 to 2021. At the same time, the thesis also generalizes this process through two specific stages with outstanding features, thereby demonstrating the potential of Japan's soft power as well as the tendency of promoting Japan's soft power in Southeast Asia. Therefore, the thesis is a relatively complete research work on the process of implementing Japan's soft power in Southeast Asia in the period 2001-2021 and is of reference value for scholars interested in this field.
12. Further research directions
The author will continue to study Japan's soft power in Southeast Asia in the future, especially in the context of the post-COVID-19 pandemic, when the situation in the region and the world has seen many new and complex changes.
13.Thesis-related publications
- Nguyen Vo Huyen Dung (2019), “The QUAD (US-Japan-India-Australia) in Indo-Pacific: Opportunities and Challenges”, National Conference on Research and Teaching foreign languages, languages and international studies in Vietnam, pp. 112 – 120.
- Nguyen Vo Huyen Dung (2019), “Japan steps up in Indo-Pacific region”, Strategic Vision for Taiwan Security, Vol. 8 (42), pp. 4 – 11.
- Nguyen Vo Huyen Dung (2019), “The economic, political and cultural in promoting Japan's soft power in Southeast Asia”, 2019 International Graduate Research Symposium Proceedings, pp. 196 – 203.
- Nguyen Vo Huyen Dung (2020), “Opportunities and Challenges of ASEAN in the United States' Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy”, Humanities & Social Sciences Reviews, GIAP Journals, Vol.8 (1), pp. 659 – 665.
- Nguyen Vo Huyen Dung (2020), “Cool Japan Strategy: Effectiveness & Limitations”, National Conference on Research and Teaching foreign languages, languages and international studies in Vietnam, pp. 103 – 114.
- Nguyen Vo Huyen Dung (2020), “Impacts of the Asia-Pacific security architecture on Vietnam-Japan relations”, International conference on the structure of Asia Pacific region towards 2025 and implications for Vietnam, pp. 248 – 254.
- Nguyen Vo Huyen Dung (2020), Vietnam's cultural diplomacy in integration period, 2020 International Graduate Research Symposium & 10th East Asia Chinese Teaching Forum Proceedings, pp. 83 – 91.
