Dear SSJ-Friends,

We are pleased to invite you to the Special GRIPS Forum at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS) on February 12.

*Please register at gripsforum[at]grips.ac.jp by February 8th (Fri) without changing the title.
*If you are arriving by a private car, please let us know the car information (type, color, and number) in advance so that we can register it for campus entry permission.

Date: Tuesday, 12th, February, 2013
Time: 16:40-17:40
Venue: GRIPS　Sokairo Hall, 1st Floor
Speaker: Mr. David O'Sullivan,Chief Operating Officer of the European External Action Service
Theme: “Priorities for EU Diplomacy in East Asia”
Language: English, (Japanese simultaneous interpretation provided)

East Asia is home to some of the world's largest and fastest growing economies, and several of European Union's biggest economic and trade partners. And yet, years after the emergence of first discourses on regional integration East Asia remains fragmented. While economic interconnectedness is increasingly felt between states in the region, as well as across regions, East Asia is unable to overcome deep-rooted historical legacies. China (together with Hong Kong and Macao), Taiwan, Japan, South Korea and ASEAN account for about 28% of EU's global trade in goods and services and East Asia offers rapidly expanding market opportunities for EU member states. However, at the same time there is much at stake for Europe if security and stability of the region deteriorated due to territorial disputes. David O'Sullivan, Chief Operation Officer of the EEAS will come to share his perspective on what are the priorities of EU's engagement with the East Asian region.

Speakers’ Profile:
Education:
1975 BA (Mod) in Economics and Sociology from Trinity College Dublin
1976 Diplôme des Hautes Etudes Européennes, College of Europe, Bruges

Professional Career:
2011- Chief Operating Officer, European External Action Service
2010 Director General for External Relations
2005-2010 Director General for Trade, European Commission
2000-2005 Secretary General of the European Commission
1999-2000 Head of Cabinet of Romano Prodi, President of the European Commission
1999-1999 Director-General DGXXII – Education, Training and Youth
1998-1999 Director DGV/G Employment and Social Affairs – responsible for the management of resources
1996-1998 Director DG V/B Employment and Social Affairs - responsible for the policy coordination, the European Social Fund
1993-1996 Member - and from December 1994 - Deputy Head of Cabinet to Commissioner Padraig Flynn responsible for employment policy, the social dialogue and labour law
1989-1992 Head of Unit, Task Force for Human Resources, Education, Youth and Training (now DG EAC) responsible for the COMETT and TEMPUS, programmes, and coordination of training assistance to Central and Eastern Europe
1985-1989 Member of the Cabinet of Commissioner Peter Sutherland, responsible for Social Affairs and Relations with the European Parliament
1981-1985 First Secretary (Economic and Commercial), Delegation of the European Commission in Japan
1979-1981 European Commission, Brussels (Directorate General for External Relations, DGI)
1976-1979 Department of Foreign Affairs, Dublin

*** GRIPS Forum ***
Since its establishment in 1997, the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS), as the only graduate school in Japan specializing in policy research, has promoted education and research on a wide range of policy issues.
Utilizing our vast policy network, this Forum invites leaders from various fields including government, academia and business, as well as staff from our own faculty, to deliver lectures on current policy concerns.
The Forum welcomes attendance of GRIPS faculty and students as well as participants from outside the university. Simultaneous interpretation will be available (Japanese/English).

For Access & Map to the GRIPS campus: http://www.grips.ac.jp/en/about/access/
National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS)
7-22-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-8677

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For registration and inquiries, please contact: Ms. Iso gripsforum@grips.ac.jp or 03-6439-6037 http://www.grips.ac.jp/
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