Nice to have the SSJ Forum back, and I hope everyone is getting through the summer ok. After a session talking about polling in Japan, the ISS social science dissertation workshop is back on its normal track of discussing research design issues as well as substance with a young social scientist.

Crystal Pryor will present on August 21.* She is working on a political science PhD at the University of Washington with a dissertation on "The Strategy of Strategic Trade Controls: Balancing Economics, Security, and Politics." It is about how four governments (Japan, UK, US, Germany) approach multilateral negotiations to control the exports of sensitive advanced technologies.

Crystal points out that countries must first weigh their own economic, security, and political interests before proposing multilateral export controls on a given technology. Her puzzle is why similar countries take different stances on controlling the same technologies (her main cases are encryption, CCD cameras, machine tools, and carbon fiber). She suggests that governments worry more about the risk of a specific technology in the hands of a specific importer than about the technology's "inherent dangerousness."

In her presentation, Crystal will tell us how the Japanese process works and how it may be changing. An interesting aspect is the prominence of METI and the lack of involvement of the Defense Agency/Ministry. In fact, the Japanese case has gotten more interesting with the recent relaxation of the ban on exporting weapons.

Guests are welcome, and as usual, I appreciate your letting me know if you are coming though it isn't necessary. I am also interested in hearing from social scientists (all disciplines) who might be interested in presenting this fall.

John Campbell

*Meetings of the Shaken Social Science Dissertation Workshop start at 12 pm on Thursdays and go to 1:30 and sometimes beyond. The Institute of Social Science provides coffee and tea and you are welcome to bring lunch. The location is room 533 on the 5th floor in the Akamon General Research (Sougou Kenkyuu) Building. The building is off to the right after you come through Akamon, or you can cut through the grounds of Ito Hall off Hongou Doori. It is Bldg 38 on this map:

http://www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/about/documents/Hongo_Campu
sMap_E.pdf