Center for National Security and Foreign Affairs Awarded Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission Grant to Host Japan-U.S. Diplomacy Academy
Knoxville, TN (Nov. 3, 2025) – The Center for National Security and Foreign Affairs (NSFA) at the University of Tennessee’s Baker School of Public Policy and Public Affairs has received a grant from the Japan-United States Friendship Commission (JUSFC) to host a Japan- U.S. Diplomacy Academy in Knoxville in the spring.
NSFA will work in partnership with the University’s Japanese Studies program and the Center for Global Engagement (CGE) to host Japanese university professors and graduate students for a one-week visit. The program will provide multiple opportunities for engagement and learning about U.S.-Japan relations, diplomacy, and Japan’s history, politics, and culture.
The Academy, slated to take place in March 2026, will begin with an intensive three-day program. About 20 UT students will participate in courses on U.S.-Japan relations, diplomacy, and security issues, co-taught by UT faculty and professors from Kobe University and Hokkaido University. Students will develop policy briefs and presentations to be evaluated by former military officials and diplomats, including those who have served in Japan.
The remaining days will feature visits to Japanese language classes, networking events, and cultural activities that provide opportunities for the Japanese professors and graduate students to meet with students, faculty, staff, and community members in the Knoxville area.
“The Diplomacy Academy will educate students about critical regional security aspects of the US-Japan relationship, including the importance of the alliance in addressing shared regional threats from China, North Korea, and Russia,” said NSFA Director Krista Wiegand. “This academy will help foster future public affairs leaders with diplomacy skills at a time when they are increasingly important.”
Wiegand will lead the project with Director of Japanese Studies Noriko Horiguchi and CGE Director of Global Partnerships, Research, and Innovation Rachel Rui. Wiegand directed a similar program in Japan last year, with backing from the State Department, which provided the U.S. perspective on the U.S.-Japanese relationship and American politics for Japanese university students.
The academy will offer a deeper engagement with Japanese perspectives, enabling UT students to learn directly from Japanese scholars and practitioners. It is an example of the work that will be taking place in the forthcoming Japan Center, an interdisciplinary initiative launching at UT in fall 2026.
About the Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission
The Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission is an independent federal agency established to promote mutual understanding and cooperation between Japan and the United States. The Commission supports Japan Studies, educational exchange, and collaborative programs that strengthen the bilateral relationship.
About the Center for National Security and Foreign Affairs
The Center for National Security and Foreign Affairs provides critical insights on national and international security and foreign policy solutions. The Center fosters collaboration across disciplines to prepare students for leadership roles in diplomacy and foreign affairs.