Chaired by Mr. Yasushi Akashi, Vice President of the UN Association of Japan and participated by Former Ambassador to the UN, Mr. Kenzo Oshima along with other 18 Japanese scholars and experts met former President José Ramos-Horta, Chair of the High-Level Independent Panel and two of his panel members and discussed how to improve UN peace operations.

　On 27th January, Mr. Ichiro Aisawa, former Senior Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Member, the Board of Directors of UN Association of Japan convened a meeting of Japanese parliamentarians including Mr. Norio MITSUYA, former Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan and Mr. Seiji KIHARA, former Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Liberal Democratic Party, Mr. Satsuki EDA, former Minister of Justice and President of the House of Councilors, and Mr. Motohiro ONO, former Vice-Minister of Defense of the Democratic Party Komeito. They were joined by Mr. Kiyohiko TOYAMA of Komeito who was former Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs.

　On 26th January 2015, former President José Ramos-Horta, Chair of the High-Level Independent Panel and two members, Mr. Ian Martin and Ms. Henrietta Mensa-Bonsu met with Japanese scholars and practitioners of peacekeeping and Special Political Missions (SPM) at the United Nations University. More than 30 persons participated in the informal consultation and exchanged their views on UN peace operations.

　On 25 January 2015, former President of Timor-Leste and Nobel Prize Laureate José Ramos-Horta asked Professor Sukehiro Hasegawa to continue to serve as his personal adviser. Professor Hasegawa had acted as the Special Adviser to Mr. José Ramos-Horta when he was the President of the Republic of Timor-Leste from 2007 to 2012.

　A Timorese student, Orlando da Silva Casimiro, visited Tokyo to prepare for his study in Japan. He visited the University of Tokyo, Waseda University and Hosei University. Orlando also met Professor Hasegawa and talked about his ambition to enter a graduate school in Japan. (Shotaro Fujita)

　Dear former students of the Seminar Class. With the arrival of the New Year, I thank you for all your contributions in ideas and efforts to make fruitful our learning of life. I hope you are blessed with sunshine of laughter, new beam of energy and raindrops of happiness as you step into another brand New Year. May the New Year give you the strength to face the new challenges of life and courage to adjust your sail so as to take every situation to your stride. I wish you all the best and happiness. (Sukehiro Hasegawa)