Quest for Ecological and Sustainable Economies in Eurasia:
Historical Paths and Future Strategies (ESEE) Five-years project: 2014–2018 Projects

Historical studies have revealed that since ancient times, various regions in the vast continent of Eurasia have sought to achieve a balance between economic growth and the ever-changing ecological and geopolitical landscape of natural resources and population. The methods they relied on to maintain this balance were unique to each region and based on the prevailing conditions during the time. This project analyzes how different regions of Eurasia managed to achieve ecological and sustainable economies over the last 500 years and examines why they failed to do so at times. In addition, by combining theoretical, empirical, and historical approaches, the project aims to provide practical and strategic policy recommendations on building ecological and sustainable economies. Specifically, the primary objective is to determine what Japan can learn from the collective knowledge and past experiences of Eurasia, and to examine how Japan can contribute to Eurasia’s ecological and sustainable economic development. This is an interdisciplinary project, with scholars from five different branches of economics: environmental and resource economics; demography and historical demography; socio-economic history; urban economics and urban planning history; and public finance and financial history. Close academic cooperation among these disciplines is essential for the success of this project.