Events category: Annual Seminar Series Seminar

9 October 2023

Japan's Gender Gap Challenges and Innovative Responses

Japan’s progress in closing its gender gap continues to lag despite government attempts in recent years to promote the economic activity of women. According to the World Economic Forum’s latest Global Gender Gap Report (for 2023), Japan ranked 125th out of 146 countries, its worst result since the report started in 2006. More specifically, women’s participation in politics is remarkably low. In this webinar, moderated by Linda Yueh, Professor Miura explained the current situation of the gender gap in Japan (including differences by Prefecture), the challenges, and some proposals for innovative policy responses.

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26 September 2023

Declining Birth Rates and Innovative Policy

Birth Rates in Japan and the UK have been declining significantly over recent decades, a trend also seen in other OECD countries. Continued long-term declines in fertility may produce large economic and social challenges for the societies affected. These could include changes in policy and institutions that make childbearing and women’s careers more compatible and ways to share the support of an ageing population more equitably through different pension and child support arrangements. In this webinar, moderated by Willem Adema from the OECD’s Social Policy Division, the panelists analyzed the multifaceted factors driving the decline in birth rates in Japan and the UK, establishing correlations with educational level and socio-economic status, and exploring innovative policy responses.

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21 November 2022

Art x Ecology x Solidarity

Through the social media era, and through the recent lockdown, we have had a personal and yet collective experience, calling into focus the human needs for solidarity and interdependence. Unfortunately the causes of solidarity are often found in situations of hardship such as inequality, natural disasters and war. Artistic solidarity movements bring a novel dimension by introducing different perspectives, to raise questions. Art may have the strength to affect a range of concerns, but could solidarity itself be an art form? In this talk moderated by Mark Rappolt, we were pleased to be joined by two speakers, Mirwan Andan (who, with ruangrupa, was part of the artistic team of documenta fifteen) and interdisciplinary artist Hikaru Fujii.

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13 July 2022

Challenges and Opportunities in Refugee Protection: Lessons from Afghanistan to Ukraine

Reflecting the current international situation, in this webinar, the speakers from the UK and Japan discussed the UK’s and Japan’s current refugee policies, and the present situation and future outlook in both countries, similarities and differences in the treatment of Afghani nationals last year and those displaced from Ukraine this year, and how the UK and Japan can work better together to overcome the current difficulties and contribute to a stronger international refugee protection mechanism in the world.

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27 April 2022

Nuclear Threats after the Ukraine War

If it escalates, the Ukraine war could lead to a new wave of nuclear weapons proliferation and threats globally. Soon after the beginning of the war, in an attempt to dissuade the West from intervening further in the conflict, Russia asserted its right to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine, prompting Europe to re-think its security architecture. These security concerns also extend to the Asian region. Could these concerns trigger a new nuclear arms race?  In this webinar, the experts discussed current challenges in the international security arena, and their implications for future global security architecture and the proliferation of nuclear weapons.

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21 April 2022

The war in Ukraine and the impact on the international order

Over a month has passed since the start of the Ukraine war, an event that has shocked the international community and will have global consequences. Might a prolonged war bring us to the brink of World War III? In this webinar, we discussed the causes of the conflict, as well as its future implications for the international order. We also analysed the role of global actors such as the US, Europe, Japan and China, and talked about the impact the war is having around the world, with a particular focus on Asia. 

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3 December 2021

Gene Technology and Climate Change

Gene technology has enormous potential to bolster our response to climate change. In this webinar, two experts will present on the use of innovative genetic technologies in both animals and plants to address climate change challenges and mitigate some of the consequences for humanity. Professor Kentaro Shimizu talked about his study of wheat in the framework of the 10+ genome international consortium aiming to contribute to “the second green revolution”. Professor George Church then explained how gene technology could be used to bring back long-extinct species, presenting his fascinating project of reviving and restoring the woolly mammoth.

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2 December 2021

Between Man and Machine

The quest for artificial life (ALIFE) has prompted researchers to reconsider their understanding of the nature of life. Professor Ikegami has developed various types of ALIFE systems and has been thinking about the differences between humans and machines (or “what humans and machines have in common”). Advanced technologies and cities are inevitably becoming life-like. Ikegami believes that we have now progressed from the age of AI into the age of ALIFE. In this seminar, Professor Ikegami introduced his current work (some of which is art-related)  and discussed some interesting issues surrounding artificial life. He discussed what it is about life that is lacking in today’s robots, and what lies between man and machine.

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6 December 2021

Astronauts as the Origin of Space Society

Space exploration is becoming more accessible than ever, and an increasing number of people are expected to travel to space in the near future. The idea of humans travelling to and living in space is certainly fascinating, but how is it likely to develop from here? In this seminar, we looked at human forays into space in the past, present and future. Our special guest, astronaut Naoko Yamazaki, talked about her motivations in becoming an astronaut and her experiences of travelling and living in space. She also shared her thoughts about how space travel and living might change in the future.

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15 October 2021

The US Withdrawal from Afghanistan and the Changing Global Power Balance

The withdrawal of all US troops from Afghanistan has altered Asia’s geopolitical map, with potential implications for global power relations with actors like China and Russia. The US is expected to focus more attention on the Indo-Pacific region in years to come, intensifying a potential confrontation with China and increasing the concerns of the international community. How could this affect Japan? In this webinar chaired by Gideon Rachman, the panellists discussed the implications of the Afghanistan fiasco for geopolitics more broadly, including Japan-US-China relations, and the implications in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.

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