Events category: Annual Seminar Series

30 November 2023

Innovation in Space

A growing number of actors have become involved in space exploration in recent years. International cooperation is key, with the ISS showing a great example of what can be achieved when space agencies from different countries cooperate. But the present geopolitical context of growing frictions between global powers is rendering continued collaboration uncertain, and may lead to more intense competition for hegemony in space in the future. In this seminar moderated by Sara Russell, Naoko Yamazaki discussed the impact of changing relationships between the major national players on prospects for future international cooperation in space exploration, and the contribution of Japan’s innovative space programme.

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24 October 2023

Japan's Population Decline and Immigration

Japan’s population decline has accelerated in recent years. In 2022, all of Japan’s 47 prefectures reported a population drop for the first time, and the overall population decline was the largest since records began in 1968. In this webinar, Menju Toshihiro talked about the multiple factors contributing to Japan’s population decline, as well as the different measures being considered to address the issue, including immigration policies. Will Japan implement policies to encourage immigration? If so, what kind of changes will be needed in Japanese society? And what other policy responses will be needed, in both the short and long term?

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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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1 January 2023

Innovation

Recent world events such as the Covid-19 pandemic, the ongoing war in Ukraine and rising tensions between the US and China have had substantial impacts on society, with consequences felt from the global to the individual level. In many cases, these events have prompted a rethink of strategies to address our most pressing economic, security, supply chain, energy supply and climate change challenges. Innovative ideas and approaches are essential to produce effective responses to these challenges and shape the future of our world. So this year we will focus on ‘innovation’, and present innovative approaches linked to current socio-economic issues. 

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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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1 January 2022

Solidarity

The war in Ukraine has now been going on for nearly three months, and there is still no sign that it is approaching an end any time soon. At the same time, we still need to solve the problems associated with refugee, migration, inequality, food security and climate change. Seeing this year as a major turning point, our annual seminar series will focus on the topic of “Solidarity” in its different forms. Our events will aim to reflect on how solidarity can be strengthened to overcome the current difficulties and contribute to a better society for the future.

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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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