Asian Pacific Congress of Nephrology in Seoul

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Just recently I have reported to you about having participated briefly in the meeting of the International Society of Nephrology (ISN) after a long interval.

I returned from Doha to Japan in the evening of June 1st.  Next day, I headed to the Yagami Campus of Keio University to give a lecture as part of the SONY lecture series on Innovation  organized by Professor Mario Tokoro, President of SONY CSL.  The day after, June 3rd, after taking care of several things I flew to Seoul to join the Asian Pacific Congress of Nephrology (Ref.1) held at COEX.  My first program was to appear in the Opening Plenary as co-chair with Professor Ho Yung LEE, the President of APCN.

I truly enjoyed reunions with lots of colleagues who came to participate from Asia-Pacific and countries like US and EU.  During my appointment as Counselor and later as the President of ISN I used to catch every opportunity to travel abroad, so to see many of the young people; many of them whom I met in those days have been turning into leaders in their country and the world, was a tremendous joy for me.  Speaking of myself, I had the honor of receiving the first ‘Priscila Kincaid-Smith Award’  founded at the last meeting two years ago.  Dr. Kincaid-Smith is a renowned Australia based physician and researcher, especially known for her world class contribution in the advancement of nephrology and was elected the first President of ISN from Asian Pacific (she was also the first female ISN President).  I have had the honor of being in touch with her in many occasions.

The reception hosted by President Lee was held at the annex of Walkerhill Hilton  (the garden of Aston House  (the photos are seen in this web site) which is known to many through a popular Korean TV series ‘Hotelier’ .  I hear that this place was built for the meeting of Heads of North and South Koreas.  At the reception I had a great time talking with many old and new friends.

On 7th, left Seoul from Incheon International Airport  to New York JFK, a 14 hours’ flight.

Youths Awake; A Project Started By Going Out to the World

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PHOTOS: Saisho-kun receiving a ‘Go’ sign from Dr. Yunus, female students of the program.

The youths whom I have been writing about for some time (Ref.1) have at last fully started their activities in Bangladesh.

A report on this also appeared on the recent Asahi Shinbun newspaper .

Students took leave of absence from Waseda university to visit the site, and while trying to appeal their activities in Japan, searched for the ways to solve the problem they focused, made plans, worked, tested, and at last launched the first Japanese social business in the ‘Grameen Bank’ – the ‘E Education Project’ led by Saisho-kun of Waseda University (Ref.1 in Japanese).  His friend at the Waseda University, Miyoshi-kun also took a leave of absence this year to focus on the next project in Bangladesh. 

The goal of this ‘E Education Project’ is;
1. Produce future leaders of Bangladesh from this village.
2. Provide education of the highest quality via ‘E learning’ to passionate students from low income families in the rural villeges, and have them get to University of Dahka, the top university of Bangladesh.

The ‘Story’ of Saisho-kun goes as below;
1. Atsuyoshi Saisho, the 20 years old youngest Grameen Project Coordinator used to be a drop-out student, the lowest in grades at high school.
2. His teacher asked his parents to see him/her at school and told them ‘Atsuyoshi is only good enough to go to the 3rd class University, and will take two years to even succeed that!’  On that day, he enrolled in the Toshin High School, a cram school.
3.  Saisho-kun mastered 3 years’ syllabus in 3 month using the DVD digital lectures, and succeeded in entering Waseda University.
4.  This experience faded as he worked at the ‘Grameen’, but one day he witnessed a serious shortage of teachers at a village primary school.
5.  ‘Isn’t it the Toshiｎ model that this country with shortage of 40,000 teachers need?’
6.  ‘An education model that anyone, anywhere, any time can have access to the lessons of the best teachers’.
7. Saisho-kun presented this vision to Dr. Yunus, the President of the Grameen Bank, and a strong go sign of ‘DO IT！DO IT！GO AHEAD!! ’ came back!
8.  He launched a social business co- operated by the Grameen and Hitotsubashi University Institute of Innovation Research (Professor Seiichiro Yonekura).

The Outline of this Project is;
Make digital contents of lessons by the best teachers at Dhaka, and distribute them to the village children through Grameen networks.

1. Program;
1.1. Contents to prepare for entrance exams of University of Dahka:
Intensive courses by the 3 best teachers in Bangladesh (Bangli, English, Social studies).
1.2. Contents on Leadership:
Leadership Programs by the young Bangladeshi social entrepreneur EJ Ahmed, one of the best students of Professor Hyetts of Harvard University.
1.3. Future Career Development Contents:
Weekly interviews via Skype internet phone service with students of University of Dahka
Class on future careers by the Professors of University of Dahka

2.  Period of Time and Goal;
2.1 Class will start from June 2010.
2.2 Class will continue through November, 2010 the month of entrance examｓ of University of Dahka (5 months).

3.  Target;
20 (including 7 female) 9th grade students from farm village of Ekhlaspur.

4. Future Visions;
4.1. In 2010, structure one success model.
4.2. From 2011, gradually spread this as social business via the network of 600 branch offices of Grameen existing throughout Bangladesh.
4.3. By 2015, provide education to 6,000 children.
4.4 After succeeding in Bangladesh, expand the model to ‘Asian nations with problem of shortage of teachers.’

5.  Story:
5.1. In farming villages, lack of ‘hope’ is the most serious problem for children.
5.2. ‘Role models’ that children would want to look up to do not exist in their neighborhood.  The goal is to present models that make them want to ‘do a cool job like this’ or understand that ‘such kind of future career exists’.
 
Saisｈo-kun wants to;
“Deliver children ‘chances for the future’”
This is his ultimate goal.

What do you say?  Isn’t it wonderful?  They are beaming with enthusiasm.  Let’s support them.  But moreover, please think what each one of you can do.  The world is broad so go out and see for yourself.  The world is waiting for you to join their work.  It is precisely for this purpose that I say ‘Let Us Take Leave of Absence from School’ (Ref.1). 

By the way, when they called for participants of the program more than 20 students applied for available 10 slots and among them were 7 female students (photo above) gathered in this country of Islam.

This is truly a great accomplishment!  People of the village said that it was ‘a revolution’.   I was told that the teacher of the local high school who brought the talented female students to this program said ‘They are the Hidden Treasures of our village.  But there is no way that we can get them to the University of Dahka.  Please save them with E education.’   The class will start in June.

To end this column, please listen to the passion and determination of Miyoshi-kun (in Japanese).  I believe that such desire, strong will of each people, when gathered, becomes the force and drive to make changes in Japan and the world.

Geniuses and Super-Talents of the SONY Computer Science Laboratory

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I went to the ‘Open House 2010’ of ‘SONY Computer Science Laboratory (CSL)’  known as ‘Sony’s magic lab ? a place where geniuses and super-talents pop up’.

After the presentations of very interesting fijndings by both Sakurada-san and Rekimoto-san, Kitano-san and Tokoro-san joined to host a panel with these two.  Being requested to make comments, I asked what they thought about recent reports of ‘Craig Venter having succeeded in making artificial life in laboratory’ in relation to their (Sakurada san’s and Rekimoto san’s) research themes.  After all what Venter accomplished is truly ‘extraordinary’ and ‘outrageous’.

Next was unique presentations by young researchers.  Hasegawa-san at Tomato (London) proposing ‘Process Design’, Tobita san in Comic Computing, and Owada san known for ‘Toirel, Moe (Toilet, Sprout); are all very ‘strange’, ‘Otaku-fu (somewhat Nerd or geek)’ but definitely have some big energy.  At a panel after their presentations, Kenichiro Mogi-san tried hard in various ways to provoke them, but these three wouldn’t be provoked so easily, which was in a way surprising.

In the end, Kansai Yamamoto-san sitting at the front row of the room boosted all by saying “Maybe the key is to keep on going, being ‘strange’…..”  and I very much agree.

Kitano san, the Director himself, is quite a character who was awarded the ‘Mentor Award’ https://kiyoshikurokawa.com/en/2009/12/mentor-award-of-nature-the-crazy-ones.html of the Nature magazine by his motto ‘The Crazy Ones’ though he never have worked in Japanese Universities.

I think that you must be a ‘misfit’, ‘out of box’, to develop a new field, new idea, produce outcomes big enough to change old dogma or to pursue something with energy strong enough to change the society.  It has always been so in history.

This is the entrepreneur mind, the father of innovation, and the idea or value lying at the base of the activities of GEW (Ref.1), TEDxTokyo, and D-Lab.

SONY CSL‘Demonstration’ was scheduled 2 days after, but to my regret I have to miss it.

I spent a great, satisfying half day at the Open House 2010 of SONY CSL.

‘JUSTICE’, a series of lectures by Professor Michael Sandel

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You may have noted that a lecture series on ‘JUSTICE’ by Professor Michael Sandel  of Harvard University has been on-aired at NHK at its Educational Channel every Sunday evening 6-7pm, and aired again some late hours on BS channel. I have also mentioned on this program in my recent blog posting.

This lecture series is apparently very popular at Harvard University attracting sometime 1,000 students and the University has released this series for the first time ‘On-line’. If you have viewed some on this NHK programs, you see and feel as you are in the auditorium.

I enjoy this series and try to learn how to manage lectures like this.

Several amazing things on this series.  First, Professor Sandel is the author of several books on this matter, thus I immediately purchased his book ‘JUSTICE’ electronically via Kindle, which is much faster than purchasing a copy from Amazon.  A major progress on book reading. Thus, I could follow some details of arguments, reinforcing his lecture.

Second is his style of lectures; start with students interactive involvement, and always building questions on the issue with students.

Third, although the theme and the content deal very difficult and critical issues of our daily life, each session lasts only 30 minutes. The skills of management of lecture is superb and I wonder how I could be that effective and maintain that richness and excitements. I must try it.

Forth is his obvious depth of knowledge and ability to link it to contemporary issues and conflicts.

And Fifth is the ability to remember the name of students who reply his questions. Such style must have some good memories to such students on this course and encourage asking questions.

Fortunately, you can see this lecture series on the web thus everyone can enjoy, think and be inspired. In contract to NHK which provides its Japanese translation version as well as original English version, the web ‘On-line’ version provides only original English version. I suggest more and more students watch On-line, and view and listen it in English.

Further, Japanese students should see this lecture series, and sense a class and the lectures of Harvard University. In global world, lectures of world top universities and professors would be a good reference to see the world students exposed, quality of professors, and the content and style of lectures, and the ambience of the class.

Faculty and educators can learn a lot to reflect on yourself and your classes   and students can see the differences. By promoting such open education like this, digital-age could enhance the quality of higher education and change the way education may become of  (Ref.1)  in coming decades in the world.

I love it.

2010 TEDxTokyo; A Very Exciting Day

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Click here for Photos.

On May 15th, TEDxTokyo 2010, the 2nd event following the TEDxTokyo in 2009 which I introduced to you last year opened at the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation in Rinkai Fukutoshin (Water Front City), Tokyo.

Beautiful month of May sunshine, fresh sea breeze, stylish venue, nice entrepreneurial action-oriented people…..

This is an event aiming to nurture ‘Shinsyu no Kisyo (entrepreneurship)’ and promote vibrant movements to bring up ‘Deru Kui (Nails that Stick Out)’ (Ref.1, 2)   through a variety of activities with TEDxTokyo as one of the ‘Main’ event.  The TED main headquarter, the host, and many people worked hard together to organize various related events and programs for these couple of years.

The activities of TED is spreading rapidly throughout the world and focusing more on youth in recent years.

Details of the programs, speakers and wonderful performers are at TEDxTokyo2010, but the point is that this is a global On-line Live event and is expanding worldwide in an enormous speed via various media such as blog, twitter, YouTube.

The great ukulele player Jake Shimabukuro (YouTube here), Ms. Kanae Doi of the Human Right Watch and many, many more people shared lots of excitements, moving experiences, laughter, tears, and ‘thrills’.  It was definitely a very refreshing, good day – even better than the wonderful weather we had.

And, of course, we must not forget that this event was made possible by the wonderful works of Todd, Patrick and other organizers, about 100 volunteers, as well as the help and support from many partners and people involved.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart for this truly wonderful one day event.

By the way, one ‘Telsa’ (Red), the hot topic, was brought here for test rides (Cool !), but to my great disappointment, I have totally forgotten about it!  Hummmmmm…

A New Program of Canada

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On May 3rd, the Canadian government announced the launch of the new 5 year ‘Global Challenges Canada’ program. 

While this program collaborates with the ‘Grand Challenge Explorations’ program of the Gates Foundation, its major objective is to have Canadian researchers (though not limited) contribute to the improvement of poverty, health, public health, health care of the developing countries that participate in this program.

The program is limited to 5 years but it is an approach to construct a ‘Win-Win’ relationship with the developing countries through new form of scientific technology diplomacy. With and through the outcomes of this program, Canada is apparently trying to strengthen its presence in international agenda.

I am supporting this program as a member of the scientific advisory board,  but in Japan also, I am happy to report that cooperation with the World Bank will possibly be enhanced, Japan’s ongoing aids to African countries were recognized and approved, JICA and JST are continuing its collaborations in a number of projects.

Promoting multi dimensional effort toward MDG and other goals to fulfill the different needs of the developing countries ? from the poorest to the fairly developed ? together with many ongoing bilateral cooperation or multi nation organizations such as the World Bank is very helpful for the good of human security and the realization of MDG.

Also, it will be important than ever before to collaborate with other nations, and exchange information.

There are still many, many things that Japan can do to help solve the problems of the world.

Think for yourself what each one of you can do to contribute. The point is how you see “the world from Japan and Japan from the world”.

‘Science, Technologies and Innovation for Development’ of the World Bank and Japan; A Chance for Win-win Collaboration But….

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On April 16th, I left Kyoto ‘ISN Nexus’ early in the morning to join the 10am meeting on ‘Science, Technologies and Innovation for Development’ with Mr. Al Watkins and his colleagues of the World Bank at the World Bank Tokyo Office.

I have been involved in this World Bank project since January 2008 which connected us to other ‘places’ such as  TICAD4 in Yokohama,  Toyako G8 Summit, and G8 Science Advisors’ Conferences (Ref.1,2),  moving us forward to ‘vertical and horizontal’ domains..

I have been to Washington DC to give speeches at the World Bank twice since January 2008 (April, 2009 (Ref.1)  andDecember 2009) and participated also in the discussions and workshops.

Details of these 3 meetings can be seen also at the web site ‘Science, Technology, and Innovation’ of the World Bank.

January, 2008 (Presentation)

April, 2009 (Meeting)

December, 2009 (Forum)

As you can see, the web site of the World Bank is getting better also.

In the meanwhile, Japanese science and technology policies are developing nicely, too.  ‘Building bridge of Japan-Africa’ under the ‘Science and Technology Diplomacy’ policy is one example of such efforts.  I think this is very good since the world is changing fast, too.

Bilateral supports (ODA) and supports through multi-national organizations such as the World Bank face a big challenge in adjustments and collaboration – how they adjust and cooperate with each other.

One of the goals of this year’s meeting was to find ways to match the policies of the World Bank and the government of Japan through such process.   I think our meeting was quite worthwhile, but challenging, and Mr. Iwase, Vice-Minister for Policy Coordination (he also participated in the World Bank Forum last December), Mr. Goto of JICA, and many delegates from ministries in charge were present.  You might be interested to know that the ODA policies of Japan are being highly evaluated by the World Bank.  It is truly something very wonderful.  I think we should let people in Japan as well as the world know more about goods things Japanese government does..

It is a well known fact, on the other hand, that Japanese staffs in World Bank are too few in comparison to the proportion of funds Japan contributes to the World Bank.  However, I heard that about 400 Japanese people applied recently to the 4 or 5 posts offered for Japan.  It is a good trend.  I would like to see more Japanese people participating actively not only in such opportunities but in general; at ‘outside’ of Japanese establishments and at various ‘International Organizations’.  It is not only for their own careers’ sake for many Japanese, but also for the sake of the future of Japan.

This world is huge and broad.  Countless opportunities and future friends and partners are waiting for you to work together.

Concerns of People who ‘See Japan from Outside’；‘GCMP’ of Active Youths who ‘Go Outside’

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I had a breakfast in the morning of April 13th with Professor Emeritus of Princeton Hisashi Kobayashi of Princeton (I assume you have read about him in my past posting as elsewhere) and Dr. Masako Egawa, newly appointed board member of the University of Tokyo, a Harvard Business School alumna, who had been working to help build relationships with Japan and the HBS.

It was a day after the entrance ceremony of the University of Tokyo ? Professor Kobayashi came to Tokyo to give a speech (in Japanese) at the welcome ceremony of the graduate school.

Professor Kobayashi shares the same deep concerns with me ? the unbelievably insular mind set of Japanese university students in this global age.  I strongly advise everyone, especially to university faculties and students, to read his message which I have linked above

Dr. Egawa is also thinking the same and trying very hard to help do something about it although, as you may imagine, like other things, it is not at all easy.

In the afternoon, I received a visit from Saisho-kun of Waseda University  whom I have written about in this web site several times in the past.   A year ago, he took a leave of absence, went to Bangladesh, worked actively in‘GCMP’ setting up various projects, and recently has come as far as to obtain support from Dr. Yunus of the Grameen Bank.  It is amazing how much a student can grow.  I could see how good plans, business models they can develop through their own real experiences are so very important and valuable for young men and women to find what they can do to help others, leading to find what they want to do and to be.  Everybody is full of enthusiasm.  Mr. Saisho returned to Japan to extend his leave of absence for another 6 months from Waseda University since one year has passed already.  His mind is full of even more ideas, too.

Miyoshi-kun who was taking care of administrative works in Japan will now also take leave of absence and depart for Bangladesh.  I am looking forward to seeing more growth and expansion of their projects.  GCMP launched a few program last year.  One of their projects was 'to take some 20 Japanese undergraduate students to Bangladesh' for 3 weeks last summer to live and work there.  I understand that quite many of them are going overseas for the first time.  I was told that they changed a lot after the experience.  Already a few of them have actually gone to South America, India, etc. and are planning to start projects while they work there. This February, GCMP took about 10 students for 10 days to Bangladesh.  To my surprise, that Professor Seichiro Yonekura of the Hitotsubashi University, one of authorities of Innovation, accompanied this group and while all students lost their weight, he alone gained weight.  Good for him!

To make changes to the challenges of the world today, such ACT of going to the field abroad, acquiring the sense of the local site is so crucially important.

‘Let Us Take Leave of Absence from School’　-2: Interview with the President of Japan Foundation

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Every now and then I write in this web-site that to have broad first hand experience, to find ‘what you want to do’, NOT ‘what organization/company you want to work for’ is very important in your life.  This same notion is clearly expressed in books such as ‘Insider’s Observation of the Failing of ‘Pay for Performance’ Policy by Fujitsu (original title: Naibu kara Mita Fujitsu Seikasyugi no Hohkai, in Japanese)’ and ‘Why do youth quit in 3 years?  Seniority-Based Promotion Ruins the Future of Japan (original title: Wakamono wa Naze 3nen de Yamerunoka? Nenkojyoretsu ga Ubau Nihon no Mirai, in Japanese)’ by Shigeyuki Jo, or ‘A Company Will Rot from the Head (original title: Kaisya wa Atama kara Kusaru in Japanese)’ by Kazuhiko Toyama.  For details, please check at ‘Amazon’.

Come to think of it, to most Japanese, men especially, forming their career on one single career path has been a common value.  We are in a society of seniority-based promotion, the ‘Tate Shakai (Hierarchical Society)’.  Since 1960s until 1990, Japanese economy continued to grow even though its velocity slowed down. Thus. social structure was built in accordance with this economic growth pattern.  For example, huge amount of ‘retirement lunmp-sum payment’, no sliding sideways (like moving from Mitsubishi Bank to Mizuho Bank…), etc.  People’s thinking adapted to this pattern, too.  This is prominent especially in Japanese men.

As I have written in my previous posting on ‘My lecture at Keio University SFC’, recently I am sending out messages by the key-word ‘Let us Take Leave of Absence from School’ for one year.  I am talking about this to many people including the government officials at the Ministry of Education.  I wish that universities get more actively involved in such programs.  What needs to be done is not to come up with reasons for why something cannot be done, but to think hard how it can be done and take action.

This was the topic of my conversation (in Japanese) with President Kazuo Ogura of Japan Foundation, too.  I have linked the interview.  What is your reaction to our message?

This similar message strongly appears in the article by Anne-Marie Slaughter, Director of Policy Planning of the U.S. Department of State, written two years ago when she was the Dean at Princeton University (I have mentioned this in my column) as well as in her recent lecture in February.

My speech at the World Bank also includes the same message.

Welcoming the President of University; KUSTAR and OIST

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On Sunday, the next day of the MIT D-Lab which I have reported in my previous posting, I was on a plane again, now heading to Abu Dhabi for the KUSTAR Board Meeting.  KUSTAR is, as I have written repeatedly, a highly ambitious project which aims to become the center of higher education of science and technology of United Arab Emirates and the Region.  Human resource development  was one of the important requirements   in the competition of nuclear power plants of the Emirates, won by Korea, the issue which I have commented on several times in January in this web site.

At this Board meeting we had a very important agenda of selecting the President of this University, so we spent 5 hours with just 2 or 3 short breaks.  Tow of four candidates came to the meeting for interview; to express their visions, and discussion with the Borad.  Every candidate was wonderful and highly qualified.  I expect that the decision will be reached shortly.

Abu Dhabi is making a steady move towards nuclear energy.   They are trying to secure good human resource with  collaboration with IAEA.  I would like to see more Japanese come and work in various ways at Abu Dhabi on this project.  It was good to have had an opportunity to see several key people in this regard.  A meeting of IAEA on development of human resource took place just a couple of days ago where several Japanese participated.

Then, two days after I returned Japan, I flew to Okinawa to attend the Board of Directors’ meeting of OIST.  Here again, the big issue was selection of the President.  OIST is basically planned as a new type of ‘private university’ that is expected to run with the support of the Japanese government.  However, the process has been so difficult in doing anything because there are no precedents to follow.  Apparently, although the Board openly speaks about ‘University and Institution of the Global World’, in reality, even universities of Japan are still yet in the state of ‘intellectually closed country’, ‘Cartels of the Mind’

With rapidly growing Asia and the world moving forward to globalization, it seems obvious that the value and competitiveness of higher education system of Japan is wearing down: ‘nails that stick out’, youths who goes beyond old framework are being hammered down.  Business, policy makers, governments, universities, none of these sectors will be able to change under current circumstance.

During these 10 days I have been at A*STAR board meeting in Singapore, introduced the D-Lab of MIT in Tokyo, joined in the board meetings at Universities of  Abu Dhabi and Japan (Okinawa) to discuss issues of universities and scientific research.  Based on these experiences, I feel more concerned about the lack of speed and strong leadership quite clear when ‘Japan is viewed from outside’.