Another Visit to Toronto in Autumn, A Meeting with Munk School on Our Collaborative Project

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I have been visiting Toronto twice a year, in Spring and Autumn for the past two years (Ref.1,2,3,4,5). 

This time, I left Singapore early in the morning of 7th, spent 2 hours each for transit at Narita and Chicago O’Hare airport, arriving at Toronto at 7pm.  By coincidence, I came across President Hatta and Vice President Fukushima of GRIPS, where I currently work for, at the Hotel check-in.  After taking a short rest, we went for dinner at the near by Italian restaurant Fieramosca.  Actually the place was quite nice.

Next day was a perfect autumn day, without a single cloud in the sky.  Dr. Sunami,  of GRIPS, myself, Dean and our partner at Munk School of Global Affairs (Ref.1), graduate students, and other interested people, total of 10 or so gathered to finalizing our plans for our collaborative Project.  This Project is about ‘Integrated Innovation’ in global poverty and development, to investigate the current status and craft practical policy recommendations.  We have been working on this for some time and this meeting in effect finalized the basic outlines for grant application.  I am very pleased for our progress.  By the way, we also plan to invite interested and committed researchers in this project, too.

While the meeting was still going on, I left the room to visit President Naylor at his office, to join Drs. Hatta and Fukushima, who were visiting him as part of their effort to set up exchange programs with several universities in Canada and GRIPS, and we discussed various subjects including possible future exchanges between GRIPS and University of Toronto. University of Toronto is very positive about encouraging international exchanges.  In Japan, on the contrary, not many students today are interested in seeking overseas study and expreiences, and this problem is becoming a hot topic in Japan recently (Ref.1), which is a huge difference compared to Canada, a quite a cosmopolitan naton.  But I think, in Japan, it is not the young generation that are reluctant to leave home, but the grown ups around those young people.  This will naturally make young people while they grow, lose interest in the outside world.

I enjoyed nice time over lunch at the faculty club dining room located in the building beautifully decorated with wild vines.  The huge campus is surrounded by trees and greens, it is clear at a glance that the students come from quite diversified backgrounds.  Everyone looks lively and cheerful.  Since it was the Thanksgiving season in Canada (one month earlier than U.S.), there seemed to be fewer students around, though…. I spent rest of the day taking a walk through the charming small paths behind the Four Seasons Hotel, visiting Japan Foundation Office in Toronto, having dinner together at the local Chinese restaurant.

Next morning started with a breakfast with Dr. John Dirks, the Chair of Gairdner Foundation Selection Committee, followed by a visit to Royal Ontario Museum to see Terracotta Army, and meeting with several other people. It was a wonderful 2 days in Toronto blessed with beautiful autumn weather.  I will leave for Seattle on 10th.  Toronto is a very Cosmopolitan city.

Although I saw fewer students than usual in the broad campus of the University of Toronto, probably due to the long weekend, I couldn’t help but feel that young people in Japan, or Japanese society as a whole in that sense, are currently in low spirit.  It is fun to go abroad at young age, while you are more capable of being sensitive with a variety of things, having broader career choices ahead of you.  I know that Japanese youths who participated at the Asian Youth Exchange Program in Okinawa (link to the AYEPO report of this year) got the idea of how other youths in Asia think and act, what and how they study.  They continue to keep in touch with each other.  They will make friends with young people around the world, and gradually will be able to find what they are good at or what they want to do.  Human network will expand from such experience and maybe the possible field of their future activities, too.  So, as I always say, I recommend you all, no matter whether you are in high school or university, to ‘take a leave of absence from school’ ? and there would be variety of styles to choose, for instance, what you do, where you go, or how long you stay.  I am pretty sure that you will have some eye-opening experience, and find something that you would really like to do.

From Singapore

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Click here for photos of Marina Bay Sands Resort

I left STS Forum in Kyoto early in the morning of October 5th, made a brief stop at my home, and arrived at GRIPS early in the afternoon.  There, I had a good conversation over various topics with Dr. Han Seung-Soon, the former prime minister of Korea, whom I have met in Seoul just recently.  Then, I took a train from Tokyo Station to Narita Airport, arriving at Singapore at around midnight.

IMG_0008 (2)

Next morning was a board meeting of A*STAR . The discussion was heated from beginning to the end until the meeting closed after lunch.  This board is working quite vibrantly actually.  Budgets are allocated to make Singapore more competitive in science, technology and research, to build new opportunities ? very constructive and active.  A*STAR is also planning a collaboration with Universities in Iran, in order to develop further exchanges of talented students.  Another project is the Liberal Arts course that has a full boarding system which will be offered in collaboration with Yale University.  In short, they are so dedicated to nurturing global talents.  It is a common sense, so to say, that ‘Nurturing Human Talents is the Base of Building of a Nation’ (in Japanese), but it seems quite different in a country who knows where. The problem is that adults, the grown-ups, are ‘closed minded’, and that will make it difficult for our nation to address problems we are expected to face in this rapidly ‘flattening age of globalization’.

Late in the afternoon, we visited the ‘Marina Bay Sands Hotel and Resort’.  First thing to do was to see the fantastic view from the top of the building, looking down the course of F1 autorace track that took place just recently, Marina Barrage  where I had been not so long ago, and right beyond the ocean lies Malaysia and Indonesia so closely.  The premise is a combination of three 57 stories high buildings, with hotel, condo, major convention facility, casino, etc. and a 150 meters swimming pool on the top of the building. The view is just breathtaking.  Elevators moves up and down in high speed ?very fast- but motions are almost unnoticeable.

Its grand scale, however, is not the only thing that impresses us.  Prices are also soaring high; Hotel, Condo (still some vacancy…), Casino (sheer admission cost 85 dollars), and practically anything.  After the tour, I had a nice cheerful dinner with other members of the board.

I recommend that you visit this Sands Hotel and Resort if you have an opportunity.

After returning to the Hotel, I spent about 2 hours with Professor Ito, who has been working vibrantly at Singapore for about 10 years, Professor Yamamoto, new member of NUS faculty, and Dr. Steve Chu, a member of the board of UCLA.  I have known Professor Ito since he was at Kyoto University, but he moved to Singapore after retirement from Kyoto, and was awarded President’s Science Award this year.   I congratulate him for this great achievement.  We are so proud of him.

Why don’t more professors of Japanese universities broaden their world and go out to spread their field of activities instead of sticking around universities even after their retirement, I wonder?  Recently, it seems that many accomplished professors stay at universities taking advantage of their uiversities being Independent Administrative Institutionization (Dokuritsu Hojinn).  This would cause less room availabilities, and I feel sorry for young people.  Yet, more ‘adults’ and ‘professors’ complain that youths today are not passionate about going abroad.  This is a problem.  Mind you, young people are quite aware that their seniors are not being consistent in their words and actions.

Tomorrow, a car will pick me up at 5:15 am to take me to the airport.  I will fly for Toronto from here.

 

Participating in Variety of Projects, and Once Again, About Armchair Quarterback

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On September 28th and 29th, Asia Innovation Forum, as you have read in my website last year, was held again.  It is its fourth year and several small ‘satellites’ were set up.  The sizes of the rooms were smaller, in fact that contributed to making the discussions to be more engaging and participatory, and people seemed to like them.

I joined in the last two panels on the 2nd day (in Japanese).  Panelists in the first panel (in Japanese), besides myself, were Dr. Ishikura and Ms. Ishiguro whom I worked with a week ago at the ‘Marunouchi Career Juku’, as I have reported recently, and with Ms. Kaori Sasaki and Ms. Magsaysay Chou, a business leader from the Philippines.  Here, I was again the only male panelist as was the case at the ‘Juku’ last week.  However, this time, the audience consisted mostly of middle aged or senior men and I somehow could feel the difference clearly from a week ago as I participated in the discussions.

The latter panel was hosted by the same host as last year, Mr. Kusunoki, welcoming Mr. Idei (former CEO of Sony) of Quantum Leap, the organizer of this Forum.  I stayed rather quiet this year.  Many views were presented to answer the question ‘One Thing That Would Bring Changes to Japan’, and many panelist pointed more than one Thing; but I had nothing else to say besides ‘Recommendation to Take Leave of Absence from School’, that would give youths broader choices for their future career.  Traditional system of Japan Inc failed to change for more than 20 years even after the burst of bubble economy in 1990, because of the strong opposing power of the establishments. Whatever things that are said have been said many times in the past, but nothing changed as of today.  I sincerely wish to give hope to youths who have long future ahead of them.  To my regret we have seen hardly any changes during these 10 to 20 years, regardless of many policy recommendations made in terms of legislation or budgets.  What matters is ‘execution of plans’!  I think this problem has become basically ‘a battle between generations’, ie, ‘the past vs the future’ generations.

We may need to think differently when we plan our next Forum.  Since Mr. Idei is a wonderful leader in the business sector, together with him, let us craft plans with even stronger impacts for the next year.

On October 2nd, I joined in the ‘Global Agenda Seminar’ (in Japanese) (Ref.1), hosted by Dr. Yoko Ishikura.  Our guest was Dr. Kano, who now works at the World Bank in Washington DC – such youth like him working in global arena has power to easily connect with the hearts of young people who join this very interesting Seminar.

After the Seminar, I headed for Kyoto in the afternoon of October 2nd to participate in the STS Forum.  This Forum gathers so many leaders from all parts of the world, so I enjoy seeing many friends as well as their interesting panels.

Reports will be uploaded on the web sites of each event, so please keep eyes on them.

My schedule is quite tight, I have to admit, but on the other hand I am also concerned about how slow Japan is in its changing.  I think the Democrat Party administration has to face numerous difficulties lying ahead of them.  They are not yet experienced enough in handling the process of politics and legislative processes.  Will it take another 1 to 2 years for them to work effectively?  Also, it is not good that each minister comment on recent China- Japan problems separately and not consistently as one Cabinet.  Diplomacy must have a good, stable leadership in the government.  Even if the ministers think they are speaking to Japanese only, their comments will quickly be translated and be sent out to the people of the world, in particular, to the governments of nations which are interested in Japan affairs.  Current style of press coverage of these Ministers will serve only to give impression that Japanese government has no governance.

I have once written about the effect of ‘Armchair Quarterback (Okame Hachimoku)’  (in Japanese) in my web site, and in that sense, the mail magazines (in Japanese) and twitter (in Japanese) by Mr. So Bunshu are very thought provocative.  Mr. So has deep knowledge about the way people think and feel both in China and Japan, reflecting his own background and real experiences in both countries.

 

Mr. Jun Kurihara of Harvard Kennedy School

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I have introduced to you for a couple of times in my blog postings Mr. Jun Kurihara, Senior Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School (Ref.1).

He is also a research director of The Canon Institute for Global Studies , hops around the world, and issues ‘The Cambridge Gazette’ in nearly monthly bases.  As you have read in my previous posting about him,  this Gazette is quite good in a sense that you can intuitively sense his broad human network as well as his intellects.

Mr. Kurihara dropped by at my office when he visited Tokyo recently and we had a good time together.  I felt honored to find his comments on our meeting in his latest issue of ‘The Cambridge Gazette’.  As always, this Gazzette is also filled with evidence of his deep knowledge and broad human network.

‘A person like myself would be difficult to be accepted in Japanese institutions.  I think that is why things are like this…’ says Mr. Kurihara, but clearly he is a very valuable asset.  I am sure that if we had more of people like him in Japan this nation would be more lively and active.  If ‘Unique human capital’, ‘Nails that stick out (Deru kui)’ are given more and more places to flourish, organizations will gain energy and youths will have good ‘Role models’ which eventually will make them more positive and active. For organizations, it is important to give right person the right place so as to optimize the talents giving them more chances to flourish.

Domestic and international broad connection based on ‘credibility as individual’, like Mr. Kurihara’s, is a huge asset.  The Canon Institute for Global Studies chose a good member.  Without doubt Mr. Kurihara is one of our precious ‘Human capital’ (similar but not the same as the ‘Human resource’) whom no one can exchange with any amount of money.

Ohya Stone Underground Mining Pit Remain, Teleconference with Canada, and To Mishima

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In the afternoon of September 24th (Fri.), I headed to Utsunomiya to give a lecture at the Japanese Society of Nephrology Eastern Regional Meeting.  Nephrology had been my main background, so it was nice to see Dr. Kusano, the President, and many colleagues at the venue.

Reception was held at a huge underground hall about 15 minutes’ travel by car from downtown Utsunomiya which was originally remain of a mining pit of Ohya stone (Ohya Ishi).

The place actually had quite a good atmosphere.  I found many photos at the blog site of a person who had been here before. (in Japanese)

Underground was quite cool (around the year average temperature is ８℃ (46F)).  Gyoza, the local specialty, beer, wine were served at the reception as well as the special flamenco show.  We spent a good time.
 
The schedule of events at this underground space, as I saw it, seemed to have room for more variety of activities.

I suggest that you visit here when you have an opportunity to go to Utsunomiya area.

After returning to the hotel, I participated in a teleconference on Grand Challenge Canada  for two hours from 10pm to midnight.  Toronto served as the hub for this telecommunication.

On the next day, September 25th (Sat.), I returned home briefly and then headed to Mishima city in Shizuoka Prefecture.  This trip was to give a lecture at the Japanese Telemedicine and Telecare Association (JTTA) (in Japanese) organized by Professor Nakajima, who created telemedicine and telecare training program at Tokai University School of Medicine mainly for international students.  I owe Professor Nakajima for his presence at the Pacific Science Association in which I am part of, in Okinawa  and Tahiti  (Ref.1, 2, 3).  By the way, although this meeting displayed a number of interesting corporate exhibitions they seemed somehow to be intended only for Japanese audience (users) from the start.   I think this is a pity since the world is broad and there must exist great needs.

Giving lectures at annual meetings of scientific societies was something I have done less for a while.  I enjoyed and appreciated these opportunities of two days in a row.

‘The Dragon Cherry Blossoms’ in Bangladesh, A Follow Up on GCMP

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Grameen Change Makers Program (GCMP) (in Japanese) (Ref.1) is a program launched two years ago in Bangladesh by the students of Waseda University, Mr. Saisyo, Mr. Miyoshi and their friends.  In this program, Mr. Saisyo, currently on leave from Waseda University, set up ‘The Dragon Cherry Blossoms e-education’ project in collaboration with the Grameen Foundation.  (in Japanese) (Ref.1)

Mr. Saisyo encountered many problems and hardships in the process of carrying out this project.  From such experience, he reports, that he organized a 7 hours’ bus tour for the students in this project to see ‘Dhaka University’, the top university of Bangladesh. The objective of this project is to let the poor village high school students challenge this university.  I must say that such kind of idea is not likely to emerge unless you are on the site in person.  Now, I have at hand the latest report-2 describing in detail what actually happened, the background of this tour (in Japanese) as well as the local newspaper coverage. (in Japanese)

In his recent e-mail Mr. Saisyo writes:

‘Now we have only one month to go for the entrance exams of Dhaka University!

Students were very highly motivated after the study tour to Dhaka University. The results of the practice exams are gradually improving.

Currently 23 students are working in this project.

In accordance to the results of Dhaka University practice entrance exams we divided students into 4 groups

Team A, 5 students: Excellent
Team B, 5 students: Good
Team C, women students: 5
Team D, 13 students: Average

Every week the students move up and down among those groups by their test results.  This will lead the students to competition.

Students in AB teams are particularly highly motivated so we say to each other that we actually could expect good results.

I will return to Japan temporarily in early October for some required procedures at Waseda University.  I hope to report to you more when I see you then.’

Anyway, the ideas of this project came from personal experience of Mr. Saisyo, his failure in his high school years and overcoming of the failure.  This process is very important for thinking of and creating plans in the real world.  When we talk about importance of ‘on the site competency’, I think what we are really talking about is the ‘real personal experiences’ as we see in his case.  Things will not be the same if you just sit down and think in your head.

Mr. Miyoshi, on the other hand, has been back again to Bangladesh.  Now, he took off yesterday for another adventure to the world, a journey of self discovery.

Today, we had a gathering of students who have been to Bangladesh this summer to listen to each others’ reports of their experiences.  Although it was a holiday, many youths came as well as the representatives of the supporting companies such as HIS (in Japanese) and Sunstar.  Professor Seiichiro Yonekura of Hitotsubashi University, Dr. Hideo Abe, formerly working for JICA, also participated to make comments on the reports.  We had a wonderful time for 4 hours of Sunday evening..

The students chose their own themes and formed　group and worked together to present a project proposal.  I could see that everyone learned a lot from their first hand experience in Bangladesh.  Also, this process itself was a good chance for discovering their ‘self’.  Students, once ‘abroad’, will begin to see and feel themselves as individuals.  This will also lead them to see Japan from outside.  Then, I imagine, they will begin finding and following their mind, heart and intuition, and find what they want to do, how they would choose their career. 

Each student felt that they have changed a lot  (Ref.1)  It is my firm belief that opportunities like this will form ‘dots’ that connect youths to the broad world in building their future career.

 

Michael Sandel and ‘Learning on Web’: Importance of Asking ‘Why?’

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Two things are now hot topics recently and I have introduced them to you in my website postings.  One is‘Justice’ by Professor Michael Sandel (Ref.1) and another is ‘Learning on Web’ (‘web de manabu’ ?a book in Japanese)  written by Mr. Umeda and Dr. Iiyoshi. 

The television program showing Dr. Michael Sandel’s lecture series at Harvard  (On-line viewing is available） gained a tremendous popularity, so much that he was invited to Japan in August.  On the other hand, you could say that this reaction may be typically Japanese.

 ‘Learning on Web’ is likely to receive a big reaction, also.  I see many good comments on the web, blogs and twitter.

Why?

Professor Sandel tries to make students ‘question the essence of the issues’ that exist in various examples from every day life and have them think ‘why?’.  And from this process of thinking the students will understand the universal nature of the problems and also unique to each problem, leading students to experience the process of raising philosophical question of ‘What is Justice?’.  I believe this is the reason why the students and viewers of the television broadcast were so ‘intellectually stimulated’ by his lecture series ‘Justice’.  Most people must have felt as if they were awaken because they rarely, if not at all, have shared experiences of ‘thinking by themselves’ in lectures at universities.

Dr. Iiyoshi notices this reasoning process and is commenting on it in his blog. To my delight, he captures my blog comments that I share with him his desire of ‘raising questions’ to people, the desire which he and Mr. Umeda aimed to make clear in this book.  This process has been quite pleasent exchanges to me.

I feel that in our everyday life or in the process of education, the most lacking element is the attitude or habit of constantly asking ‘why?’; ‘teachers and learners’ thinking together, the process which is an attitude more conducive of learning. Generally speaking this process is very weak in Japanese education or trainings in schools, companies or other organizations.  ‘Guidelines’, ‘Textbook authorizations’, tend to prevail.  The same could be said for our laws and we tend to think they are given to us.  ‘Hierarchical’ thinking lies in the basis of everything here, I should say.

In classrooms, typically, things are taught in descriptive style as if the teachers have all the answers.  There are few asking questions together, no thinking together.  Even in higher education (universities) basically what they do is conveying of knowledge.  This is precisely the reason why the lecture of Professor Sandel is so stimulating to many of Japanese.  We have, in Japan, so many ‘How To’ or ‘Know How’ lectures being delivered because of its popularity, but I mind you that the most important thing is to think ‘Why?’

In this open and flattening ‘knowledge society’, you must challenge your thinking by stimulating your intellectual ability and capacity.  Nothing will begin if you will only ‘Wait for Instructions’.  I am certain that Professor Sandel and a book ‘Learning on Web’ are causing so much excitement among (Japanese) people because these two are sending out ‘Intellectual Challenges’ that exist in the minds of everyone of us
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‘Learning on Web: Open Education and Revolution of Learning’, A ‘Must’ Book

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Dr. Iiyoshi  whom I have introduced to you last year (blog, Ref.1) (in Japanese) and Mr. Umeda  （blog） (in Japanese) who is sending out messages from Silicon Valley such as his book ‘Going Through the Web Age (Web Jidai Wo Yuku)’ (by the way, he is also a great writer on shogi game (Japanese chess game))recently co-authored and published ‘Learning on Web (‘Web de Manabu)’ (in Japanese). The book offers lots of ‘eye-opening’ information, very rich in content, and I recommend strongly to all educators and people who are interested in learning or (their) children’s education.

‘Learning on Web’ gives you the idea and sense of how education, starting with the epoc-making OpenCourseWare of MIT (included in the Top50 websites in recent Times magazine), has become ‘Open’, how amazing the speed and power of the trend of the ‘Web age’ is.

As I have been pointing out repeatedly even in many public ‘occasions’  (Ref.1, 2), Internet is a tool that ‘empowers individuals’ with an impact comparable to the printing technology invented by Gutenberg in the 15th century.  Internet enables individuals in broader area to access and/or ‘share’ to broader audience.  It expands globally regardless of country border or time.  Conseqently, new ‘inquiries’ will be raised by many more people, ‘questioning of the (traditional) authorities’ will follow.  Thus, this change continues to move forward but never backwards.  Nations, companies, institutions which fail to adapt itself to this change, or attempts to oppose it will inevitably have to suffer more damages.  I regard this as the essence of ‘globalization’.

iTune, iPod, IPhone, and iPad are some good recent examples.  Just by thinking what industrial sectors resisted, or how these products changed society or the global world, and what eventually became of those resisting power, you will well understand what I mean.
  
In other words, this ‘Learning on Web’ is not only giving information on the new world changes of education to educators, but also reminding them of their responsibilities and questioning how they performed.

However, if you see this book as ‘empowerment of individuals’, ‘Learning on Web’ is asking actively to all students (recipients of education) and learners (who are willing to learn) what kind of education they want, introducing them to new educational opportunities and tools for learning, possibilities of discoveries that make them better and grow.

Also, I sense in this book a concern for Japan which appears to be resting in isolation from the change of the world.  I imagine that this is because that the two authors have been away from Japan for long years, have built their careers outside Japan as an indepedent individual, and therefore are increasingly becoming frustrated and even sorry  (in Japanese) for closed Japan which remains incapable of changing in this rapidly globalizing world, and also reflect their deep love, ‘patriotism’ (not ‘nationalism’) for Japan.

I recommend this book to all people, a ‘must’ reading to all grown ups who are concerned with education.

By the way, the outline of this book and the points they intended to make are given in the blogs of Mr. Umeda and Dr. Iiyoshi  which I have introduced to you above.  Many of the resource sites introduced in this book are shown in a list in this blog. Even if you do not have the book ‘Learning on Web’ at hand, these blogs will help you visit many valuable sites.

It is wonderful to know that there are so many, many people who are devoted to education and nurturing people of the ‘world’.

 

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Meeting of Enthusiastic Youths Who Heard Their ‘Inner Voice’ and Jumped on to Action

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Considering how difficult it is to find jobs today, the future of youths seem to be quite unpromising.  There are, however, a small number of grown ups and entrepreneurs working actively to support young people.  The ‘Fresh Career Course’ by Pasona (Ref.1,2)(in Japanese) designed to support new graduates is one of those examples.  I think these actions are wonderful.  I, too, participate as one of the supporting members for such right and compassionate actions.

On the other hand, there are increasing number of young people who have found what they really want to do through ‘on the site experiences’, in search for ways to reach the goals, and stepping forward towards the goal with great effort.  I wish to support them sincerely in my own capacity as I have introduced to you more than several times in my site (Ref.1,2).  
 
Two days ago I had guests at my office who gathered in spite of the heavy rain we had that day; Ms. Kanae Doi of Human Rights Watch, Mr. Shigeyuki Jo  (in Japanese) of Joe’s Lab, Mr. Yuske Matsuda and Mr. Kota Fukazawa, working hard to get on track their recently founded ‘Learning For All’ (in Japanese) (a group set up in preparation of the Japanese version of ‘Teach For America’ which I have introduced to you in this site 2 years ago ), Mr. Naoto Miyahira  of Soket and his colleague (Dr. Arai of D-Lab Japan).  My intention was to introduce them to each other to have them tell their ‘stories (monogatari)’ so that they may ‘connect’ and ‘expand horizontally’ as they see fit.  I am quite positive that many future-looking enprepreneurial activities will emerge and expand through them.

Youths hear their ‘inner voice’ through their ‘first hand experience’ and then be awakened, filled with passion.  Good examples include Mr. Saisyo and Miyoshi, students of Waseda University (on leave) and their colleagues who are currently working hard in Bagladesh (I have introduced them to you a number of times here (Ref.1) ), senior students who responded to my message of ‘Take Leave of Absence from School’, suspended their job hunting activities, took leave of absence from school and went to Moscow or is going to Ghana next week.

These students have much stronger ‘gut’ or ‘deep inner' feeling of the essence of important matters than most of the grown ups who always respond with ‘Reasons Why Something Cannot Be Done’.

We, the grown ups, should support and encourage those youths, but never interfere or obstract their paths.  This world is changing in a great speed.  The future of the young generation is the top priority for human resource development and the future of Japan.

 

Hayman Island, ADC Leadership Retreat -2

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Please click here for the photos.

The 2nd day at Hayman Island was beautiful.  We should be outdoors in such day.

However, the program was quite packed.  I was scheduled to be at the ‘Kailis Oration’ (Session 6) (cf. the program).  This opening session of Day 2 was again hosted by Nik Gowing.  It was an exciting session starting with questions raised by Bjorn Stigson, the photos linked above which I appear are of this panel (also included are the 2 photos of Nick Stern (facing backwards), myself, and Bjorn Stigson after the panel).

Clyde Prestowitz, whom I met in Tokyo a few weeks ago, is also participating in various discussions starting today.

For lunch session, I joined session 9.5, a panel surrounded by beautiful greens.  Somehow the discussion focused on the issues of Australia.  My colleague William Saito was also on the panel with me.  Chris Selth said that there were few targets for VC, was quite critical in that sense pointing out how dependent Australia was on its rich natural resources for its economic growth…. Then followed the plenary lecture by Richard Wilkinson  (right after session11).  I think that producing such type of academics as Dr. Wilkinson represents one of the strengths of British academic community.
 
Another session was ‘Cybersecurity’ (session 12.2) hosted by Nik Gowing.  William Saito did a very good job here.

On the 3rd day, 29th, I was especially impressed, among many, by Stephan Bungay in session 16.3, and Bror Saxberg of Kaplan (I felt that the power of the US lies in the fact of having quite a volume of extraordinary, brilliant and ‘crazy’ people like him) in session 17.3 ‘Education futures’ whom I have introduced to you in my last report , and my old friend Jeff West (another brilliant and ‘crazy’) in session 20.3.   These sessions were all very moving and thought provoking.

There were of course many other sessions that I would have liked to join, but as you see from the program, doing so was not easy.

My last appearance in the afternoon was with William Saito at ‘Japan -Perspectives on Change’ (session 19.3).  Australia, the host country, has just gone through the federal election which ended in an unexpected result and people here were talking about it excitedly.  On the other hand our story is; ‘Japan?  Well, we had 5 prime ministers in these 4 years.  Maybe the 6th is coming soon?’ ? isn’t this a bit sad?  I tried to include many comparisons and metaphors to make my points of Japan clearly understandable to non-Japanese intellects; perhaps, I somewhat succeeded since after the session I was told by several people that my discussion was ‘very persuasive, clear, and easy to understand’.  I do think that the current (and even the last 50 years') situation of Japan is difficult to understand if we do not present them in a sound logical manner, focusing to the basic issues and from outside perspective.
 
The closing ceremony ended by a very moving speech by Michael Roux, the host.

We enjoyed a nice dinner reception in the evening.

I would say that this 3 days’ retreat was a very nice event of a good size which made it possible to share much more intimate time, even more than the World Economic Forum in Davos (which I posted for many years), with truly wonderful participants to exchange different and common views and share new ideas. I was able to see my old friends, make new friends, see ‘great’ people such as those whom I have introduced to you in my report postings ‘1, 2’ and Gita Wirjawan  (Ref.1) of Indonesia.  I learned a lot from each of them.  Also, I was lucky enough to be asked to join in many good sessions in earlier phase (opening panels of day 1 and day 2) so many new friends noticed me from early of this three days Retreat  I sincerely thank Michael Roux for his invitation and thoughtsfullness.