2023 Symposium Information

The Club of Rome Japan - SSMS Joint International Symposium 2023

“Asian Approaches to Harmonious Development for People and Planetary Eco-system Being Alive”

Date and Time: Friday, March 24, 2023, 13:00-16:30 Japan time
System: Zoom meeting

Objectives

“The Limits to Growth” is a 1972 report at Club of Rome that predicted the depletion of food and resources, and critical pollution in response to rapidly growing population and economy, and that humanity world might fall into a critical devastation. Yet today, critical issues of food/resources and pollution remain unsolved. Moreover, population of eight billion is still growing. And Asian countries are still on the way of development seeking for economic growth which may sacrifice human life. In the whole world over 1.3 million people are killed by traffic accidents, over 6.5 million people are killed by air pollution and further many victims are caused by climate caused disasters, though they are difficult to estimate.
A Club of Report “Come On!” highlighted newly appearing issues such as excessive capitalism, global warming, emergency of disasters and pandemics, urban sprawl and excess mobility, and the wasted resources and food, disposal of artificial materials in the nature.
This symposium will discuss how to deal with these issues in Asia, where there are still many countries with developing economies. Whilst, a few countries and regions have become at a highly established level, sometimes even higher than developed countries, not only in economy but also in politics. For example, Thailand 4.0 states “From people for economy to economy for people”, which is one of the most sophisticated nation’s principles in the world.

It would be the time to shift the growth model from the economy-centered value axis, which was born in the Western civilization in the 20th century to the life-centered value axis, which is still remaining as culture in Asia in the 21st century. This symposium will highlight the above critical issues and show the solution directions.

Organizing Bodies

Organizers

・The Society for Social Management Systems (SSMS)

・The Japan Association of The Club of Rome

Co-Organizer and Host of Real-Remote Hybrid Conference

・Kochi University of Technology

Co-Organizers

・ADBI (Asian Development Bank Institute）

・UNCRD (United Nations Centre for Regional Development)

・WCTRS (World Conference on Transport Research Society)

・JICA/JST SATREPS Project “Smart Transport Strategy for Thailand 4.0”

・JAHES (Japan Association for Human and Environmental Symbiosis)

・Chubu University Center for Sustainable Development and Global Smart City

Registration

Please apply by filling out the required information in English using the QR code or by clicking here https://ssms.jp/conventionentry/index/202303.

We will send the URL for participation to those who have applied by the day before.

Resistration period: Tuesday, March 23, 2023

Program

13:00 - 13:15 (JST)

Opening Remarks

Introduction to Society for Social Management Systems
Welcome Speech
Opening Address and Introducing The Symposium

Round Table 1: Contrasting East versus West; Philosophy and Civilization for Sustainability and Resilience

13:15 - 13:35 (JST)

a. A Life-Centered World – Viewing from GAIA

Invited speaker; Tomoyo Nonaka, Full Member of The Club of Rome, & Ex-Executive Cimmittiee Member, The Club of Rome, Founder of GAIA Initiative, Japan

Humans against nature, the only god, money superior to life: this philosophy created in the West in the 20th century has made the human soul poorer and poorer. How can Asians create a mentally rich world? What is the fundamental philosophies on which we should stand? They are a life-centered world and the concept of GAIA.

13:35 - 13:55 (JST)

b. Excessive Capitalism

Invited speaker; Chandran Nair, Executive Committee Member of The Club of Rome, Founder of The Global Institute for Tomorrow, Hongkong & Malaysia

How has capitalism changed the world? Various aspects of capitalism have to be investigated related to such risks as global warming, disaster, poverty and disparity in society. What are the chasms between the global north and the global south, and between the east and the west? Is there anything we can correct in economic systems and politics?

13:55 - 14:15 (JST)

c. To leverage science and technology for better disaster risk management

Invited speaker; LI Wei-Sen, Secretary General, National Sience and Technology Center for Disaster Reduction, Taiwan

Applications of science and technology, such like GIS, information and communication technology, artificial intelligence, digital twin, for disaster reduction are common practices around the world. In general, “Information-based” is a terminology that reflects demands proposed by emergency responders, decision makers and citizens when the whole society prepares for, respond to and/or recovery from natural hazard. However, in order to build an knowledge supply chain of disaster risk management, it is necessary to consider how to efficiently cover most of the stakeholders by tailor-made information intelligence. “Information intelligence” here is defined as a helping hand to trigger actions or decisions. An integrated process to produce “intelligence” includes elements of data, information, knowledge, wisdom, and action. Each element mentioned above can build end-to-end connections by considering demands originated from diverse end users. This is why a society need a role of “scientific disaster manager” (SDM) to carry out tailor-made risk communication and facilitate discussions by demands and connect key stakeholders who are engaged in different operations, responses, or actions. This presentation will share good practices in Taiwan about how to use big data, information intelligence, telecommunication and other technology in decision support at government and risk communication with the public.

14:15 - 14:45 (JST)

d. Discussion with three lecturers

14:45 - 14:55 (JST) Breaking Time

Round Table 2: Transformation of socio-economic systems for Carbon neutral

14:55 - 15:15 (JST)

ｅ. Economic Development, Carbon Neutral and Quality of Life

Invited speaker; Yoshitsugu Hayashi, President, The Society for Social Management Systems, Executive Committee Member, The Club of Rome, Distinguished Professor, Chubu University, Japan

In the 20^th century, we have expanded frontiers in economic development for better life but it has caused serious damages such as mortalities by traffic accidents, pollution, and climate change. We must promote carbon neutrality but at the same time seek for a more basic philosophy rapping the whole interaction mechanism to harmonize market, humans, and nature.

15:15 - 15:35 (JST)

f. Mobility for Humanity

Invited speaker; Apiwat Ratanawaraha, Associate Professor, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand, Full Member of the Club of Rome, Visiting Scholar, Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Kyoto University

Mobility is originally developed to promote happiness of people. However a wrong designed transport systems of automobile dependency has created urban sprawl, mortality, energy waste, climate change, etc. How can we transform to healthier mobility?

15:35 - 15:55 (JST)

g. Low Carbon Fuel and Circular Economy to support Green Mobility

Invited speaker; Andianto Hidayat, Vice President, R&T Planning & Commercial at PERTAMNA, Indonesia

Mobility has contributed to exceeding the capacity of the Earth and the Nature to serve for human desire. The humans have to control their activities within the capacity. Electric vehicle is one of the solutions for mobility to overcome climate change. However, there are non-neglectable demerits when disposing lithium-ion batteries. Indonesia has been developing a circular economy system.

15:55 - 16:25 (JST)

h. Discussion with three lecturers

16:25 - 16:30 (JST)

Closing Remark

Seigo Nasu, Secretary General of SSMS

SSMS Symposium