Tokyo Forum 2023 explores humanity’s challenges amid digital transformation, uncertain international order

The University of Tokyo and South Korea’s Chey Institute for Advanced Studies will host the hybrid Tokyo Forum 2023 from Nov. 30-Dec. 1, 2023. The international symposium will bring together experts from diverse backgrounds to freely exchange ideas and seek out viable solutions on issues facing society and our planet around this year’s theme, “Cultivating Humanity amid Social Divisions and Digital Transformation.”

The event, held annually since 2019 with the overarching theme of “Shaping the Future,” will take place both in person at Yasuda Auditorium of the University of Tokyo and online via live stream. The program is open to the public and registration is free.

The fundamental question running through the two-day forum will be what it means to be human amid increasing divisions and conflicts in the world due to geopolitical tensions, while rapid digital innovations are profoundly changing the society in which we live — and ourselves, both bodily and mentally.

Keynote addresses will be delivered on Day One by Surichai Wun’Gaeo, a distinguished sociologist and emeritus professor at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok; Alison Gopnik, a leading child development and learning expert and distinguished professor at the University of California, Berkeley; and Kiichi Fujiwara, a renowned political scientist and visiting professor at the University of Tokyo who also serves as advisor to the president of Chiba University in Japan.

Other featured speakers include performance artist Stelarc; robotics scientist Professor Hiroshi Ishiguro of Osaka University; and Professor Tshilidzi Marwala, rector of the United Nations University in Tokyo and under-secretary-general of the U.N., among other distinguished experts representing various fields.

This year’s Tokyo Forum will also feature three new sessions: Business Leaders’ Session, in which key players in business, social entrepreneurship, investment and research will discuss cultivating a global entrepreneurial mindset for a sustainable future; University Presidents’ Session, in which leaders of academic institutions will consider the role of universities in the era of digital transformation; and Youth Session, where University of Tokyo and South Korean university students will share their perspectives and opinions on issues pertaining to this year’s theme.

A plenary talk session with the keynote speakers is also scheduled on Day One, as well as panel discussions on Day Two on robots challenging our definition of humanity, and on bridging social divisions through digital platforms, rules and business practices to safeguard the global commons and rebuild humanity. The event’s final session will be a recap of the series of discussions over the two-day period.

University of Tokyo President Teruo Fujii and South Korea’s SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won will kick off the two-day event with the opening remarks, and Fujii and Chey Institute President Park In-kook will make closing remarks following the wrap-up session on the second and final day.

Tokyo Forum 2023 promises to be a highly thought-provoking event as it addresses and considers global issues in this age of divisions and changes, from the front lines of business practice, the borderline between robots and humans, and from universities facing the digital revolution.

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For more information about the program and speakers of Tokyo Forum 2023, visit the event website and social media accounts. (Please note dates and times listed are local dates and times in Tokyo, Japan.):

Website: https://www.tokyoforum.tc.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/index.html

Program: https://www.tokyoforum.tc.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/event/program_list_2023.html

X (formerly Twitter): https://twitter.com/UTokyo_forum

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UTokyo.tokyo.forum/

To register, fill out the registration form on the Tokyo Forum 2023 website (registration is free but required to attend the event): https://www.tokyo-forum-form.com/apply/audiences/en

For media and other inquiries, contact the Tokyo Forum 2023 Secretariat at: tokyo.forum.adm@gs.mail.u-tokyo.ac.jp

About The University of Tokyo

The University of Tokyo was established in 1877 and is the oldest national university in Japan. It is the country’s leading institution of higher learning and one of the world’s top research universities with 10 faculties, 15 graduate schools and numerous research institutes. Under UTokyo Compass: Into a Sea of Diversity: Creating the Future through Dialogue (https://www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/about/utokyo-compass.html), a statement on the university’s guiding principles announced by President Teruo Fujii in 2021, the University of Tokyo aims to solve social issues in collaboration with various stakeholders. For more information about the university, visit our website at https://www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/.