On August 16, 2015, JSPS Bangkok Office organized “JSPS-NRCT Seminar” as part of the Thailand Research Expo 2015, sponsored by National Research Council of Thailand (NRCT).

The Expo is an annual academic event, where both domestic and international researchers hold scientific seminars open for public. JSPS Bangkok Office has jointly hosted seminars with NRCT and invited Japanese researchers since its inception in 2009. This year, the office set the theme as “The future we want- Academic Challenge for better life,” deriving from the final document adopted in the UN Summit Conference on Social Development held at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2012 and invited three speakers from Japan.

In the Opening ceremony, Dr. Soottiporn Chittmittrapap, Secretary-General of NRCT, and Mr. Hiroshi Ando, Head of International Policy Planning Division, JSPS, gave welcome remarks mentioning that they hope the seminar would promote and enhance the academic exchange between Japan and Thailand.

Dr. Paritud Bhandhubanyong, Excutive Director, Panyapiwat Institute of Management (PIM) , who is also a member of JAAT Executive Committee, moderated the seminar.

Prof. Shigeo Fujii of Kyoto University gave the first lecture under the title “People’s water use and sanitation practices in Asian developing countries, and proposals for better hygienic environment.”  He introduced the situation of water consumption and wastewater management in Asian developing countries utilizing various data and pictures.  For example, the situation of water supply is especially severe in Kathmandu in Nepal and only two bucket of water per household per day can be consumed.  Dr. Fujii emphasized that not simple technology transfer but consideration on people’s behavior and current system was essential to solve problems.

The second lecture was given by Prof. Masaharu Okada of Kyushu University under the title “Social Business for just and sustainable society – Challenge of Muhammad Yunus.”  He introduced the concept of social business advocated by Prof. Muhammad Yunus, the Nobel Peace Prize Laureate 2006, stating that it was a business not to make profit based on selfish mind but to solve any social problems based on selfless mind.  Prof. Okada also introduced various activities of Yunus & Shiiki Social Business Research Center, Kyushu University and several contests to award good ideas for social business, such as Yunus & Youth Social Business Idea Contest and Global Social Business Summit.

Following was the lecture given by Prof. Taro Komatsu of Sophia University under the title “Education for Sustainable Development (ESD): How do we build and sustain a socially cohesive multicultural society?”  He used to work for post-conflict education recovery in Kosovo, where schools and teachers were attacked in the conflict.  In his lecture, it was explained that “social cohesion,” which was a vertical and horizontal trust between strangers in society, was a condition to build a functioning society and achieve sustainable development.  The importance of education to build a peaceful society was reminded through the lecture and discussion on “education and thoughts” and “education and religion” during Q & A session.

Prof. Yamashita, Director of JSPS Bangkok Office closed the seminar stating that this year marked the 70^th anniversary of the end of the World War Ⅱ and the theme of the seminar was chosen to ask ourselves if the world had been witnessed peace during the last 70 years.  He asked participants to consider how we would build a peaceful society in the future.

The program of the seminar can be downloaded from the link below.

JSPS-NRCT seminar_at_Research EXPO 2015