Special

Article 2

SARC 2020 Conference: New Directions in
Economy, Health & Education During the Pandemic
By Mukesh Williams

Author Mukesh Williams

Introduction
The first South Asia Research Center (SARC) International
Conference on Japan-South Asia Connections on Economy, Health &Education, organized by Soka University, was held online on Oct.
30-31, 2020. It was an ambitious project involving 50 specialists andcovering three diverse disciplines – economics, medicine, andeducation. It brought together scholars, medical doctors, architects,
economists, educational designers, social workers, book publishers,
and university teachers from 11 countries – Japan, India, Bangladesh,
Nepal, Malaysia, Turkey, Mongolia, Mexico, Canada, Senegal, and theUnited States. Deliberations opened up new paths and discovered
methods to design a post-Covid world. The conference highlighted
the need to “create a single human family”, a “fraternity” ofhumankind on earth which is our “common home”. It focused onhuman cooperation and the need to create value in life. Prof. Arvind
Lodaya said the conference opened a discussion on ‘‘design
education’’ and created “a model for a sustainable community”. The
conference reiterated the concept of humanistic education, which
Prof. Ryohei Tanaka said created “value” for oneself and society. Dr.
Ui Teramoto said the conference brought together not only academics
who saw emerging pedagogic problems, but also architects,
designers, economists, NGO professionals, doctors, writers andpublishers who were applying theory to practice.

Interdisciplinary Approach Adopted
International conferences usually attempt to narrow down their
themes to attract highly specialized papers within specific areas togive them greater punch and scientific credibility. But suchconferences usually lose out on their connection with society and the
Photo 1: Author

application of their findings to social improvement. Given the natureof the pandemic affecting our institutions, health, and economies, amore interdisciplinary approach was required both in the plenary andgroup sessions. We asked the presenters to make their abstracts
relevant to Covid-19 and its aftermath. The idea of bringing three
diverse disciplines together into an intersecting web under the
shadow of a raging pandemic was to find a technology of survival forboth the individual and society and turn poison into medicine. As
Prof. Kaoru Kinoshita of Soka University pointed out, the tripartite
themes were “urgent”, “interdisciplinary”, and “global” in nature, as
seen in the global representation of scholars at the conference. Prof.
Tanaka added that the online character of the meeting allowed people
from around the world “to attend freely” and gave Japanese students
an opportunity to “exchange opinions” with a global audience. Prof.
Emeritus David Traboulay commented that he “enjoyed the wonderfulspirit and the themes of the conference”. The thematic journey of theconference led us through many by-lanes and alleys but brought usback to the crossroads of life where we must pool our resources tocreate a healthy and joyful society.

Poison into Medicine
The pandemic has poisoned institutions, society, and life. It has
threatened our very existence on this planet. But we have to change its
deleterious effect into a beneficial one. The concept of changing poison
into medicine implies that any adversity can be transformed into anadvantage if we acquire the perspicacity and develop the righttechniques. President of Soka University Prof. Yoshihisa Baba said in
his introductory remarks that in the wake of the pandemic, “We will use
our Soka philosophy to change poison into medicine”, train students“to become responsible global citizens” and “make Soka University a
Global Hub for Humanistic Education”. The conference delved deep
into economic, health, and educational issues to discover ways andmeans to change poison into medicine, and in so doing contributed tostrengthening the South Asia-Japan partnership and promoting SARC
as a “Global Hub for Humanistic Education” (Photo 1).

Organization of Conference
A conference normally has one plenary session where a
distinguished speaker delivers an overarching lecture that includes
the concerns of the conference and around which the specialists
present their research findings. However, as there were three major
concerns at the conference involving different disciplines, it had three
Welcome address by Soka University President Yoshihisa Baba
https://www.jef.or.jp/journal/

Japan SPOTLIGHT • March / April 2021

41

plenary sessions on each of the aforementioned topics. The shift fromproduction to service, progress to purpose, and technology to trust
were the key thrusts at the sessions. The shift reiterated the urgency
to find an altruistic goal for both individuals and society.

Indian Ambassador’s Keynote Address
The keynote address was delivered by Indian Ambassador to Japan
H.E. Sanjay Kumar Verma, who spoke about the long relationshipbetween India and Japan which has become the foundation of theSouth Asia-Japan partnership (Photo 2). He added that the “disruptionsin global and regional supply chains” caused by the pandemic hadforced us to find ways and means to strengthen South Asia-Japan
cooperation. He emphasized that the post-Covid era would be an era ofglobal “innovation” that would require “co-creation, co-innovation andco-production” amongst nations and usher in a “new normal”.
He stated: “South Asia provides Japan not only with a large market,
but also with skilled and talented human and material resources.
However, India and Japan have together developed a remarkable
relationship that is the cornerstone of Japan-South Asia engagement.
India and Japan today share a strong bond and linkages that go backto the 8th century AD.” The win-win relationship between the twocountries has stood the test of time and can be used to develop
strategies of survival both in Asia and the rest of the world.
SARC was set up on July 16, 2019, and since then it has been
conducting academic events ranging from symposia to webinars. But
an international conference was a first for the center. As an adviser to
SARC, I could see that organizing an international conference
produced excitement but also tested endurance and grit. But to find“solutions” to the tripartite issues of economy, health, and education
required deep insights and analyses. In my introduction to theconference, I explained the issues involved as follows:“Covid-19 has changed our immediate future. We will not do things
the way we were doing since World War I. Travel will become moresophisticated. The automobile industry is shifting to electric and hightech interiors. The restaurant industry will do more take-outs anddelivery – appetizers and desserts need to be repackaged to make aprofit. Private healthcare is doing well on the unhappiness of citizens;
it will have to come under an expanded welfare state. The B2B
pharma business is growing online. Small and medium-sizedbusinesses are reorganizing but need government support. Stockmarkets are growing in the midst of the worst recession since WWII.
The mortality rate of Asian minorities is greatly affected by the
pandemic. Gender inequality threatens the economy. Where are
women in the workplace? We are developing a new work practice,lifestyle, and social behavior. The magic vaccine is not going to be somagical. We need to develop a stronger immune system – a return tograndmother’s recipes. Asia must be rebooted and reset from global
supply chains to equitable education. To prevent a pandemic
resurgence, we must know what a mask can do and the purpose ofhygiene and social distancing. Both in India and Japan, we believe inthe oneness of life and the environment. The global problems we face
today reflect our mind. We need wisdom, courage, and compassion
to change the poison of the pandemic into the medicine of growth.”

Economy Section
The parameters set in the ambassador’s primary keynote address
were followed in the “Economy Plenary Session”. Prof. Prem
Chandavarkar, the speaker for this session, spoke about “Six Memos
for a Post-Covid19 World” where he emphasized that we cannot“return to a normal life” after the pandemic is over as “life before thepandemic” was part of the problem (Photo 3). Instead, he proposed a
six-point program to live a better post-Covid life. First, he talked about
the social foundation of life or the “limitation of the market” andleadership of state and citizen engagement. Second, he spoke about
the belief in the development paradigm which refuses to recognize
those who do not fall into this category. This he called the “politics ofrecognition”. Third, he introduced the “principle of subsidiarity”
where the highest autonomy is granted to local bodies. Fourth, hesaid that the zoonotic nature of the virus has forced us to see theharmony between “political economy and nature”. Fifth, he pointed
out that our Enlightenment model of seeking rational truth must give
way to finding a “personal purpose”. And sixth, he said that our“social and political” models must be based on “inner wisdom”. He
pointed out that we need to rethink our conceptions of modernity andredesign our institutions to include all these.
In a panel on “New Global Trade and Digital Technology”, theeditor-in-chief of Japan SPOTLIGHT and executive managing directorof the Japan Economic Foundation, Naoyuki Haraoka, spoke about the

Photo 2: Author

Keynote speech by H.E. Sanjay Kumar Verma

42 Japan SPOTLIGHT • March / April 2021

Photo 3: Author

Economy Plenary Session by Prof. Prem Chandavakar

Fourth Industrial Revolution where artificial intelligence and theInternet of Things are “replacing human labor”. He said the spread ofglobalization will force manufacturing systems to be organized along
the lines of an international division of labor, which he called the“global product value chain”. Meanwhile, as digital technology
becomes the driving force of the international division of labor,
software services are now connecting production sites globally. We
can call it a “global service value chain” instead of “global productvalue chain”. As the US and other nations are unwilling to take aleading role in global governance, Asia is expected to play this role.
As the WTO malfunctions, Asian regional FTAs such as the CPTPP or
RCEP would play a pivotal role in achieving rules-based trade. New
rules on IT and its related services must be addressed as well in thiscontext of trade and FDI, in particular, against the background ofgrowing concerns about national security over IT. Trade and security
will be crucial elements of the future trade policy agenda.
Kensuke Yanagida expanded upon the idea of the RCEP and
Priyadarshi Dash analyzed financial technologies and e-commerce
platforms which are “changing the landscape” of global trade andfinance. Juita Mohamad explained how the pandemic has accelerated
the use of digital trade in “connecting businesses to consumers, butalso serving as a lifeline for Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises(MSMEs) and informal workers”.
The corporate world rules the world economy and holds great
promise in a post-Covid revival. In the economy panel on “IndianMarket Importance for Japanese Corporations”, Daigaku Murata
predicted that Japanese corporations will continue to find India an
attractive market, looking at the success of Suzuki Motor Corporation.
Takanobu Ihara elaborated on that thesis. S. K. Karki talked about apromising future for the automobile industry in Nepal. Prof. Iwayuki
Suzuki focused on “core personnel development” by Japanesemultinational enterprises in Asia to maintain quality and “businessability performance”.

Health Section
The pandemic has compromised the health of humankind. We are
seeking vaccines to recover our health, but health also meansdeveloping immunity to diseases. The section on health provided
in-depth knowledge about Ayurveda, homeopathy, and yoga, giving
Photo 4: Author

practical information and providing techniques to heal the body andmind. The plenary keynote on health was delivered by Prof. Shalini
Gupta, vice chancellor of Desh Bhagat University (Photo 4). She
explained that Ayurveda is a holistic system of medicine and focuses
on “personalized health” and “community” well-being. It aims to
restore physical, emotional, and spiritual health creating a good“quality of life”. She pointed out that “physical well-being” implies
good nutrition, exercise and a daily routine including proper sleep.
Emotional well-being deals with stress management practices as wellas emotional regulation training based on the principles ofmindfulness. Spiritual well-being is a sense of peace and contentment
from an individual relationship with the spiritual aspects of life, suchas purpose and connection to something bigger than the individual
self. Spiritual well-being is addressed through the practices ofbreathing, yoga, meditation, resilience and inculcating a perspectivethat consciousness is the basis of existence within the physical form
and mental thoughts.
In the health panel, Prof. S. C. Sharma, formerly of Delhi
University’s Department of Chemistry, spoke eloquently on how tocure the body through homeopathy. It was a relevant topic in thewake of the pandemic and was the most-watched presentation on theInternet. He pointed out that the human body is a “complex
machinery” comprised of “minerals, vitamins, and nutrients”. But
unless fired by a “soul”, it has no use. Each of the body parts has a
specific function to perform. “If any component is displaced or
missing, the body starts to malfunction and we develop various
diseases. So, to rectify or cure the disease, we should try to put thecomponents in place. The body sends signals in the form ofsymptoms which indicate what is missing. Therefore, homeopathy isa constitutional and symptomatic remedy. A large number of salts,
elements, and components are derived from natural sources. The
founder Heinemann gave the homeopathic principle in the phrase: likecures like.”
Prof. Sharma explained how the system works. “When medicine isadministered, the particles are in the molecular form and thus the
medicine has a great adsorption capacity. So, as soon as it is given, it
is transported throughout the body and starts the curing process.”Today there are millions of viruses, he pointed out. Homeopathy
supplements the effort of the body to cure diseases. We need tostrengthen our immune system. He said that “Eupatorium Perfoliatum
200 potency cures viral fever, malaria, dengue, and other fevers
without any side effects. Ignetia and Gelsimium can cure anxiety andneurosis. Arnica helps to heal injuries. Kali Phos is a tonic for the heart
and the mind. Cocuulus 200 and Kalmia 200 can cure cervicalmigraine. Spigelia and Angunaria can remove kidney stone. If there iskidney stone on the right side, only one dose of Lycopodium 1M cancure the disease. If there is kidney stone on the left side, Berberis
vulgaris 30 helps. Asafoetida 30 is for gas while Chelidonium is forjaundice and Lactic Acid for acidity.” He concluded that homeopathic
medicines are mostly meant for “day-to-day diseases”. They arecheap, reliable, and easy to use without any inherent side-effects.

Health Plenary Session by Prof. Shalini Gupta of Desh Bhagat University
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Photo 5: Author

Education Plenary Session by Prof. Emeritus David Traboulay of the College of Staten Island,
the City University of New York

Education Section
The section on education was introduced by Prof. Emeritus
Traboulay of the College of Staten Island, the City University of New
York, who talked about hope in difficult times (Photo 5). He said that
cultures and peoples were migrating and mixing, carrying with themdifferent histories, and yet there was violence in the world. He also
said that in today’s world of pandemic, people needed hope and thatpeople must make efforts to create a future of happiness. “Though wehave created a human family, we suffer from a growing loss of thesense of history,” he said. He added that our political and economic
life did not encourage the advancement of common good and that wemust develop a more humane modernity where others could speak
and write their own histories as equals.
According to him, the pandemic has opened up “cultural sores” like
racism and discrimination in America. Martin Luther King employednon-violent methods to fight for justice in America, while
Rabindranath Tagore was critical of the rise of rabid nationalism inJapan. Tagore was more for the “smaller world of communities,
schools, villages and associations” than the larger world of “national
and international politics”. Tagore’s emphasis on the small world ofcivil society was an endorsement of both democracy anduniversalism. Prof. Traboulay also pointed out that America has a darkmood today as its political institutions have lost their credibility. Today
we need dialogue; we need to go beyond ideology. We need“fraternity and justice” for all.
Pursuing Prof. Traboulay’s line of thinking, Prof. Anita Patterson
explained about the “irreplaceable nourishment” in the writings ofRalph Waldo Emerson which was also reflected in the works of
Daisaku Ikeda, Mahatma Gandhi, and King. She said interculturaldialogue can become a hallmark of character building and “bridging
racial and cultural divides”. We also realized that the linguistic andtransactional processes of dialogue remain unequal more so today ina world of conflict. Emerson’s emphasis on self-reliance andindividualism could be used with the Buddhist principle of innerhuman revolution to create a more humane society. Two participants,
Namrata Sharma and Wendy Tien, talked about teaching the conceptof planetary citizenship connected to a symbiotic relationship between
humans and nature through independent and remote learning. The
concept of a hybrid classroom and the use of digital learning were
explored by many teachers from India and Bangladesh during theirpresentations.
Exploring the unwritten histories of nations through fiction was
also a new theme that was explored by writers like Moupia Bose, theauthor of the novel Khoka. She pointed out that exploring “hand-me44 Japan SPOTLIGHT • March / April 2021

down family stories and folklore” can “bring alive history” and createa more humane world. Learning need not be part of dominant history.
We need creativity and ingenuity to learn from our past. We need tobreak free from rigid traditional forms of knowledge.
Silky Arora talked about “dynamic, non-rigid, and adaptive learning
methodologies instead of fixated curriculums”. She campaigned for
non-rigid structures of learning where curiosity and dynamism aboutfinding new methods to understand the world acquired importance.
She said, “We must correct our first steps in understanding the flowof learning. We must allow our native intelligence to reveal itself andheal our planet. The pursuit of material wealth is not a sign ofprogress; we need to train our inner life and create value.”
Both post-industrial consumerism and media culture reveal theinequality between the haves and the have-nots. Prof. Lodaya talked
about industrial design where advanced civilizations were studying
about the meaning of material artifacts. However, according to him,poor countries were still catching up with industrial modernity. He
said, “It is possible to use design to develop blueprints for humanprogress and quality of life premised on universal dignity,
sustainability, and non-exploitative materiality.”
Sanjeev Botha talked about designing schools in India, New
Zealand, Switzerland, and the US. Lakshmi Murthy spoke about how
to make “reusable cloth masks and scrub caps”. Prof. Lodaya held
education responsible for the state of our planet. He concluded bysaying that it was time for a “social turn in design”. Kuntal De talked
about how to maintain livelihood and sustenance for local
communities during the pandemic. He proposed that communities
must be able to produce food at a subsistence level, develop a local
system to maintain building infrastructure, and maintain local
essential services – primary health care, cleanliness, nutrition, andwell-being for the elderly.

Conclusion
The conference generated an awareness of zoonotic diseases like
Covid-19 and provided new and old remedies to combat the
pandemic. It identified changes in global trade routes, questioned theconcept of exclusionary progress, suggested changes in thepsychological and intellectual paradigms of education and diet, andoffered remedies for the individual and society. Through theconference many participants realized that humankind has reached acritical juncture that is transforming the world order. Many scholars
questioned the very idea of Western enlightenment and the
responsibility of the individual to find rational truth. They suggested
that individuals must be empowered through education to access aninner purpose of life, include the other in creating histories, and giveup the idea of rampant economic greed. They talked of smaller
regional empowerment: not just national and international
development. The conference discussed ways to heal the planet
through a holistic worldview.
Mukesh Williams is a professor at Soka University, visiting faculty at Keio
University, consultant/news analyst for the BBC World Service, and St.
Stephen’s College Alumni representative and Academic Exchange Programs
coordinator in Japan.