THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME
Global Prospects for the Coming Decade
A Symposium commemorating the Tenth Anniversary of the Foundation of theDepartment of Global and Transcultural Studies, Meiji Gakuin University

SUNDAY MAY 15, 2022, MEIJI GAKUIN UNIVERSITYYOKOHAMA CAMPUS
As our department marks ten years of teaching global and transcultural studies, the world
appears to be balanced on a knife edge. Internationalism is locked with nationalism,
secularism with religious fundamentalism, democracy with authoritarianism, tolerancewith intolerance. On top of this, Russia’s attempted invasion of Ukraine has raised thespecter of a return to Cold War type confrontation, Casting a long shadow over these
massive ideological struggles is climate change, thought by many experts to be close to atipping point which will bring disaster for humanity and the natural environment.
This symposium will commemorate the tenth anniversary of the Department of
Global and Transcultural Studies. It will be an opportunity to step back, take a deep breath,and survey the world and the prospects for the ten years to come. Each of our speakers
will be invited to gaze into their crystal ball and forecast how global affairs will develop
in the next ten years. We hope to examine their predictions ten years later, when thedepartment celebrates its 20th anniversary.
Keynote speaker

Muhammad Yunus (2006 Nobel Peace Prize winner)

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PROGRAMME
9:30am: Doors Open; Registration

Yokohama Campus Room 720

9:50am: Welcome and Opening Remarks by Leo Murata (president of Meiji GakuinUniversity)
10am
Panel 1: Prospects for Japan
Chair: Prof. Tom Gill (Meiji Gakuin Dept. of Global and Transcultural Studies)Japan’s economic, social and demographic challenges for the next decade.
Alex Kerr (long-term resident of Kyoto, known for books such as Lost Japan and Dogs
and Demons: The Fall of Modern Japan)
Richard Katz (economist, New York correspondent of Toyo Keizai; will join online)
Hiroko Takeda (Professor of Political Science, Nagoya University)
11:45amPanel 2: Peace and Security Panel
Chair: Prof. Kohki Abe (Meiji Gakuin Department of International Studies)
Prospects for peace and security in East Asia in the shadow of China-US competition.
Masafumi Iida (Professor, National Institute of Defense Studies)
Kyoko Hatakeyama (Professor of International Relations, Niigata Prefectural University)
David Leheny (Professor of Political Science, Waseda University)
1:15pm: Lunch Break*Please bring your own lunch. There are two convenience stores and one small fast foodrestaurant near the venue.
2:15pmPanel 3: Renewable Energy/Environment Panel
Can Japan meet its ambitious carbon reduction targets for 2030, and if so, how?
Chair: Paul Midford (Professor, Meiji Gakuin Dept. of Global and Transcultural Studies)
Eric Zusman (Senior Researcher, Institute for Global Environmental Studies)
Mika Obayashi (Director, Renewable Energy Institute, Tokyo)
Hiroshi Ohta, (Professor, Waseda University School of International Liberal Studies)24:00pm
Panel 4: Careers Panel
Chair: Prof. Takayuki Sakamoto (Meiji Gakuin Dept. of Global and Transcultural Studies)
Seven of our graduates will discuss prospects for the fields in which they are working.
11KC1020 Rina Takeda, Sony Solutions Inc.
13KC1031 Kaji Deane, automotive distributor
13KC1045 Megumi Miura, project manager, Amazon Japan
14KC1018 Ruxin Wei, systems engineer, Intelligent Wave Inc.
15KC1025 Jinzaburo Tasaka, web designer, SoftBank
15KC1026 Yumi Tajima, fashion merchandiser
15KC1504 Vladislav Lushchikov, restaurant manager
5:45pmIntroduction of Muhammad Yunus by Prajakta Khare (Associate Professor, Meiji Gakuin
Department of Global and Transcultural Studies)
6:00pmKeynote Address
Muhammad Yunus, winner of the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize, “banker to the poor”, live byZoom link from the Yunus Centre, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Q&A moderated by Prajakta Khare
6:45pmYokohama International Study Association (YISA) – Officers of the Meiji Gakuin alumni
association will explain the association’s activities and how to get involved in them.
7pm
Vote of thanks by Aoi Mori, Dean of the Faculty of International Studies, Meiji Gakuin
University
This event will be held entirely in English. 本イベントはすべて英語で行われます。
All people attending this event will be expected to wear a mask, sanitize their hands
and observe social distancing to reduce the risk of Covid-19 infection.

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