Asia Leadership Fellow Program
2017 PROGRAM REPORT

Seeking Our Commons in Asia:
How Can We Create Visions for the Future?

International House of Japan
Japan Foundation

Seeking Our Commons in Asia: How Can We Create Visions for the Future?
Published byInternational House of Japan and Japan Foundation
Copyright © 2017
International House of Japan
5-11-16 Roppongi, Minato-ku,
Tokyo 106-0032, Japan
Telephone: +81-3-3470-3211
Fax: +81-3-3470-3170
Email: alfp_info@i-house.or.jp
URL: alfpnetwork.net/en/

Contents

ALFP 2017 Fellows ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4
ALFP 2017 Schedule -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7
ALFP 2017 Program Overview ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 93

ALFP 2017 Fellows

Hatano Ayako (Japan)
Visiting Scholar, U.S.-Asia Law Institute, New York UniversityMs. Hatano specializes in international law and sustainable development. She is involved in theexamination of how international human rights law and norms are internalized in local legal
systems and cultures. Her recent research focuses on racial discrimination in Asia, including
hate speech, with a special interest in strategic human rights litigation and its impact on social
movements. She is also engaged in advocacy for the protection of the rights of minority women
under the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women(CEDAW) and for the rights of children engaged in criminal behavior under the Convention ofthe Rights of the Child (CRC). She strives to deliver effective advocacy for the empowermentof people in vulnerable situations through connecting grassroots activities and global policies in
the international human rights system so that marginalized voices are heard in the global andlocal communities.

Fazal Khaliq (Pakistan)
Reporter, Dawn Media Group / Cultural Activist
Mr. Khaliq is a journalist, research writer and cultural activist with a commitment to protect thePakistani cultural heritage from deterioration and terrorism through his writings and seminars.
He has been working as a correspondent with Dawn, a widely read English newspaper inPakistan, and has authored eight books on different topics, from militancy to cultural heritage,
poetry to travelogues. He also organizes awareness-raising seminars regarding Gandhara
civilization and its history. In addition, he used to teach at a local school in the Swat District,passing on the importance of cultural assets to his students, including Nobel laureate Malala
Yousafzai. He believes that the rich archaeological and cultural heritage in Pakistan, especiallythe ancient sites of Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam, has the power to bring people of diverseethnicity and religions together and promote religious harmony in Asia. He has an M.A. inInternational Relations from the University of Peshawar and has received several journalism
awards, including Agahi Awards in 2012, 2013 and 2016, and an Asia Journalism Fellowship,
Singapore, in 2014. He has also been working as an editor for the Morning Post.

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Sudirman Nasir (Indonesia)
Senior Lecturer and Researcher, Faculty of Public Health, Hasanuddin University
As a senior lecturer and researcher in public health at Hasanuddin University, Makassar, Dr.
Nasir has conducted research on various issues related to HIV and sexually transmitted
infections (STIs), including the social context of HIV risk-taking behaviors among Indonesian
youth in low-income neighborhoods. He obtained his master’s degree and Ph.D. from theSchool of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, and has been involved in
HIV prevention programs in Indonesia since the mid-1990s. Besides publishing articles ininternational academic journals, Dr. Nasir frequently writes essays for Indonesian andinternational media targeting the general public. He also serves as a vice president of theIndonesian Young Academy of Sciences (ALMI), whose mission is to empower mid-career
scientists for building a strong science community in Indonesia. He is interested in demographic
issues that most Asian countries will be facing in the future, and hopes to learn from Japan's
experience as an aging society.

Smita M. Patil (India)
Assistant Professor, School of Gender and Development Studies,
Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU)
Dr. Patil is a feminist academic cum activist working for the rights and dignity of Dalit womenin India. She aims to create a network of public intellectuals and students among Dalit womenactivists within India, as well as in South Asia, and to link such an inclusive network withinternational marginalized women activist groups across the globe. She earned an M.Phil andPh.D. from the Centre for Political Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, and has received
various fellowships including the Research Excellence Program USC-India fellowship at theUniversity of Santiago de Compostela, Spain, while contributing a number of articles on class,caste and gender to academic journals and books. Her areas of interest include caste and gender,
Indian politics, social and political theory, and gender and law.

Phan Thanh Duc (Vietnam)
Dean, Faculty of Management Information Systems, Banking Academy of Vietnam
Dr. Duc is the dean and a senior lecturer in the Faculty of Management Information Systems ofthe Banking Academy. As a visiting lecturer he has also taught at universities in Vietnam,
Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States. The main focus of his research andteaching is business process management, e-learning, e-banking and big data. He has conducted
research and projects related to the application of technology in education and management inVietnam. One example is his contribution to the promotion of the ITPEC Examination inVietnam, a common IT certification program made for Asia with assistance from theInformation Technology Promotion Agency, Japan. He writes textbooks for students, publishes
papers in journals and conferences, and contributes articles to newspapers. He also hopes to use
information technology to achieve equal opportunity in education, and is interested in theteaching methods used in various countries and how shifts in the education curriculum arereflected in the way in which society evolves.

5Saroj Srisai (Thailand)Head, Environment Division, ASEAN Secretariat
Mr. Srisai has worked for sustainable development issues in the Royal Thai Government andinternational organizations, ranging from climate change mitigation and adaptation, disaster risk
reduction and management, to environmental education. Currently, he serves as Head of theEnvironment Division at the ASEAN Secretariat office in Jakarta, overseeing regional
cooperation on environmental issues. He recognizes the necessity of enhancing disasterprevention measures and support systems in his country and region, and has a keen interest inJapan's risk reduction culture and education. With increasingly pressing problems of naturaldisasters, loss of biodiversity, wildlife trafficking crimes and many others in the ASEAN region,
he hopes to contribute to alleviating the severity of the problems by linking the international
community and high-level national policy makers with civil society and communities on theground. He has also been a strong advocate for gender equality by mainstreaming the issue into
all of his work and projects.

Wang Xin (China)
Deputy Director, Multimedia Center, Nanjing Daily
Ms. Wang has worked in the newspaper industry for 13 years, specializing in economy and city
construction, with knowledge in multimedia and administrative experience in the news andadvertising departments. She hopes to exert her influence as a journalist to help more people,
especially disadvantaged citizens like laid-off workers and physically challenged children. Witha passion to build a bridge between China and its neighboring countries, including Japan, Ms.
Wang believes that the “pen” can reduce the distance that may exist in people’s hearts in today’s
Asia, and that the dissemination of positive and objective information will promote mutual
understanding among the public. Her research interests include the role and responsibility ofmedia in the development of society at the city level. She obtained her master’s degree in Public
Policy from King’s College London as a Chevening Scholar sponsored by the British
government.

*Affiliation and titles are those at the time of participation in the program.

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ALFP 2017 ScheduleSep 11

Orientation/Welcoming Reception

Sep 12Introduction Session
Country Reports 1: Saroj Srisai and Fazal Khaliq

Sep 13

Country Reports 2: Sudirman Nasir, Wang Xin, and Hatano Ayako
Country Reports 3: Phan Thanh Duc and Smita M. Patil

Sep 15

Discussion-Paper Presentations on South and Southeast Asia

Sep 16

Discussion-Paper Presentations on Northeast Asia

Sep 19Core Seminar on Northeast Asia “Economic Integration or International Competition?
Conflicting Trends in East Asia” by Takahara Akio (Professor, University of Tokyo)

Sep 20Core Seminar on Southeast Asia by Mario Lopez (Associate Professor, Kyoto University)

Sep 22

Core Seminar on South Asia “Structural Transformation in Globalizing India and Asia: AnAgenda for Sustainable, Inclusive and Peaceful Development” by Tanabe Akio (Professor,University of Tokyo)
Prep Session for the Field Trip

Sep 24–28

Field Trip to Mie and Osaka

Oct 2

Seminar “Space Applications and Services” by Kohtake Naohiko (Associate Professor, KeioUniversity)

Oct 3

Visit to NHK

Oct 4Seminar “Globalism, Nationalism and Populism: A Structural Analysis of Trumpism” by Aida
Hirotsugu (Professor, Aoyama Gakuin University)

Oct 5

Visit to Tosetsukai (nursing-care facility) and meeting with Mataki Kyoko (Chairperson,Tosetsukai)

Oct 7–14

Individual Activities Period

Oct 15

Seminar “Forgetting as Remembering: Cultural Heritage and World War II” by Ambeth R.
Ocampo (Associate Professor, Ateneo de Manila University / ALFP 2014 Fellow) anddiscussion with Nitobe Leadership Program fellows, Mike Mansfield Fellowship Program
fellows, and Kakehashi Project participants.

Oct 16

Seminar “Our Common Challenges: Global Health” by Kurokawa Kiyoshi (MD / Professor
Emeritus, National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies)7

Oct 17

Seminar “What’s Holding Japanese Women Back?” by Osawa Machiko (Professor, Japan
Women’s University)

Oct 18

Visit to Asahi Shimbun

Oct 22–23

Retreat Session in Hakone

Nov 1Public ForumNov 2

Evaluation Session

82017 Program Overview

Discussion-Paper Presentations
Three seminars were held at the beginning of the program in Tokyo where the Fellows shared theirexpertise, areas of interest and regional and global concerns with several intellectuals based in Japan andalso engaged in dialogue under this year’s ALFP theme “Seeking Our Commons in Asia: How Can We
Create Visions for the Future?” Each seminar focused on one of the three regions (South, Southeast, andNortheast Asia) where the Fellows come from.

Commentators and Moderators:
 Ako Tomoko (Associate Professor, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, University of Tokyo)
 Ito Takeshi (Associate Professor, Faculty of Liberal Arts and Graduate School of Global Studies,Sophia University) Mizuno Takaaki (Professor, Kanda University of International Studies) Ogawa Reiko (Associate Professor, Faculty of Law, Politics & Economics, Chiba University

9Core Seminars
Three core seminars were conducted on Northeast, Southeast, and South Asia, respectively, in the second
week of the Program, for the Fellows to look at each region as well as the issues shared within and/oracross the region from a broader perspective while sharing visions for the future of Asia.
− Core Seminar on Northeast Asia “Economic Integration or International Competition? Conflicting
Trends in East Asia” by Takahara Akio (Professor, University of Tokyo) on September 15− Core Seminar on Southeast Asia by Mario Lopez (Associate Professor, Kyoto University) on
September 20. In this seminar, Professor Lopez showed three documentary films from the VisualDocumentary Project, and discussed the importance of documentaries that are filmed and made throughthe eyes of citizens, capturing the lives of their own local residents and the issues they are facing.

− Core Seminar on South Asia “Structural Transformation in Globalizing India and Asia: An Agenda for
Sustainable, Inclusive and Peaceful Development” by Tanabe Akio (Professor, University of Tokyo)
on September 2210Seminars
In addition to core seminars, the Fellows met a number of Japan-based resource persons, including
intellectuals and leading figures from academia, NGOs and NPOs, in the formal setting of seminars (listedbelow in chronological order).
− Seminar “Space Applications and Services”
by Kohtake Naohiko (Associate Professor, Keio University) on October 2− Seminar “Globalism, Nationalism and Populism: A Structural Analysis of Trumpism”
by Aida Hirotsugu (Professor, Aoyama Gakuin University) on October 4− Seminar “Forgetting as Remembering: Cultural Heritage and World War II” by Ambeth R. Ocampo(Associate Professor, Ateneo de Manila University / ALFP 2014 Fellow) and discussion with Nitobe
Leadership Program fellows, Mike Mansfield Fellowship Program fellows, and Kakehashi Project
participants on October 15.

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− Seminar “Our Common Challenges: Global Health”

by Kurokawa Kiyoshi (MD / Professor Emeritus, National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies) onOctober 16− Seminar “What’s Holding Japanese Women Back?”by Osawa Machiko (Professor, Japan Women’s University) on October 17

Other Visits & Sessions− Visit to NHK on October 3
The Fellows met with a senior producer of NHK and also took a guided-tour of the facility, includingstudios.

12− Visit to Tosetsukai (nursing-care facility) and meeting with Mataki Kyoko (Chairperson, Tosetsukai)
on October 5− Visit to Asahi Shimbun on October 18
The Fellows had the opportunity to meet with journalists covering Asia.

Field Trip to Mie and Osaka (September 24–28)
The Fellows went as a group on a field trip organized around their suggestions and common interests. Thesites visited as well as the topics covered on the trip were:Mie’s Approach to Local Development and Disaster Prevention
Seminar “Approach to Local Revitalization and Disaster Risk Management” by Suzuki Eikei(Governor, Mie Prefecture) on September 2413

Environmental Sustainability and Preservation of Culture

Briefing on the historical and architectural features of Ise Shrine and the history of Shintoism and aguided tour of the shrine by one of the priests on September 25

Meeting with Ozaki Yoshi (a local Ama) and Sakurai Takuma (Mie Prefectural Board of Education
Secretariat) and discussion on the traditional culture of Ama (women free divers), environmental issues
and natural resource management on September 25Visit to Hayami Forest and seminar on forest management for environmental sustainability and forest
conservation and cultural landscapes by Hayami Toru (Representative, Hayami Forest) on
September 26

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Issues of Poverty and Minorities in Japan
Briefing on poverty and demographic issues in the Airin District and a guided tour by Arimura Sen(Director-General, Kamagasaki Community Regeneration Forum) on September 27

Seminar “Diversity of Zainichi Koreans and Their Ties to Japan and Korea” by Lee Soo Im (Professor,Ryukoku University / ALFP 2008 Fellow) on September 27

Visit to Korea Town and seminar on the Zainichi Koreans by Kim Kwangmin (Secretary General,Korea NGO Center) on September 28

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Retreat Session in Hakone (October 22–23)
The Fellows went on a one-day trip to Hakone where they exchanged ideas and thoughts they had
developed on the ALFP 2017 general theme “Seeking Our Commons in Asia: How Can We Create Visions
for the Future?” and prepared for the public forum scheduled to be held the following week. After theretreat session, the Fellows visited the Yosegi Museum and engaged in making wooden coasters.

Public Forum (November 1)
At the end of the two-month program, a public forum was held at the International House of Japan on
November 1. At the forum, the Fellows presented their thoughts on the current situation of their countries
and the issues they have been working on, along with what they have learned from their exchanges anddialogues in Japan. Both the first and second sessions of the forum were moderated by Professor Ogawa
Reiko (Associate Professor, Chiba University), and the first session was followed by a lively
Q&A/discussion session with the audience.

The titles of the Fellows’ presentations delivered in the first session are as follows:Hatano Ayako (Japan)“Hate Speech and Human Rights in a Globalized Society”

Smita M. Patil (India)“Caste and Gender Debates in India”

Phan Thanh Duc (Vietnam)“Changes in Higher Education: How We Create the Perspective of Our Future Together”

16Sudirman Nasir (Indonesia)“Health in the Context of Social Transitions in Asia—An Indonesian Perspective”

Fazal Khaliq (Pakistan)“Cultural Heritage Has the Power to Bind People in Harmony”

Wang Xin (China)“Who Are the Japanese?”Saroj Srisai (Thailand)“Lessons Learned from Disaster Management in Southeast Asia”

17