The 10th Anniversary Kobe University Brussels European Centre Symposium

Open Science, Evolving Societies:
New Horizons for EU-Japan Research
Organised jointly with Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Tuesday 22 October 2019
VENUE

Vrije Universiteit Brussel Conference Centre, U-Residence, Bld Général Jacques 271, 1050 Brussels

8:45-9:15

REGISTRATION AND WELCOME COFFEE

9:15-10:00

OPENING ADDRESSES

Moderator

Introduction by the Moderator, Prof. Kazunari Sakai, Kobe University (Japan)

Speakers

Prof. Hiroshi Takeda, President, Kobe University (Japan)
Prof. Romain Meeusen, Vice-Rector, Vrije Universiteit Brussel
H.E. Mr. Kazuo Kodama, Ambassador of Japan to the European Union (Japan)
Mr. Jean-Eric Paquet, Director-General, DG RTD, European Commission (EU)

10:00-13:30

MORNING PARALLEL SESSIONS

10:00-13:30

PARALLEL SESSION 1: ECONOMICS(CONFERENCE ROOM A)
EU –JAPAN EPA AND SPA: JOINING FORCES FOR A RULE-BASED INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ORDER

10:00-11:35

Theme 1: EU-Japan EPA: A New Paradigm for International Trade.

Moderator

Prof. Masahiko Yoshii, Executive Vice-President, Kobe University (Japan)

Speakers

DiscussantProf. Masahiko Yoshii, Executive Vice-President, Kobe University (Japan)‘Outline of the Japan-EU EPA/FTA and SPA’.
Prof. Taiji Hagiwara, Kobe University (Japan)‘Value added trade between EU and Japan’.
Prof. Roberto Reyes-Barrera, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (Belgium)‘The EU-Japan EPA and its linkage with other regional trade agreements in the Pacific Region’.
Ms. Eve Päärendson, European Economic and Social Committee (EU)‘EU-Japan EPA and the role that is foreseen for civil society’.
Prof. Noritsugu Nakanishi / Prof. Yo-ichi Matsubayashi, Kobe University (Japan)

11:35-11:55

Coffee and networking break

11:55-13:30

Theme 2: What next for EU-Japan Strategic Partnership Agreement (SPA)?

Moderator

Mr. Piet Steel, Honorary Consul General for Japan (Belgium), Fmr. Senior Vice-President, ToyotaSpeakers

Prof. Jean-Christophe Defraigne, UCLouvain Saint-Louis (Belgium)‘The EU-Japan Strategic Partnership in the context of the international development of China’.
Dr. Reinhold Brender, Head of Division, European External Action Service (EU)
‘What next for EU-Japan Strategic Partnership Agreement (SPA)?’
Ms. Keiko Namba, The Mission of Japan to the European Union (Japan)‘The Japan-EU SPA: Our Path Ahead’
Prof. Kazunari Sakai, Kobe University (Japan)‘Significance of the Japan-EU Strategic Partnership Agreement (SPA) from soft power andinterregionalism point of view’.
Prof. Tongfi Kim, Vrije Univeresiteit Brussel (Belgium)

Discussant(CONFERENCE ROOM A)

10:00-13:30

PARALLEL SESSION 2: NATURAL SCIENCES
FOOD SYSTEMS FOR QUALITY, SAFETY AND FUNCTIONALITY.

(CONFERENCE ROOM B)

10:00-12:00

Theme 1: Food Systems for Quality and Safety.

Moderators

Prof. Ken-ichi Yoshida, Kobe University (Japan)
Prof. Stefan Weckx, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (Belgium)

Speakers

Prof. Hideyuki Mannen, Kobe University (Japan)‘Identification and utilization of responsible genes associated with beef quality in Japanese Wagyu’.
Prof. Stefaan de Smet, Ghent University (Belgium)‘The Belgian blue beef breed – brief overview of its meat quality characteristics’.
Prof. Hiromichi Itoh, Kobe University (Japan)‘Non-destructive measurement of plants for environmental control in plant factory’.
Prof. Wendy Meulebroeck, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (Belgium)‘Photonics enhanced sensors for monitoring of solid food products’.

12:00-12:20

Coffee and networking break

12:20-13:30

Theme 2: Food Systems for Functionality.

Moderators

Prof. Ken-ichi Yoshida, Kobe University (Japan)
Prof. Stefan Weckx, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (Belgium)

Speakers

Dr. Philippe Langella, INRA (France)‘Our intestinal microbiota as source of next-generation probiotics for animal and human health’.
Prof. Ro Osawa, Kobe University (Japan)‘A new horizon in evaluating functionality and safety of food components: an introduction of Kobe University humanintestinal model’.
General discussion wrapping up the two morning sessions (13:20-13:30).

10:00-13:30

PARALLEL SESSION 3: SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES(CONFERENCE ROOM C)PRESERVING THE PAST, CELEBRATING THE PRESENT, EMBRACING THE FUTURE: A NEW AGE FORCULTURAL HERITAGE RESEARCH IN EU AND JAPAN.

10:00-11:35

Theme 1: Celebrating the Present, Embracing the Future: Communities & Cultural Heritage.

Moderator

Mr.Patrick Vittet-Philippe, Kobe University Brussels European CentreSpeakers

Prof. Gàbor Sonkoly, ELTE University (Hungary)‘Current challenges facing heritage communities’.
Dr. Dorota Nigge, European Commission (EU)‘The European Year of Cultural Heritage: which lessons for cross-border, cross-cultures citizen engagement?-‘Prof. Arturo Rodriguez Morató University of Barcelona (Spain)(Unable to attend)‘Culture-led urban regeneration and the conundrum of social involvement in cultural heritage’.
Prof. Pascal Delheye, Ghent University (Belgium)(Unable to attend)‘Sport, heritage and cultural diversity: past, present and future’.
Prof. Michel Claessens, European Commission (EU), and Université Libre de Bruxelles (Belgium)‘Science as a cultural heritage’

11:35-11:55

Coffee and networking break

11:55-13:30

Theme 2: Making History Come Alive: New Challenges and Opportunities for Cultural Heritage
Institutions.

Moderator

Prof. Hiroko Masumoto, Kobe University (Japan)

Speakers

Prof. Simon Kaner, U. of East Anglia, Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts & Culture (UK)
‘Beyond ‘five minutes of fame’ - Japan heritage and globalising British Archaeology: two approaches to broadening
the appeal of ancient sites in contemporary landscapes’.
Prof. Makoto Goto, National Museum of Japanese History (Japan)‘Approach to protect and preserve historical and cultural resources with data infrastructure’ .
Dr. Heidi Buck-Albulet, University of Hamburg (Germany)‘Linked poetry (Renga) in contemporary Japan’.
Dr. Constanze Itzel, Director, House of European History (EU)‘Europe in one space: the House of European History’.

DiscussantProf. Marc Jacobs, University of Antwerp and Vrije Universiteit Brussel13:30-14:30

JAPANESE NETWORKING LUNCH

14:30-17:00

AFTERNOON - OPEN INTERACTIVE WORKSHOPS AND BROKERAGE EVENTS

14:30-17:00

OPEN INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP/BROKERAGE EVENT A:
NEW HORIZONS IN EU-JAPAN ECONOMIC RESEARCH.

Session leader

Prof. Masahiko Yoshii, Kobe University

Speakers:

Mr. Massimiliano Porto, Kobe University (Japan)‘Expectations of Japanese Small and Medium-sized Enterprises regarding the EU-Japan Economic Partnership
Agreement. An Analysis from an independent survey’.
Mr. Taro Nishikawa, KU Leuven (Belgium)‘Trade and Sustainable Development chapter in the Japan-EU Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA): potentialimpacts on Japanese trade policy and future Japan-EU cooperation’.
Dr. Felice Farina, University of Naples L'Orientale (Italy)‘The EU-Japan EPA: implications and prospects for Japan's agri-food sector’.

Participants
Objective

Morning session speakers and PhD students from KU Leuven, VUB and other European Universities.
To prepare joint EU-Japan research projects (including future H2020 and Horizon Europe Calls).

14:30-17:00 OPEN INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP B
FOOD RESEARCH IN TRADITION AND FUTURE.
Session leaders(CONFERENCE ROOM A)(CONFERENCE ROOM B)

Prof. Ken-ichi Yoshida, Kobe University, and Prof. Stefan Weckx, VUB

Speakers Part 1 – Tradition and research
Dr. Hideaki Shimizu, National Research Institute of Brewing (Japan)‘Wine making in Japan’.
Prof Luc de Vuyst, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (Belgium)‘Lambic beer fermentation and maturation, a matter of years’.
Part 2 – Future cooperation
Prof. Ken-ichi Yoshida, Kobe University (Japan)
Prof. Stefan Weckx, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (Belgium)
Ms. Inge Arents, Flanders FOOD (Belgium)‘Flanders’ FOOD, spearhead Cluster Agri-Food collaboration is key’.
Mr. Federico Perrone, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (Belgium)‘Evolution of the EU-Japanese collaboration under the new Research and Innovation funding scheme’.
Participants
Objective

Morning session speakers, additional experts, PhD students (VUB, Kobe, KU Leuven).
Open round table to share mutual scientific interests and discuss funding possibilities for international collaborative
projects. Two presentations (and tasting) of Japanese wine & Belgian beers.

14:30-17:00

OPEN INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP C:(CONFERENCE ROOM C)TOWARDS A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO CULTURAL HERITAGE RESEARCH: CHALLENGES & OPPORTUNITIES

Session leadersProf. Hiroshi Okumura and Prof. Hiroko Masumoto, Kobe University

Moderator

Prof. Simon Kaner, University of East Anglia (UK)

Speakers

Prof. Hiroshi Okumura, Kobe University (Japan)‘Regional historical heritage: ensuring that the historical culture of regional societies continues in the future’.
Prof. Masashi Amano, National Museum of Japanese History (Japan)‘Handling to damaged materials: methodology and views’.
Dr. Benedek Varga, Hungarian National Museum (Hungary)‘Museums and the discourse on heritage’.
Mr. Yusuke Tsukuma, Kobe University (Japan)‘Anecdotal reports on regional historical heritage protection and utilization’.

Participants
Objective

Morning session speakers, additional experts, PhD students.
To prepare joint EU-Japan research projects on Cultural Heritage issues, a priority issue for both the EU and Japan(including towards future Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe Calls).

17:00-17:15

CONCLUDING SESSION AND CLOSING REMARKS
Prof. Matsuto Ogawa, Executive Vice-President, Kobe University
Prof. Hugo Thienpont, Vice-Rector, Vrije Universiteit Brussel

17:15-18:30

NETWORKING RECEPTION AND DRINKS