IAFOR > The Asian Conference on Cultural Studies (ACCS) > ACCS2025 > Programme

Programme

This page provides details of featured presentations, the conference schedule and other programming. For more information about presenters, please visit the Speakers page.

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Conference Outline

Sunday, May 11, 2025Monday, May 12, 2025Tuesday, May 13, 2025Wednesday, May 14, 2025Thursday, May 15, 2025Friday, May 16, 2025

Location: Toshi Center Hotel, Tokyo

14:00-14:40: Conference Check-in | Foyer (7F)

14:40-15:25: Pre-Conference Information Session | Room 701 (7F)
Melina Neophytou, IAFOR, Japan
Matthew Chima, IAFOR, Japan

This session provides an overview of what to expect at the conference, including guidance on preparing your presentation, publishing opportunities, and ways to engage with IAFOR. You will receive practical tips on setting up your presentation and understanding your role at the conference, including how to attract a larger audience to your session. We will also outline the publishing opportunities available, including how to submit your work to be published in the Conference Proceedings or IAFOR Journals. This session also offers a chance to explore the opportunities for deeper engagement, whether through networking with fellow delegates or getting involved more with IAFOR. Join us, and get ready to present, publish, and participate.

15:30-16:30: Pre-Conference Cultural Event | Room 701 (7F)
Kimono Dressing Demonstration
This is a free event open to all registered delegates
Delegates are invited to a special session focusing on the art of kimono dressing, featuring live demonstrations by kimono instructor Satoko Yamada.

18:00-20:00: Welcome Reception | The Public Red Akasaka
This is a free event open to all registered delegates

Location: Toshi Center Hotel, Tokyo

09:00-10:00: Conference Check-in & Coffee | Subaru Room (5F)

10:00-10:35: Welcome Address & Recognition of IAFOR Scholarship Winners | Orion Hall (5F) & Online
Joseph Haldane, IAFOR, Japan

10:35-11:05: Keynote Presentation | Orion Hall (5F) & Online
Swimming Together: World-Making with Everyday Practices
Rebecca Olive, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University, Australia
11:05-11:20: Q&A

11:30-12:30: Panel Presentation | Orion Hall (5F) & Online
Peace Education in Times of Conflict
Jun Arima, University of Tokyo, Japan
Kiichi Fujiwara, Juntendo University, Japan
Marie-Carine Lall, University College London, United Kingdom & Keio University, Japan
Umberto Ansaldo, VinUniversity, Vietnam (Moderator)

12:30-12:40: Conference Photograph

12:40-14:00: Extended Break

14:00-15:00: Featured Interview | Orion Hall (5F) & Online
Harnessing Technology and Artificial Intelligence for Displaced Population Empowerment
Fan Li, Stanford Social Innovation Review, Japan
Suzan Husseini, Waseda University, Japan

15:05-15:30: Keynote Presentation | Orion Hall (5F) & Online
Turning the Faucet to Full: Expanding the Use of Bormann’s Symbolic Convergence Theory (SCT) in Asian Humanities, Social Science, and Cultural Studies Research
Thomas G. Endres, University of Northern Colorado, United States
15:30-15:45: Q&A

15:45-16:30: Extended Coffee Break | Subaru Room (5F)

16:30-17:30: Conference Poster Session | Orion Hall (5F)

19:00-21:00: Conference Dinner | Shunju Tameikesanno
This is an optional ticketed event

Location: Toshi Center Hotel, Tokyo

09:15-09:45: Conference Check-in | Subaru Room (5F)

09:45-10:45: The Forum | Orion Hall (5F) & Online
Global Citizenship: Cultivating a Culture of Peace
Umberto Ansaldo, VinUniversity, Vietnam (Respondent)
Apipol Sae-Tung, IAFOR, Japan (Moderator)

10:45-11:15: Coffee Break

11:15-12:15: Haiku Workshop | Orion Hall (5F)
What is Haiku?
Emiko Miyashita, Haiku International Association, Japan
Kyoko Uchimura, Haiku International Association, Japan

12:15-13:45: Extended Break

13:45-15:25: Onsite Parallel Session 1
Room 603 (6F): ACCS | Third-Party Reproduction in Asia: The Case of Egg Donation in Japan (Symposium)
Room 604 (6F): ACSS | Social Welfare and Restorative Practices (Workshops)
Room 608 (6F): ACSS | People-Centric AI

15:25-15:40: Coffee Break

15:40-17:20: Onsite Parallel Session 2
Room 603 (6F): ACAH | Micro-Governance and Politics: East Asian Experience of Politics in Daily Life (Panel)
Room 604 (6F): ACSS | Arts Theory and Linguistics (Workshops)
Room 608 (6F): ACSS | Navigating Gen Z in the Workforce

Location: Toshi Center Hotel, Tokyo

09:00-09:30: Conference Check-in | Foyer (6F)

09:30-11:10: Onsite Parallel Session 1
Room 603 (6F): ACSS | Investigating Criminal Offenders' Mental Healthcare
Room 604 (6F): ACSS | Technology and Human Care for Psychological Well-being
Room 605 (6F): ACSS | Approaches to Digital Literacy
Room 607 (6F): ACAH | Curriculum Development
Room 608 (6F): ACAH | Digital Media and Human Emotions
Room 703 (7F): ACSS | Microaggressions and Marginality
Room 704 (7F): ACAH | Language Learning and Teaching
Room 705 (7F): ACCS | Gender Studies/Feminist Theory
Room 707 (7F): ACSS | Comparative Perspectives on Race and Human Rights
Room 708 (7F): ACSS | Urban Spaces in Comparative Urban Studies

11:10-11:25: Coffee Break

11:25-13:05: Onsite Parallel Session 2
Room 603 (6F): ACSS | Investigating Crimes Involving Children
Room 604 (6F): ACSS | Psychological Inclusivity and Well-being in Young Adults
Room 605 (6F): ACSS | Technology and Education for Environmental Sustainability
Room 607 (6F): ACAH | Approaches to Curriculum Design
Room 608 (6F): ACAH | Fantasy in Digital Media
Room 703 (7F): ACSS | Food Security and Sustainable Environment
Room 704 (7F): ACCS | Literature, Language and Culture
Room 705 (7F): ACCS | Queer and Feminist Theory
Room 707 (7F): ACSS | Education and Contemporary Development Issues
Room 708 (7F): ACCS | Architecture and Urban Studies/Design

13:05-13:20: Break

13:20-15:00: Onsite Parallel Session 3
Room 603 (6F): ACCS | Investigating Urban Crimes
Room 604 (6F): ACSS | Students' Academic Performance and Well-being
Room 605 (6F): ACSS | AI in Education Management
Room 607 (6F): ACAH | Academic Writing in Multilingual Classrooms
Room 608 (6F): ACSS | Online Media and Digital Information
Room 703 (7F): ACAH | Literature in Chinese Context
Room 704 (7F): ACCS | Education and Language
Room 705 (7F): ACCS | Culture and Gender
Room 707 (7F): ACSS | Linguistics
Room 708 (7F): ACAH | Art Movements in Contemporary Context

15:00-15:15: Coffee Break

15:15-16:55: Onsite Parallel Session 4
Room 603 (6F): ACAH | Comparative Studies on Law and Legality
Room 604 (6F): ACSS | The Future of Workforce and Entrepreneurship
Room 605 (6F): ACSS | AI in Education Services
Room 607 (6F): ACAH | Practices for Improving Learning Experiences and Outcomes
Room 608 (6F): ACCS | Idol, Influencer and Internet Culture
Room 703 (7F): ACCS | Interdisciplinary Environmental Studies
Room 704 (7F): ACCS | Education/Pedagogy
Room 705 (7F): ACCS | Race, Differences and Identity
Room 707 (7F): ACSS | Quantitative Research Models
Room 708 (7F): ACAH | Arts and Literature in Modern Society

16:55-17:10: Coffee Break

17:10-18:50: Onsite Parallel Session 5
Room 603 (6F): ACSS | Investigating Crimes and Criminal Proceedings
Room 604 (6F): ACCS | Culture, Media and Technology
Room 605 (6F): ACSS | Economics and Management
Room 607 (6F): ACCS | Education, Youth and Society
Room 608 (6F): ACSS | Social Media Effects
Room 703 (7F): ACSS | Healthcare and Social Assistance
Room 704 (7F): ACAH | Literature/Literary Studies
Room 705 (7F): ACSS | Family and Gender
Room 707 (7F): ACAH | Archival Research
Room 708 (7F): ACSS | Digital Marketing and Consumption Behaviour

Location: Toshi Center Hotel, Tokyo

08:30-09:00: Conference Check-in | Foyer (6F)

09:00-10:40: Onsite Parallel Session 1
Room 603 (6F): ACSS | Regimes and History of Politics
Room 604 (6F): ACAH | Religions and Values in Literature
Room 605 (6F): ACAH | DEI in Employment Sectors
Room 607 (6F): ACAH | Visual Arts Education and Practices
Room 608 (6F): ACSS | Cultural and Social Integration
Room 703 (7F): ACAH | Identity Representation in Arts and Films
Room 704 (7F): ACSS | Teachers' Professional Development
Room 705 (7F): ACCS | Media Studies
Room 707 (7F): ACCS | Public Safety and Culture
Room 708 (7F): ACSS | Creative Approaches to Local and Sustainable Tourism

10:40-10:55: Coffee Break

10:55-12:35: Onsite Parallel Session 2
Room 603 (6F): ACSS | Investigating Illegal Practices
Room 604 (6F): ACCS | Interdisciplinary Studies on Ancient Culture
Room 605 (6F): ACAH | Migration and Integration in Context
Room 607 (6F): ACCS | Social and Political Agendas in the Arts
Room 608 (6F): ACSS | Multiculturalism
Room 703 (7F): ACAH | Marginality in Literature
Room 704 (7F): ACSS | Teachers' Professional Development and Leadership
Room 705 (7F): ACCS | Visual Culture
Room 707 (7F): ACCS | Politics and Culture
Room 708 (7F): ACSS | Tourist Behaviour and Tourism Promotion

12:35-12:50: Break

12:50-14:30: Onsite Parallel Session 3
Room 603 (6F): ACAH | International Affairs
Room 604 (6F): ACCS | Spiritual Cultural Heritage and Education
Room 605 (6F): ACAH | Awareness and Preparedness in Environmental Issues
Room 607 (6F): ACAH | Language, Linguistics
Room 608 (6F): ACCS | Cultural Studies
Room 703 (7F): ACAH | Identity and Cultural Representation in Media
Room 704 (7F): ACAH | Teaching and Learning
Room 705 (7F): ACCS | Art and Technology
Room 707 (7F): ACCS | Indigenous Studies, History and Culture
Room 708 (7F): ACSS | Public Administration and Governance

14:30-14:45: Coffee Break

14:45-16:25: Onsite Parallel Session 4
Room 603 (6F): ACSS | International Politics and Cooperation
Room 604 (6F): ACAH | Religions in Everyday Life
Room 605 (6F): ACAH | The Academic Profession
Room 607 (6F): ACAH | Identity Representation Through Language and Symbols
Room 608 (6F): ACSS | Cultural Heritage in Context
Room 703 (7F): ACAH | Identities in Literature
Room 704 (7F): ACAH | Approaches to Education Management
Room 705 (7F): ACCS | Media Studies
Room 707 (7F): ACCS | Cultural Studies
Room 708 (7F): ACSS | Political Sociology and Approaches to Public Management

16:30-16:45: Onsite Closing Session | Room 608 (6F)

Location: Online via Zoom

09:55-10:00: Message from IAFOR

10:00-11:40: Online Parallel Session 1
Live-Stream Room 1: ACSS | Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Gender
Live-Stream Room 2: ACAH | Cultural Studies and Religion
Live-Stream Room 3: ACAH | Societal Representation in Arts and Literature
Live-Stream Room 4: ACAH | AI as Tools and Agents
Live-Stream Room 5: ACSS | Public Services and Governance

11:40-11:50: Short Break

11:50-13:05: Online Parallel Session 2
Live-Stream Room 1: ACSS | Psychology and Counselling
Live-Stream Room 2: ACAH | History and Literature Studies
Live-Stream Room 3: ACAH | Approaches to Arts Teaching
Live-Stream Room 4: ACCS | Media Studies
Live-Stream Room 5: ACSS | Inclusivity in Context

13:05-13:15: Short Break

13:15-14:30: Online Parallel Session 3
Live-Stream Room 1: ACCS | Cultural Studies
Live-Stream Room 2: ACAH | Language Education
Live-Stream Room 3: ACCS | Visual Culture
Live-Stream Room 4: ACCS | Media and Design
Live-Stream Room 5: ACSS | Online Media and Journalism

14:30-14:40: Short Break

14:40-16:20: Online Parallel Session 4
Live-Stream Room 1: ACCS | Cultural Studies
Live-Stream Room 2: ACAH | Comparative Arts Practices and Education
Live-Stream Room 3: ACSS | Education / Pedagogy
Live-Stream Room 4: ACSS | Social Issues
Live-Stream Room 5: ACSS | Contemporary Development Issues

16:20-16:25: Closing Message from IAFOR

The above schedule may be subject to change.

Featured Presentations

  • Swimming Together: World-Making with Everyday Practices
    Swimming Together: World-Making with Everyday Practices
    Keynote Presentation: Rebecca Olive
  • Peace Education in Times of Conflict
    Peace Education in Times of Conflict
    Panel Presentation: Umberto Ansaldo, Jun Arima, Kiichi Fujiwara
  • Turning the Faucet to Full: Expanding the Use of Bormann’s Symbolic Convergence Theory (SCT) in Asian Humanities, Social Science, and Cultural Studies Research
    Turning the Faucet to Full: Expanding the Use of Bormann’s Symbolic Convergence Theory (SCT) in Asian Humanities, Social Science, and Cultural Studies Research
    Keynote Presentation: Thomas G. Endres
  • Global Citizenship: Cultivating a Culture of Peace
    Global Citizenship: Cultivating a Culture of Peace
    Forum Discussion: Apipol Sae-Tung, Umberto Ansaldo

Speakers

  • Harnessing Technology and Artificial Intelligence for Displaced Population Empowerment
    Harnessing Technology and Artificial Intelligence for Displaced Population Empowerment
    Panel Presentation: Fan Li, Souzan Housseini
  • Umberto Ansaldo
    Umberto Ansaldo
    VinUniversity, Vietnam
  • Jun Arima
    Jun Arima
    University of Tokyo, Japan
  • Thomas G. Endres
    Thomas G. Endres
    University of Northern Colorado, United States
  • Kiichi Fujiwara
    Kiichi Fujiwara
    Juntendo University, Japan
  • Suzan Husseini
    Suzan Husseini
    Waseda University, Japan
  • Marie Lall
    Marie Lall
    University College London, United Kingdom and Keio University, Japan
  • Fan Li
    Fan Li
    Stanford Social Innovation Review, Japan
  • Emiko Miyashita
    Emiko Miyashita
    Haiku International Association, Japan
  • Rebecca Olive
    Rebecca Olive
    Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University, Australia
  • Apipol Sae-Tung
    Apipol Sae-Tung
    IAFOR, Japan
  • Kyoko Uchimura
    Kyoko Uchimura
    Haiku International Association, Japan

Final Programme

The online version of the Conference Programme is now available to view below via the Issuu viewing platform. Alternatively, download a PDF version. The Conference Programme can also be viewed on the Issuu website (requires a web browser). An Issuu app is available for Android users.

Click to download as a PDF

The Conference Programme contains access information, session information and a detailed day-to-day presentation schedule.

Important Information Emails

All registered attendees will receive an Important Information email and updates in the run-up to the conference. Please check your email inbox for something from "iafor.org". If you can not find these emails in your normal inbox, it is worth checking in your spam or junk mail folders as many programs filter out emails this way. If these did end up in one of these folders, please add the address to your acceptable senders' folder by whatever method your email program can do this.

Pre-Recorded Virtual Presentations & Virtual Poster Presentations

A number of presenters have submitted pre-recorded virtual video presentations or virtual poster presentations. We encourage you to view these presentations and provide feedback through the comments.

Virtual Video Presentations

Previous Programming

View details of programming for past ACCS conferences via the links below.

ACCS2024 ACCS2023
ACCS2022 ACCS2021 ACCS2020
ACCS2019 ACCS2018 ACCS2017
ACCS2016 ACCS2015 ACCS2014
ACCS2013 ACCS2012 ACCS2011
Swimming Together: World-Making with Everyday Practices
Keynote Presentation: Rebecca Olive

As temperatures rise, biodiversity decreases, and conflicts escalate, the pressing need for us to find new ways to live with the world is well established. However, the challenge of the enduring ideology of human exceptionalism over nature continues to dominate so much of the thinking that guides policies, governance, and decision making at individual, local, national, and international levels. Challenging ideologies is easy when it is in theory, but changing them is more difficult in practice. Colonial and capitalist sorceries (Pignarre and Stengers, 2011) have established deep infrastructures of the heart (Slater, In Press), that alienate us from each other, making the mobilisation necessary for change a difficult task to achieve.

Drawing on ecofeminist, posthuman, and First Nations theories and scholarship, this presentation explores how everyday practices can be powerful in helping us feel human-ecological relationships in meaningful, consequential ways. With a focus on swimming, it explores how sports and physical activities offer an unexpected way to activate more ecological ethics of planetary care. Through swimming, we become one with the water and feel our interconnected vulnerability – we are part of the food chain, we absorb the pollution, we swim with multiple ancestors, we share the stories of what we see and feel. In this way, swimming, and other sports, can act as a form of reorientation to the possibilities of our shared world.

Read presenter's biography
Peace Education in Times of Conflict
Panel Presentation: Umberto Ansaldo, Jun Arima, Kiichi Fujiwara

This panel addresses the challenges that peace education faces in a time of multiple conflicts,
increased nationalism, and continued military build-up across the globe. Compared to just a decade ago, we are witnessing the rise of an anti-globalist agenda of a divisive nature as well as increased public narratives about the need for armaments and nuclear options. The aim of this panel is to evaluate the current state of peace education curricula in Japan and beyond and discuss the challenges it currently faces. The panellists will draw upon their shared expertise in peace education development to address the following questions:

  • 1. Where has there been clear evidence of progress in peace education development?
  • 2. What are the biggest challenges in implementing successful peace education curricula? (at all stages of education)
  • 3. What (more) can academics do to foster a culture of peace in future generations?
    • Read presenters' biographies
    Turning the Faucet to Full: Expanding the Use of Bormann’s Symbolic Convergence Theory (SCT) in Asian Humanities, Social Science, and Cultural Studies Research
    Keynote Presentation: Thomas G. Endres

    Humans are storytellers. Therefore, scholars – whether they be from the arts and humanities, the social sciences, or cultural studies – need the means to assess and interpret the symbolic narratives found within communities. Over the past two decades, a faucet has been turned on low, and a small stream of Asian scholars have started to use Ernest Bormann’s Symbolic Convergence Theory (SCT) as their theory and method of choice. The flow of research – examining heroes, villains, settings, and plotlines – has been slow but steady; now, in this address, SCT expert Thomas G. Endres plans to turn the faucet to full. In sharing both the body of work done throughout Asia and his own studies, which range from rhetorical analysis to quantitative research, both emerging and established scholars can assess SCT’s utility as an insightful tool. Hopefully the steady stream of this theoretical framework will expand, as SCT is further applied across a variety of Asian Pacific publications and presentations.

    Read presenter's biography
    Global Citizenship: Cultivating a Culture of Peace
    Forum Discussion: Apipol Sae-Tung, Umberto Ansaldo

    Global citizenship is a concept that has become central to how we can create a more just, equitable, and peaceful world. The challenge of global citizenship is finding a way to cultivate a ‘culture of peace’ that transcends borders and ideologies despite our differences. As our world simultaneously becomes more interconnected and polarised, it is crucial to explore the role of education, systems, and societal practices in shaping the values and actions of future global leaders and citizens.

    According to Brazil’s Federal Prosecutor Luciana Asper, ‘nobody is born corrupt or an excellent citizen. It’s really a matter of learning and being exposed to tools and experiences that will change your mind, your heart, and your behaviour.’ UNESCO has highlighted the importance of cultivating ‘A Culture of Peace’ that encourages dialogue, understanding, and respect for diversity. Universities have proven time and time again to be in a unique position to challenge traditional notions of conflict and competition while promoting alternative ways of collaboration.

    However, are universities today in a good position to engage in peace education, or is it too late by the time students join them? Can we cultivate peace by developing systems that discourage competition and encourage collaboration? Is peace at all possible, or is conflict part of human DNA? IAFOR is inviting delegates to this Forum session to discuss how education, systems, and societal practices can influence the prospects for peace.

    Read presenters' biographies
    Harnessing Technology and Artificial Intelligence for Displaced Population Empowerment
    Panel Presentation: Fan Li, Souzan Housseini

    In 2022, the global population of forcibly displaced people exceeded 100 million, with projections to surpass 130 million by 2024. At the same time, the International Monetary Fund predicts a global shortfall of 85 million digital workers by 2030, highlighting an urgent need for skilled labor in technology-driven sectors. Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies are increasingly being utilised for displaced population empowerment, while keeping its societal implications and envisioning a more inclusive and equitable digital future in mind.

    This panel will explore how technology and AI can empower displaced populations by creating work opportunities and fostering skill development. Originally from Syria, Ms Souzan Husseini currently leads AI training at Robo Co-op, and will share insights on combining up-skilling programs with paid tech work to integrate displaced youth into the global digital economy. Beyond such opportunities, the panel will also examine the other side of AI and technology, reviewing the current state of AI development and the significant societal challenges it presents. Strategies for addressing these concerns and the role of the social innovation sector in building equitable solutions will be outlined.

    Read presenters' biographies
    Umberto Ansaldo
    VinUniversity, Vietnam

    Biography

    Professor Umberto Ansaldo is currently Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at VinUniversity, Vietnam. He previously served as Head of the School of Media, Creative Arts and Social Inquiry at Curtin University, Australia from 2021 through 2023, Head of the School of Literature, Art and Media at the University of Sydney, Australia from 2018 through 2020, and Head of the School of Humanities at HKU, where he taught from 2009 to 2018.

    Professor Ansaldo’s disciplinary roots are in linguistics, specifically in the study of language contact, linguistic typology, and language documentation. He is the author of four books to date (with CUP, OUP, Routledge, and Stockholm University Press), has edited or co-edited 11 volumes and journal special collections, and has authored multiple journal articles and book chapters. His most recent publication is the co-editorship of The Routledge Handbook of Pidgin and Creole Languages (Routledge, 2021).

    At HKU, Professor Ansaldo led the Humanities Area of Inquiry on the Common Core Curriculum Committee in HKU’s major revision of its curriculum (2010-2013), a time when, along with the University of Melbourne, Australia, HKU was leading in reimagining undergraduate curricula. As Chair of Linguistics, he was instrumental in establishing the Department within the top ten programmes in Linguistics (QS rankings), with the programme ranking at number one in Hong Kong.

    At the University of Sydney, Professor Ansaldo sat on the University Executive Research Committee and led his School through a transformative period in terms of curriculum innovation and research engagement. He was in charge of overseeing the incorporation of the Sydney College of the Arts into the Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences.

    Professor Ansaldo has secured competitive research grants and leveraged industry funding for the advancement of the humanities and social sciences throughout his career. One of his proudest achievements was his role in securing financial support to develop and host an exhibition on language and the brain, the ‘Talking Brains’ exhibition at the CosmoCaixa in Barcelona, Spain in 2017. This type of engagement and championing of the Humanities is what Umberto is most passionate about.

    Professor Ansaldo has lived and worked in Sweden, The Netherlands, Singapore, Australia, and Hong Kong. and speaks seven languages, including Mandarin. He is well-acquainted with Asia and has conducted fieldwork in Muslim communities of the Indian Ocean, and has developed strong international networks in Southeast Asia, Japan, and Europe.

    Panel Presentation (2025) | Peace Education in Times of Conflict

    Previous Presentations

    Keynote Presentation (2024) | Can Today’s Universities Contribute to a Better Future?
    Panel Presentation (2022) | Indigenous Ways of Knowing, Precarity and Resilience
    Jun Arima
    University of Tokyo, Japan

    Biography

    Professor Jun Arima is the President of IAFOR, and the senior academic officer of the organisation. In this role, Professor Arima is the Honorary Chair of the International Academic Advisory Board, as well as both the Academic Governing Board and its Executive Committee. He also sits on the IAFOR Board of Directors.

    Jun Arima was formerly Director General of the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), UK from 2011 to 2015 and Special Advisor on Global Environmental Affairs for the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), Japan, from 2011 to 2015. He has previously held various international energy/environment-related positions, including: Head of Division, Country Studies, International Energy Agency (IEA); Director, International Affairs Division, Agency of Natural Resources and Energy, METI; and Deputy Director General for Environmental Affairs at METI’s Industrial Science and Technology Policy and Environment Bureau. In the COP (UN Convention on Climate Change) 14, 15 and 16, he was Japanese Chief Negotiator for AWG-KP.

    Since 2015 Jun Arima has been a Professor at the University of Tokyo, Japan, where he teaches Energy Security, International Energy Governance, and Environmental Policies in the Graduate School of Public Policy. (GraSPP). He is also currently a Consulting Fellow at the Japanese Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI). He is also Executive Senior Fellow at the 21st Century Public Policy Institute, Principal Researcher at the International Environmental and Economic Institute (IEEI), Distinguished Senior Policy Fellow, at the Asia Pacific Institute of Research (APIR), Senior Policy Fellow on Energy and Environment, Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA), and was the Lead Author, the 6th Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change (IPCC).

    Panel Presentation (2025) | Peace Education in Times of Conflict
    Thomas G. Endres
    University of Northern Colorado, United States

    Biography

    Dr Thomas G. Endres is Professor of Communication Studies at the University of Northern Colorado, United States, where he coordinates the university’s Communication Studies Extended Campus online degree completion program and teaches for the university's honours and leadership programs. In a career marked primarily by administrative (chair or director) responsibilities, Dr Endres found time to conduct research in the areas of pedagogy, popular culture, and the use of story to create rhetorical communities. He has published several dozen refereed articles, book chapters, conference proceedings, and an encyclopaedia entry, applying Bormann’s Symbolic Convergence Theory to the study of such communities: examining diverse collectives such as single mothers, father-daughter dyads, laity in the Catholic church, and tattooed people. He is author and photographer of two books: ‘Sturgis Stories: Celebrating the People of the World’s Largest Motorcycle Rally’ and ‘My Costume, Myself: Celebrating Stories of Cosplay and Beyond,’ and co-author with Deanna D. Sellnow on Sage's 4th edition of ‘The Rhetorical Power of Popular Culture: Considering Mediated Texts.’ He has delivered more than 250 presentations, workshops, and keynote addresses across the United States and abroad, including presentations in Austria, China, the Czech Republic, Japan, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, and the United Kingdom. He lives in Greeley, Colorado, with his wife, Maki Notohara Endres.

    Keynote Presentation (2025) | Turning the Faucet to Full: Expanding the Use of Bormann's Symbolic Convergence Theory (SCT) in Asian Humanities, Social Science, and Cultural Studies Research
    Kiichi Fujiwara
    Juntendo University, Japan

    Biography

    Kiichi Fujiwara is a Professor in the Graduate School of International Liberal Arts at Juntendo University and Professor Emeritus of the University of Tokyo, Japan. He taught International Politics at the Graduate Schools of Law and Politics and the Graduate School of Public Policy until 2022. Professor Fujiwara founded the Institute for Future Initiatives at the University of Tokyo, a university think-tank that engages in multidisciplinary approaches to global challenges. His publications include Remembering the War (2001), A Democratic Empire (2002), Is There Really a Just War? (2003), Peace for Realists (winner of the Ishibashi Tanzan award, 2005), International Politics (2007), Conditions of War (2013), A Destabilizing World (2020), and Predatory Imperialism (forthcoming). Professor Fujiwara is a commentator on international affairs and writes a monthly column for Asahi Shinbun. He is also a film buff, and serves as a film reviewer for the NHK.

    Panel Presentation (2025) | Peace Education in Times of Conflict
    Suzan Husseini
    Waseda University, Japan

    Biography

    Suzan Husseini is a PhD candidate at the Graduate School of Asia-Pacific Studies, Waseda University, Japan. Her doctoral research focuses on refugee-background students' integration and education pathways in Japan.

    Ms Husseini is a Co-Delegate of EmPATHy, a youth organisation that includes Japanese students and people of refugee backgrounds with the aim of aiding forcibly displaced persons in Japan. She is also involved in Japan Bridge, a group that was initiated to support earthquake-affected families in Syria and Turkey and expanded its activities to advocacy in Japan.

    Ms Husseini has over three years of experience working with international NGOs such as the Qatar Red Crescent and Global Communities. She also has nine years of experience as a translator, five years of experience working at the British Council, Japan, and is currently a project officer at Pathways Japan. Her work continues to bridge academic research with practical advocacy to support refugee empowerment through education.

    Featured Interview (2025) | Harnessing Technology and Artificial Intelligence for Displaced Population Empowerment
    Marie Lall
    University College London, United Kingdom and Keio University, Japan

    Biography

    Professor Marie Lall is a South Asia expert, with 30 years of experience in the region specialising in political issues and education in India, Pakistan, and Burma/Myanmar. Her political research focuses on the domestic and foreign policy of South Asia. Her education expertise encompasses Education Policy, Higher Education, Teacher Training, and Language of Instruction. She has a particular interest in the linkage between national identity, citizenship, and education. She has authored over 100 publications, including 12 widely cited books.

    In South Asia and internationally, she has been instrumental in providing thought leadership to development agencies, policy makers, and governments. She has worked with the World Bank, UNICEF, the British Council, AUSAID, South Asian philanthropic bodies, and government ministries.

    Professor Lall is the former Pro-Vice-Provost for South Asia at University College London (UCL), United Kingdom, where she was instrumental in developing four UCL university partnerships with India‘s top-ranking universities in engineering, medicine, aerospace, and science. She is currently a Visiting Professor at Keio University, Japan.

    Professor Lall completed a Bachelor of Science in Economics and a PhD from the London School of Economics and Political Sciences (LSE), and her MPhil from Cambridge University, United Kingdom.

    Panel Presentation (2025) | Peace Education in Times of Conflict
    Fan Li
    Stanford Social Innovation Review, Japan

    Biography

    Inspired by the power of people with vision and determination to make the world a better place, Ms Fan Li has spent the last 20 years working to connect, engage, and catalyse innovators and change makers in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond.

    Ms Li founded Global Links Initiative with Mr Robin Rowland in 2003, a nonprofit organisation that fostered practical links among social entrepreneurs around the world. She was a founding member of the China-US Strategic Philanthropy Partnership (CUSP), a leading network that promotes research, exchange, and collaboration between the philanthropic sectors of China and the United States, and worked with CUSP from 2010 to 2016. Ms Li connected and advised partnership building in Japan and China from 2009 to 2012, which resulted in the first China-Japan social joint venture in sustainable farming.

    Ms Li is co-editor-in-chief of Stanford Social Innovation Review China. She also serves as East Asia Regional Representative for Alliance magazine and East Asia Advisor for WINGS (Worldwide Initiatives for Grant-maker Support). She is currently based in Tokyo and runs the East Asia Social Innovation Study Group, a community of research, dialogue, and knowledge sharing on social innovation in East Asia.

    Featured Interview (2025) | Harnessing Technology and Artificial Intelligence for Displaced Population Empowerment
    Emiko Miyashita
    Haiku International Association, Japan

    Biography

    Emiko Miyashita is a prominent and widely published haiku poet, as well as an award-winning translator who has given invited lectures and workshops around the world. She serves as a councillor for the Haiku International Association, as well as secretary of the Haiku Poets Association International Department in Tokyo. She is a dojin (leading member) of Ten’i (Providence) haiku group lead by Dr Akito Arima, and also a dojin of the Shin (Morning Sun), haiku group lead by Dr Akira Omine. From January 2008, until March 2010, she judged and wrote an English-language haiku column with Michael Dylan Welch every first Sunday in the Asahi weekly paper.

    Haiku Workshop (2025) | What Is Haiku?

    Previous Presentations

    Haiku Workshop (2024) | What Is Haiku?
    Rebecca Olive
    Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University, Australia

    Biography

    Dr Rebecca Olive is a Vice Chancellor's Senior Research Fellow in the Centre for Urban Research at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University, Australia. She leads the research theme of ‘Regenerative Environments and Climate Action’ at the Centre. Dr Olive also serves as the current President of the Cultural Studies Association of Australasia (CSAA). With a background in feminist cultural studies of sport and leisure, her current work explores how recreational sports shape our relationships to ecologies. In this work, she focuses on swimming and surfing to understand human relationships to coasts and the ocean, and has a growing focus on urban swimming including at beaches and in rivers and pools. She has a co-edited book, Women in Action Sport Cultures, and recently co-edited special issues in the Journal of Sport and Social Issues, Journal of Sport History, and Health and Place. Aside from academic publications, Dr Olive is active in community and public engagement, including community presentations and contributions to national and international media. You can learn more about this work at her website https://movingoceans.com.

    Keynote Presentation (2025) | Swimming Together: World-Making with Everyday Practices
    Apipol Sae-Tung
    IAFOR, Japan

    Biography

    Apipol Sae-Tung is an Academic Coordinator at IAFOR, where he contributes to the development and execution of academic-related content and activities. He works closely with the Forum’s partner institutions and coordinates IAFOR’s Global Fellowship Programme. His recent activities include mediating conference reports for the Forum’s international conference programme and facilitating the IAFOR Undergraduate Research Symposium (IURS).

    Mr Sae-Tung began his career as a Program Coordinator for the Faculty of Political Science at Chulalongkorn University, Thailand. He was awarded the Japanese Government’s MEXT Research Scholarship and is currently pursuing a PhD at the Graduate School of International Development, Nagoya University, Japan. His research focuses on government and policy analysis, particularly on authoritarian regimes. He currently takes part in research projects on international student education in Thailand, Southeast Asian politics, Japan-Asia digital economy, and AI-language model training.

    Mr Sae-Tung holds an MA in International Relations and Diplomacy from Thammasat University, Thailand, where he studied foreign policy analysis and Thailand-China relations. He also holds a BA in History from the same institution, with a focus on modern Western and Southeast Asian comparative history and historiography.

    Mr Sae-Tung has interned for the United Nations Centre for Regional Development (UNCRD) in Japan, and the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in Thailand. He served on the Lifelong Learning Team while with UNESCO, working specifically on projects enhancing education access through online platforms among Thai NEET individuals and supporting Myanmar migrant children, providing shelters and access to proper education along the Thai-Myanmar border.

    Forum Discussion (2025) | TBA
    Kyoko Uchimura
    Haiku International Association, Japan

    Biography

    Ms Kyoko Uchimura is a haiku poet born in Tokyo. She earned a BA in Art History from International Christian University, Japan, and studied at the University of Sussex, United Kingdom, from 1988 to 1989 as an exchange student. She worked for Christie’s art auction house from 1990 to 2014, contributing her expertise there for over twenty years.

    Ms Uchimura began writing haiku in 2002, receiving the New Talent Award of the haiku group ‘Ten’I’, led by Dr Akito Arima, in 2008. She recently won first prize in the group’s essay contest in 2023. In 2013, she published her first haiku collection, titled ‘Venus’. She is currently a member of the Association of Haiku Poets in Japan.

    Since 2014, Ms Uchimura has worked in an editorial role for Ten’I and the Haiku International Association since 2018, where she serves as a councilor and is responsible for editing the association’s quarterly haiku magazine, ‘HI’. She often writes short reviews for other haiku magazines. She has supported the administrative office of the Haiku UNESCO Promotion Council since 2018.

    Haiku Workshop (2025) | What is Haiku?