[Event Information]
The 5th GSDM International Symposium
” Population Decline in Japan: Can Artificial Intelligence Balance Labour Shortage?”
2nd Mar, 2018 　　13:30-17:20
(Ito Hall, Ito International Research Center, Hongo Campus of the University of Tokyo)

Purposes: Evaluate the impact of population dynamics on the Japanese labour market and analyse the role that could be played by Artificial Intelligence to mitigate potentially adverse impacts.
　
　According to governmental projections, the population of Japan is expected to decrease by 30% by 2065. Such an unprecedented event will have a dramatic and durable impact on the Japanese labour market. All sectors of the economy – in particular manufacturing and heavy industry – will suffer from an acute shortage of workforce.
　Nevertheless, while being one of the most demographically fragile countries on the planet, Japan is also one of the most technologically advanced. The rise of Artificial Intelligence, often pictured as a potential threat to employment, could also be seen as a solution or at least as an easing factor. Consequently, the following question arises: to what extent can AI help to mitigate the impact of population decline on the labour market, in the short, mid- and long-term?
　As Japan stands out as a forerunner in the demographic crisis currently affecting most developed countries, this symposium will gather a wide range of domestic specialists from academia, industry, government, employers’ associations, and labour unions to discuss its future. Moreover, beyond domestic considerations, foreign specialists will be invited to share with us best practices from all over the world.
　The University of Tokyo, the most prominent academic institution in Japan, has a great responsibility for the shaping of the country’s future. Its GSDM programme, aimed at solving social issues by fostering multi-disciplinary research, considers it as a high priority to expand and deepen, through the hosting of this symposium, this debate for the sustainability of the Japanese economy, a topic which will certainly surge to prominence in the years and decades to come.
　
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Date	:	13:30-17:20, Friday, March 2nd, 2018
Venue	:	Ito Hall, Ito International Research Center, Hongo Campus of the University of Tokyo
Admission	:	Free
Language	:	Japanese/English (Simultaneous interpretation)
Registration	:	Please register from here.
Hosted by	:	Global Leader Program for Social Design and Management(GSDM), the University of Tokyo

　
Program
13:30-13:50 Opening
● Official opening and introduction of the first speaker
　Yun-Chieh Wang, GSDM student
● University opening remarks
　Hiroo FUKUDA, Executive Vice President, The University of Tokyo
● Symposium Coordinator opening remarks
　Quentin Verspieren, GSDM student
　
13:50-14:20 Scene Setting
● Vision of Rengo
　Yasunobu Aihara, General Secretary, RENGO(Japanese Trade Union Confederation)
● Viewpoints of Industry
　Kazuo Yano, Corporate Officer, Corporate Chief Scientist, Hitachi, Ltd.
　
14:20-14:55 Cross-cutting session
● Keynote speech 1
　Dominique Guellec, Head of the Science and Technology Policy (STP) Division,
　Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
● Keynote speech 2
　Yoichi Ochiai, Associate Professor, Advisor to President, University of Tsukuba /
　CEO, Pixie Dust Technologies Dust Technologies
　
14:55-15:05 Break
　
15:05-16:10 Panel debate session (part 1)
● Introduction from the moderator
　Hideaki Shiroyama, GSDM Program Coordinator, / Professor, Graduate Schools for
　Law and Politics, Graduate School of Public Policy, the University of Tokyo
● Debate part 1
　
16:10-16:20 Break
　
16:20-17:00 Panel debate session (part 2)
● Debate part 2
● Summary from the moderator
　Hideaki Shiroyama
　
17:00-17:20 Closing remarks
● Closing remarks
　Mamoru Mitsuishi, Executive Director and Vice President / Professor, Graduate
　School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo / GSDM Deputy Program Coordinator
● Closing remarks from the symposium student team
　Asami Takahashi, GSDM student
● Official closing
　Yun-Chieh Wang
　
Panelists
– Sadanori Ito, Counsellor, Human Resources Policy Office, Economic and
　Industrial Policy Bureau, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI)
– Dominique Guellec
– Yoichi Ochiai
– Masahiro Fukuhara, Founder and CEO, Institution for a Global Society (IGS)/
　Visiting Professor, Keio University / Adjunct Professor, Hitotsubashi University
– Pilar Manchon, Director of Cognitive Interfaces at Amazon AI