KGRI Virtual Seminar Series: Japan and the World in the COVID-19 Era—Considering Whether the New Paradigm is a Crisis or an Opportunity

2020/10/14

COVID-19 has had a major impact on the world, nations, and individuals, and is expected to bring about changes that could be described as crustal movements in various fields. Japan issued a state of emergency as a response to the first wave of COVID-19 and overcame it through the struggles of medical professionals and the cooperation of the public. However, in the process, institutional fatigue such as the fragility of the information infrastructure and delays in technological innovation and social implementation became clear. Looking at the situation in other countries, COVID-19 is striking the vulnerable parts of society, and measures must be strengthened urgently. In particular, infections are spreading mainly in urban areas, and the need to proceed with measures while balancing both medical sciences and the economy has become widely recognized. Therefore, this seminar was planned as a platform to analyze the broad impact from multiple perspectives and discuss what should be implemented immediately, as well as measures to be considered from a medium- to long-term perspective in order to actively create a new society in the COVID-19 era.

Furthermore, this seminar served as a forum for sharing the expertise of specialists from different fields involved in KGRI's "Longevity" research. Although Japan is the country with the longest life expectancy in the world, the mortality rate from COVID-19 per 100,000 people remains at a fraction of that in Europe and the United States. There is high interest from overseas in this "Japan Miracle." Keio University currently serves as the lead university for "Population Ageing" research in the Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU), and it was decided to broadcast part of the seminar in English to overseas audiences via APRU.

The seminar series began on June 17 and was held four times bi-weekly in a completely virtual format. From the first to the third sessions, three lecturers gave presentations each time. In the final session, following a special lecture, an opportunity for a viewer-participation panel discussion was provided, with a Q&A session in English following the response in Japanese. The highlights of each session are as follows.

In the first session, after Masato Yasui, Director of KGRI and Professor at the Keio University School of Medicine, explained the purpose of this seminar and how KGRI will deal with the issue of the new coronavirus, "Medical Sciences and Science and Technology," which is the essence of COVID-19, was examined. First, Takeshi Kasai, WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific, emphasized that infections are continuing to spread, mainly in the United States and emerging countries, and since the infection is striking vulnerable parts of society, continuous effort and innovation are necessary. Jin Nakahara, Professor at the Keio University School of Medicine, introduced a project investigating the reasons why the number of deaths in Japan remains at a fraction of those in Europe and the United States. Kenjiro Takemura, Professor at the Keio University Faculty of Science and Technology, spoke about the possibility of building an innovation ecosystem for the post-COVID era that has emerged from specific collaboration cases between the School of Medicine and the Faculty of Science and Technology to overcome COVID-19.

The focus of the second session was on the economy, which must be balanced with medical sciences, and new ways of working to keep that economy running. Keiichiro Kobayashi, Research Director at the Tokyo Foundation for Policy Research, emphasized that medical sciences and the economy are interdependent, and that controlling infection is important from a macroeconomic standpoint. Yoko Ibuka, Professor at the Keio University Faculty of Economics, stated that as long as there are no vaccines or drugs, we have no choice but to rely on measures such as avoiding the "Three Cs," and that from a microeconomic perspective, it is necessary to design incentives and develop a social environment that encourages individual behavioral changes. Sachiko Kazami, Associate Professor at the Keio University Faculty of Business and Commerce, spoke about the need for changes in the thinking and specific actions of companies, society, and individuals, as remote work will become the default in the "With-Corona" era.

The theme of the third session was society, law, and the environment surrounding Japan. Toshihiro Nakayama, Professor at the Keio University Faculty of Policy Management, emphasized that the enormous impact of COVID-19 on society, the economy, and politics, combined with the acceleration of existing trends, will drastically change the international environment surrounding Japan. Tatsuhiko Yamamoto, Professor at the Keio University Law School, emphasized that in order to promote the disclosure and public use of personal information necessary for countermeasures, it is necessary to create an architecture that citizens agree upon and to adopt an attitude of utilizing information while protecting it. Mitsuo Wakameda, Senior Principal Investigator at the Japan Research Institute, emphasized that this COVID-19 crisis is also a good opportunity to carry out Japan's digitalization, which has been postponed, and that there is great potential in seeking coexistence between privacy protection and innovation rather than conflict.

In the fourth and final session, Keizo Takemi, a member of the House of Councillors, gave a special lecture pointing out the challenges of infectious disease control governance highlighted by the response to COVID-19, and clarified the future efforts of the ruling party. In the interactive session, a lively exchange of opinions took place with Ryoji Noritake, CEO of Health and Global Policy Institute, as the moderator, and Hideyuki Okano, Professor at the Keio University School of Medicine, introduced efforts toward new vaccine development.

Approximately 1,000 people (including 80 from overseas) registered for the four-part seminar series, with a breakdown of 43% students, 28% faculty and staff, and 29% working professionals. It is a great joy for the Juku as an academic institution that Keio University alumni and citizens, from high school and university students to seniors, were able to learn together. Furthermore, the implementation of this project has further strengthened cross-faculty initiatives and demonstrated the comprehensive strength of Keio University both internally and externally. We hope to continue providing a platform for discussion that meets the demands of the times.