International Education Seminar (Lecture) by JICA's CDO on Digital Transformation (DX) and International Cooperation for Kyoto University Graduate School Students
Day：2024.12.11
event ｜
Event Summary
Event Name: International Education Seminar (Lecture) by JICA's CDO on Digital Transformation (DX) and International Cooperation for Kyoto University Graduate School Students1
Date: November 29, 2024 (Friday), 17:30-19:00
Organizer: Graduate School of Advanced Integrated Studies in Human Survivability (GSAIS), Kyoto University, Japan2
Venue: GSAIS, Kyoto University
Main Participants
Opening Remarks: Mr. MAKINO Koji, Program-Specific Professor, GSAIS, Kyoto University
Lecturer: Mr. TOJIMA Hitoshi, Chief Digital Officer (CDO), JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency)3
Participants: GSAIS students, students from other faculties and graduate schools of Kyoto University, and others (about 60 people in total)
Content
Established in 2013, the Graduate School of Advanced Integrated Studies in Human Survivability (GSAIS) at Kyoto University is a five-year doctoral program aimed at nurturing global talents. It strives to create a new field of study that transcends the barriers of liberal arts and sciences, focusing on the survival and future of human beings as well as industrial and social systems. It also tackles global and complex issues with an interdisciplinary approach that lies between traditional academic research and business practices expected by society.
This time, Mr. TOJIMA Hitoshi, Chief Digital Officer (CDO) of JICA, was invited to the 2nd International Education Seminar 2024, a compulsory course for GSAIS students, which takes place three times a year. He delivered a lecture in English4 to about 60 participants, mainly GSAIS students, on the overview of international cooperation by Japan and JICA and the digital transformation (DX) JICA is promoting.
1 Kyoto Univ. GSAIS: 2nd Internat'l Education Seminar 2024 "JICA's Digital Transformation (DX) and Internat'l Cooperation"
2 SHISHU-KAN, Kyoto Univeristy Graduate School of Advanced Integrated Studies in Human Survivability
3 About JICA - JICA
4 Since GSAIS aims to cultivate global talents, and it also receives many international students, most of the lectures are conducted in English at school.
（Photo of the lecture by CDO Tojima）
After a greeting from Mr. MAKINO Koji, Program-Specific Professor of GSAIS, CDO Tojima gave a lecture for about an hour on 1) the significance of Japan's international cooperation and an overview of JICA, 2) what DX is, 3) JICA's "DX Vision"5 and "Digital for Development" in the "Global Agenda" (JICA’s thematic strategies)6, and 4) challenges and future directions of JICA's DX.
（Outline of the lecture）
After the lecture, the participants enjoyed an active Q&A session with CDO Tojima for 30 minutes. For example, he introduced an initiative to digitize the maternal and child health handbook7, which had been distributed before the current conflict and was quite useful for polio vaccination for children in conflict areas in Palestine this autumn, as an example of JICA’s contribution to well-being in DX. He also discussed the importance of dealing with the negative impacts and downside risks of digitalization in developing countries (digital divide, cyber-attacks, etc.), such as improving digital literacy and cybersecurity, and the need for regulations and safeguards in the use of generative AI.
In an international society where interdependence is progressing and compound crises continue, JICA would like to actively utilize opportunities for seminars and lectures like this GSAIS seminar to deepen the understanding of undergraduate and graduate students, responsible for the future of Japan and the world, about the development cooperation carried out by Japan and JICA, and the promotion of digitalization and DX within it, as well as to stimulate their interest in the efforts of the international community, including developing countries and Japan.
5 JICA DX Vision - ３Transformations and 9 Actions ｜ About JICA - JICA
6 Digital for Development ｜ What We Do - JICA
7 Growing Together：15 Years of UNRWA Experience with Japan’s Maternal and Child Health Handbook ｜ News＆Publication - JICA
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