[IPSS Annual Seminar / Development Cooperation Seminar] Reimagining Migration Policy: Towards a New Vision for the Age of Fragmentation

The JICA Ogata Sadako Research Institute for Peace and Development and the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research are co-hosting the seminar “ Reimagining Migration Policy: Towards a New Vision for the age of Fragmentation.” The world is currently facing a serious “age of fragmentation.” Conflicts over accepting immigrants and refugees are intensifying worldwide, and the rise of xenophobia and populism threatens the stability of the international community. However, developed countries, including Japan, are facing rapid aging population with low birth rates and labor shortages, making the acceptance of foreign workers essential for maintaining growth and social security systems.

In the fields of international cooperation and development, new approaches to international migration are also gaining attention. The World Development Report (WDR) published by the World Bank in 2023 focuses on international migration and presents concepts such as Global Skills Partnership as new possibilities for international migration that can lead to human development not only for sending and receiving countries but also for the migrants themselves.

“Migration” is no longer a distant global issue. We now see foreign workers in various settings, such as convenience store clerks, care facility staff, construction workers, and corporate engineers. They have become important members supporting our daily lives, local communities, and economic activities. In fact, the number of foreign workers in Japan continues to increase. Even in emerging and developing countries, which often serve as sending countries, the role of international migration cannot be ignored when considering their economic development and the well-being of their citizens.

In this seminar, we have invited world-renowned migration authorities, Christian Joppke (Professor at the University of bern, Switzerland) and Hein de Haas (Professor at the university of Amsterdam, Netherlands), to examine the increasingly complex migration issue from multiple perspectives and envision the future of Japan and the world. Where are global migration policies heading? How should we understand the relationship between international migration and development? How have these trends emerged, and what characteristics do they have? Are there ways to change the current situation? As we confront these urgent questions, we seek a new vision for this age of fragmentation.

The seminar will begin with an overview of global trend in international mobility and Japan’s position, based on current data. Then, Joppke and De Haas will report on the logic and prospects of current migration policies from their respective perspectives, as well as their visions for the future. The panel discussion will also include Gracia Liu-Farrer (Professor at Waseda University), who leads research on Japan’s transformation into an immigrant society, and Yoichi Mine (Executive Director of the JICA Ogata Research Institute), who studies migration from human security perspective. Through this multifaceted discussion among the four experts, we aim to find a compass for the new era.

This seminar will be an opportunity for participants to think together about Japan’s future and explore new forms of “coexistence.” We sincerely welcome your participation from a wide range of fields, regardless of specialized knowledge.

13:00 Doors Open/ Registration

13:30 Opening

13:30-13:35 Opening Remarks
● Reiko Hayashi, Director General, National Institute of Population and Social Security Research

13:35-13:45 Introduction①
●Yu Korekawa , Director, International Relations Department

13:45-13:55 Introduction②
●Kiyoko Saito , Senior Research Fellow, JICA Ogata Research Institute

14:00-15:00 Keynote speech①
● Christian Joppke, Professor Emeritus, University of Bern, Switzerland.

15:00-15:15　Break

15:15-16:15 Keynote speech②
● Hein de Hass , Professor, University of Amsterdam, Netherlands

16:15-16:30 Break

16:30-17:55 Panel Discussion and Q&A
●Christian Joppke, Professor Emeritus, University of Bern, Switzerland.
● Hein de Hass, Professor, University of Amsterdam, Netherlands
● Gracia Liu-Farrer , Professor, Waseda University
●Yoichi Mine , Executive Director, JICA Ogata Sadako Research Institute for Peace and Development

17:55-18:00 Closing Remarks
●Yoichi Mine, Executive Director, JICA Ogata Sadako Research Institute for Peace and Development

18:00 Closing

Please register by clicking here.
*Registration will be closed at noon June 11 (Japan time).

JICA Ogata Sadako Research Institute for Peace and Development（Mr. Masashi Hasegawa）
E-mail：ditas-rsunit@jica.go.jp