“Future Exploration 2050” IFI Seminar – Exploring the Future of Knowledge – 2nd Seminar: The future of earth where people live

In the 21st century, where science and technology are advancing at an accelerating pace and international society is undergoing turbulent changes, we are increasingly concerned about the future. As we witness the progress of information and communication technologies and biotechnologies, and look back at the turbulence in the international society caused by the global spread of the COVID-19 disaster that began in 2020, it is obvious that simply looking to the future based on past experiences and events is insufficient.

One thing that will certainly play an increasing role in the future is knowledge. Modern society is increasingly becoming a knowledge-intensive society where new values are created through knowledge, and in order to look into the future, we need to consider the knowledge that will be produced in the future. Moreover, collaborative creation among researchers in various fields and with stakeholders in society will be important.

In this series of seminars, which will be held three times in a row, based on the book “Future Exploration 2050” (Nikkei BP) compiled by the Institute for Future Initiatives (IFI) of the University of Tokyo in March 2021, lecturers from different but potentially synergistic fields and IFI faculty members will engage in cross-disciplinary discussions to open the door to deep thinking about a complex and multilayered future.

For the second seminar, we will invite experts in Meteorology and Chemical System Engineering, and they will discuss the theme of the future of the earth we live on, with a moderator whose expertise is in the field of Innovation Science.

– Yukari Takayabu, Vice Director and Professor, Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, UTokyo(Climate)

2019-present Vice Director, Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo
2007-present Professor, The University of Tokyo
2000-2007 Associate Professor, The University of Tokyo
1987-2000 Researcher, Senior researcher, The National Institute for Environmental Studies
1985-1987 Toppan Printing Co. Ltd.
Ph D. Nov. 1993 The University of Tokyo, “Organized cumulus convective systems over the tropical Pacific Ocean.”
M.Sc. Mar. 1985 The University of Tokyo
B. Sc. Mar. 1983 The University of Tokyo
<Awards>
2021 American Meteorological Society Fellow
2007 Saruhashi Award (Distinguished Women Scientists’ Award in Japan)
1998 The Japan Meteorological Society’s Award

– Yasunori Kikuchi, Associate Professor, Institute for Future Initiatives, UTokyo (Chemical System Engineering)

Dr. Yasunori KIKUCHI is an Associate Professor in the Institute for Future Initiatives in the University of Tokyo. He is also the Director of the Presidential Endowed Chair for “Platinum Society” at the University of Tokyo. Dr. Kikuchi received his Ph.D. degree in Process Systems Engineering from the Department of Chemical System Engineering at the University of Tokyo in 2009. His research interests are in systems design and assessments in sustainability science where technology assessments are conducted on technoeconomic, socioeconomic, and sociotechnical aspects with municipalities and regional industries as transdisciplinary research. He received the Award for Outstanding Young Researcher from the Society of Chemical Engineers, Japan and a similar award from the Institute of Life Cycle Assessment, Japan. Also, he received the Special Recognitions from the World Cultural Council(2019) . In recent years, he has been researching the design and evaluation of technological systems for the collaboration between industry, academia and the public sector that is necessary to implement cutting-edge technologies in society.

– Yuya Kajikawa, Professor, Institute for Future Initiatives, UTokyo(Innovation Science)

Yuji Kajikawa is a Professor at the Institute for Future Initiatives, the University of Tokyo, and a Professor at the School of Environment and Society, Tokyo Institute of Technology. His research fields are Methodology for knowledge structuring, system design, and action structuring, Integrated knowledge framework of sustainability science, Integrated knowledge framework of innovation science, Practical and case researches in the fields; environment, energy, and society; data, information, and internet of things; health and medical data.

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