WIAS 15th Anniversary Symposium “Well-being in the time of uncertainty”

The Waseda Institute for Advanced Study (WIAS) of Waseda University is organising the WIAS 15th Anniversary Symposium "Well-being in the time of uncertainty" together with the Zukunftskolleg and the Institute for Advanced Research of Nagoya University.

The symposium will take place on Monday 12 December 2022 (6:00 to 9:30 CET) and Tuesday 13 December 2022 (5:30 to 9:30 CET) as a hybrid event via Zoom (online) and in the Waseda University Ono Auditorium (on site).

At the symposium, WIAS members will discuss the topic of "Well-being in the time of uncertainty" together with their guests and co-organisers, addressing aspects such as climate change, energy issues, natural disasters, and food problems. They will also shed light on the role of institutions of higher education in meeting these challenges. Main target audience are researchers, but graduate students are also encouraged to attend.

The two-day symposium will feature a programme of keynote lectures and roundtable discussions. Day 1 is dedicated to the sub-theme "Energy and Sustainability", Day 2 to the sub-theme "Life". The respective roundtable discussions will address the following topics: "Energy Issues", "Sustainable Society", "Culture/Arts", "Health and Security", and "Inclusive Society". Researchers from the natural sciences, social sciences, and the humanities will share their knowledge across and beyond the boundaries of academic disciplines.

Keynote speakers are:

  • Professor Toshi H. Arimura, former director of WIAS, with a talk on “Carbon neutrality and social science: the role of economics in shaping public policy”
  • Professor Giovanni Galizia, director of the Zukunftskolleg, with a lecture on “Well-being in an animal society: thoughts about honeybee collectives – and comments on institutes for advanced studies”
  • Professor Kunio Awaga, director of the Institute of Advanced Research at Nagoya University, on the topic of “Well-being brought about by imagination sharing”

You can find additional information on the programme as well as the registration form (participation is free of charge) on the symposium’s website.