Coronavirus, Ukraine, and the Future: Academic Conference @ iU

 ■Coronavirus, Ukraine, and the Future: Academic Conference @ iU

I am the chairman of the International Association for Public Economics (CIRIEC).

Its headquarters are in Belgium. It is an international academic network.

We held our first academic conference at iU . Welcome!

Symposium: "Coronavirus, Ukraine, and the Future."

"In recent years, the world has faced two challenges: COVID-19 and Ukraine."

While the virus threatened human lives and devastated the economy, it also spurred digital transformation, such as teleworking and distance education.

The 14th-century plague is considered a contributing factor to the Renaissance, but what will the 21st-century epidemic produce?

"The conflict initiated by Russia involves modern nations still engaging in infantry battles over territory, while also incorporating digital warfare such as cyberattacks and disinformation. And now, fighting is also erupting in Israel and Gaza."

The world has entered another period of war. What legacy will 21st-century warfare leave behind?

The coronavirus and Ukraine. This double challenge, a combination of natural and artificial factors, is a pivotal event marking the turning point of the era.

What kind of changes await us after we overcome these challenges?

Some will develop, grow, and become larger.

Some may decline, be suppressed, and become smaller.

How should we respond?

And what are the challenges that public economics faces?

Panelists

Hiroto Fujii, Mayor of Minokamo City

Monte Cassem, President of AIU (International Christian University)

Naoto Kikuchi CIRIEC Director

Hiroshi Osaki, Chairman of the Expo Organizing Committee

Professor Nanako Ishido, KMD

Kang Hanna

Professor Noriyuki Yanagawa, University of Tokyo

Shinichi Yamaguchi, Associate Professor, International University of Japan

Everyone has a completely different background.

Politics, cities, music, comedy, education, society, economics, the internet.

As expected, the comments were all over the place.

However , if we try to interpret it forcefully,

This change will continue (Osaki), the entrance (Yanagawa).

The impact of AI (Ishido and Yamaguchi) may, conversely, lead to a return to the nation and nature (Kang).

using a different yardstick than growth or evolution ( Osaki ), and requiring well-being (Yanagawa) and satisfaction indicators (Yamaguchi).

"Festivals" are important (Osaki), and micro-communities and connections with people are being re-evaluated (Yanagawa and Yamaguchi).

That's where it all came together.

However, what's important, on top of all that, is "gardening" (according to Osaki) and "romance" (according to Fujii).

That might be the case.

International public economics is a broad field of study that deals with macroeconomics.

However, when specialists gather together, a tendency towards tunnel vision comes into play.

Embrace big changes, break down assumptions, and focus on the micro.

I think this is very important right now. Thank you.