Japan is confronted by a rapidly ageing and declining population. Can Abenomics revive the economy after two decades of mediocre growth? Productivity growth will be key to sustaining incomes: what is the state of Japanese science, energy and technology innovation policy? Under a dynamic shift in the global and regional order, how is Japan’s foreign policy changing and redefining its position in the region?

Join a panel of leading experts from Japan to hear the latest on how Japan is travelling.

The forum will be followed by a reception with refreshments.

PANEL

Hideaki Shiroyama is Dean of the Graduate School of Public Policy at the University of Tokyo. His research interests include public administration, science, technology and public policy, sustainability, international administration and policy processes. He has previously been a visiting scholar at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and visiting professor at Sciences Po. in Paris.

Nobuhiro Aizawa is Associate Professor at Kyushu University’s Department of Social and Cultural Studies. He has previously been a researcher at Japan’s National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies and at the Japan External Trade Organisation’s Institute of Developing Economies (IDE-JETRO). His work focuses on international relations, comparative politics and Southeast Asian area studies.

Kyoji Fukao is a Professor at the Institute of Economic Research, Hitotsubashi University, specialising in macroeconomics and international economics. He was previously a Science Advisor with Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. His current research is focused on studying Japan’s total factor productivity and the influence of innovation on productivity, and Japan’s place in the international economy.

CHAIR

Veronica Taylor is Dean of the ANU College of Asia and the Pacific and Professor of Law at The Australian National University. She is the recipient of the Japanese Foreign Minister’s Commendation for 2015 for her work to develop Japanese studies in Australia. Professor Taylor is on the Board of the Australia-Japan Foundation and has previously served as Director of the Japan Institute at the ANU.