How do we deal with MASSIVE CHANGE?
KEIO UNIVERSITY, HIYOSHI CAMPUS, YOKOHAMA
MARCH 4 2015
In the face of massive change the need for both policy and action cannot be over-stated. Whether it is economic change, climate change, or a demographic shift, the scale of the problems that go with massive change require an ability to work at both the local and the global/national level simultaneously. Policy is weakened if local communities cannot benifit from the ideas behind it. Likewise, if we work only in isolated communities the problems will continue to grow around us. A meeting between the two approaches is essential. And yet it is not so common.
The aim of the 5th EI symposium is to build on its history of Project-based Learning to improve awareness of change (risks, impacts, vulnerability), understand gaps between expectations and reality, and to explore solutions (interfaces and inventions). As always, presentations and frank discussion will be our chief tools. We expect to uncover common solutions and problems across disciplines and hopefully inspire new ideas for adapting to massive change in all of its forms.
Schedule
Opening Remarks
The first part of the symposium is intended to introduce a broad range of ideas, case studies, solutions, attitudes, and outcomes. Because we wish to bring together both policy specialists as well as practitioners as equals there is no formal separation by topic or by field of specialty and we invite comments and discussion to take place throughout the day.
Part one - Round Table Discussion
What We Know About Change: Risks, Gaps and Vulnerability
The deeper we look into the problems caused by massive change the better we understood that the large issues that we see so clearly are commonly coupled with less easy to see problems. In the face of that realization, the question of scaling solutions becomes daunting. Is it possible to answer several issues simultaneously, and more importantly, can we leverage one problem to find solutions to another? Similarly how do we expand solutions in order to meet a massive need/demand, and what role should institutions play in managing and mitigating the situation. Ultimately, we hope to understand how we might act in order to bridge the gap between vision, policy, action and outcomes.
Managing Gaps: Knowledge, Policy and Practice
Continuing the morning input, this session invites speakers to highlight the gaps that need to be overcome; between policy and action, between knowledge and need, between political will and practical facts, between vision and reality.
Part two - Workshop
Adapting to Change: Programs, Inventions, and Interface
The second part of the symposium asks participants to work together in small groups in order to develop proposals for a program of action (or policy, or education) that can be used to tackle the gap between action and policy with regards to adaptation to change, based on their experience working in the field, in institutions, government, and academia.
Closing
