IAFOR > The Asian Conference on Aging & Gerontology (AGen) > AGen2024 Overview

AGen2024 Overview

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Join us in Tokyo and Online for AGen2024

March 25 – 29, 2024 | Toshi Center Hotel, Tokyo, Japan, and Online

Recognising and promoting the inherent dignity of people at all ages represents a foundational goal shared by societies around the world. The desire to identify meaning and value in life underpins inquiries into law and politics, religion and the arts, and it guides the resolution of ethical questions associated with scientific inquiry and resulting innovations. As medical science, public health and technology continue to advance, so lives have grown progressively longer. Increasingly, this leads to new questions regarding the kind of lives we will experience as we grow older. While advances in science and medicine increase longevity, what innovative technologies are emerging that address the changing needs faced by an aging world? Researchers, scientists, and advocates will gather in Tokyo for AGen2024 to discuss these questions and others.

Japan represents a unique location for research professionals to meet and explore the topic of aging. Japan has one of the most rapidly aging populations, which combined with a declining birthrate, represents a compelling example of the demographic transition resulting from increased longevity. The issues and challenges faced in Japan have expanded to other Pacific nations, Europe, Africa, and the Americas as all nations experience the benefits of increased longevity. Worldwide, there is a growing recognition that the kind of life we now give our elders will impact the way we will be treated and cared for as we enter our later years. Because aging is a worldwide phenomenon, the needs and opportunities of an aging world must also reflect and respect cultural and social diversity in developing programs that encourage quality of life at all ages. How do we address the collective needs of the aging population while respecting each person’s individuality? AGen2024 provides an ideal forum for discussing and debating the many issues related to aging and gerontology. Submissions from a variety of fields and perspectives are welcomed and encouraged. Original research across disciplines, including science and technology, philosophy and politics, sociology, and psychology, will ensure an active and exciting opportunity to expand our gerontological understanding.

Now entering its tenth year, the AGen2024 Organising Committee has seen the conference grow in size and diversity of perspectives as it attracts researchers and practitioners from around the world to address this crucial topic. This year is particularly exciting as AGen will be partnering with The Asian Conference on Psychology & the Behavioral Sciences (ACP2024), increasing opportunities for broad multidisciplinary exchanges.

Held in partnership with the IAFOR Research Centre at the Osaka School of International Public Policy (OSIPP) at Osaka University, this international conference encourages academics and scholars to meet and exchange ideas and views in a forum stimulating respectful dialogue. This event will afford an exceptional opportunity for renewing old acquaintances, making new contacts, networking, and facilitating partnerships across national and disciplinary borders.

In conjunction with our Global Partners, we look forward to extending you a warm welcome to Tokyo in 2024.

– The AGen2024 Programme Committee

Key Information
  • Location & Venue: Held in Tokyo, Japan, and online
  • Dates: Monday, March 25, 2024 ​to Friday, March 29, 2024
  • Early Bird Abstract Submission Deadline: October 06, 2023*
  • Final Abstract Submission Deadline: December 14, 2023
  • Registration Deadline for Presenters: January 26, 2024

*Submit early to take advantage of the discounted registration rates. Learn more about our registration options.

Submit an Abstract

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Speakers

  • Adela Balderas Cejudo
    Adela Balderas Cejudo
    University of Deusto, Spain; University of Oxford, United Kingdom
  • Robert E. Claar
    Robert E. Claar
    HekaBio K.K., Japan
  • Joseph Haldane
    Joseph Haldane
    The International Academic Forum (IAFOR), Japan
  • Brendan Howe
    Brendan Howe
    Ewha Womans University, South Korea
  • Kevin Kester
    Kevin Kester
    Seoul National University, South Korea
  • Keith W. Miller
    Keith W. Miller
    University of Missouri – St. Louis, United States
  • Miriam Sang-Ah Park
    Miriam Sang-Ah Park
    Nottingham Trent University, United Kingdom
  • Bhanu Ranjan
    Bhanu Ranjan
    SP Jain School of Global Management, Singapore
  • Dexter Da Silva
    Dexter Da Silva
    Keisen University, Japan
  • Merril Silverstein
    Merril Silverstein
    Syracuse University, United States
  • Kiyotaka Takahashi
    Kiyotaka Takahashi
    Keisen University, Japan

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Programme

  • Healing the Scars of War: Teaching for Peace through Higher Education in Divided and Conflict-Affected Contexts
    Healing the Scars of War: Teaching for Peace through Higher Education in Divided and Conflict-Affected Contexts
    Keynote Presentation: Kevin Kester
  • Dealing with the New as We Get Old: AI, Aging, and Ethical Issues
    Dealing with the New as We Get Old: AI, Aging, and Ethical Issues
    Keynote Presentation: Keith W. Miller
  • On People and Ageing: Opportunities in an Overlooked and Misunderstood Market Segment
    On People and Ageing: Opportunities in an Overlooked and Misunderstood Market Segment
    Keynote Presentation: Adela Balderas Cejudo
  • Japan as a Role Model for Ultra-Aging Societies: Innovation and Sustainability in Universal Access Healthcare
    Japan as a Role Model for Ultra-Aging Societies: Innovation and Sustainability in Universal Access Healthcare
    Keynote Presentation: Robert E. Claar
  • Getting Old, Staying Young? Studying Older Adults’ Well-being
    Getting Old, Staying Young? Studying Older Adults’ Well-being
    Featured Presentation: Miriam Sang-Ah Park
  • Transforming Mental Healthcare While Harnessing Artificial Intelligence
    Transforming Mental Healthcare While Harnessing Artificial Intelligence
    Featured Presentation: Bhanu Ranjan
  • Critical Review on Changing Characteristics of Japan’s Development Assistance and Some Responses of Civil Society
    Critical Review on Changing Characteristics of Japan’s Development Assistance and Some Responses of Civil Society
    Featured Presentation: Kiyotaka Takahashi
  • Panel Series: Communication and Education for Peace
    Panel Series: Communication and Education for Peace
    Panel Presentation: Brendan Howe, Dexter Da Silva
  • Filial Piety and its Discontents Variation in Evaluating Adult Children as “Filial” by Older Parents in Rural China
    Filial Piety and its Discontents Variation in Evaluating Adult Children as “Filial” by Older Parents in Rural China
    Keynote Presentation: Merril Silverstein

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Conference Committees

Global Programme Committee

Dr Joseph Haldane, IAFOR and Osaka University, Japan, & University College London, United Kingdom
Professor Jun Arima, President, IAFOR & University of Tokyo, Japan
Professor Anne Boddington, Executive Vice-President and Provost, IAFOR & Middlesex University, United Kingdom
Professor Barbara Lockee, Virginia Tech, United States
Professor Donald E. Hall, Binghamton University, United States
Dr James W. McNally, University of Michigan, United States & NACDA Program on Aging
Dr Grant Black, Chuo University, Japan
Professor Dexter Da Silva, Keisen University, Japan
Professor Gary E. Swanson, University of Northern Colorado, United States (fmr.)
Professor Baden Offord, Centre for Human Rights Education, Curtin University, Australia & Cultural Studies Association of Australasia
Professor Frank S. Ravitch, Michigan State University College of Law, United States
Professor William Baber, Kyoto University, Japan

Members of the IAFOR Board of Directors and The Academic Governing Board are standing members of the Global Programme Committee. Members of the IAAB are consultative members.

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Conference Programme Committee

Dr Joseph Haldane, The International Academic Forum (IAFOR), Japan
Professor James W. McNally, University of Michigan, United States & NACDA Program on Aging
Professor Sela V. Panapasa, University of Michigan, United States
Lowell Sheppard, Never Too Late Academy, Japan
Professor Haruko Satoh, Osaka University, Japan

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Conference Review Committee

IAFOR's peer review process, which involves both reciprocal review and the use of Review Committees, is overseen by the Conference Programme Committee under the guidance of the International Academic Board (IAB). Review Committee members are established academics who hold PhDs or other terminal degrees in their fields and who have previous peer review experience.

If you would like to apply to serve on the AGen2024 Review Committee, please visit our application page.

Apply to Join the Review Committee

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IAFOR Research Centre (IRC) – “Innovation and Value Initiative”

The IAFOR Research Centre (IRC) is housed within Osaka University’s School of International Public Policy (OSIPP), and in June 2018 the IRC began an ambitious new “Innovation and Value Initiative”. Officially launched at the United Nations in a special UN-IAFOR Collaborative Session, the initiative seeks to bring together the best in interdisciplinary research around the concept of value, on how value can be recognised, and measured, and how this can help us address issues and solve problems, from the local to the global.

Learn more about the Innovation and Value Initiative

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Adela Balderas Cejudo
University of Deusto, Spain; University of Oxford, United Kingdom

Biography

Dr Balderas is a Research Fellow at the Oxford Institute of Population Ageing at the University of Oxford (UK). She holds a PhD in Business Administration and an Executive MBA from the University of Deusto (Spain). She also has a Master's in Marketing from the University of the Basque Country and a Master's in Professional Coaching. Her academic background includes training in Professional Coaching and Leadership from New York University, Stanford University, and Harvard University (USA). She has also gained expertise in Creativity and Innovation at Saint Martins College in London, UK.

A Professor at Deusto Business School at the University of Deusto and at the Basque Culinary Center, Adela is also a guest lecturer and collaborator at City Science MIT Media Lab and RCC Harvard (USA). She has also been a guest lecturer at several international universities, including the University of Oxford, Northumbria University (UK), Xiamen University (China), the University of Pennsylvania (USA), the University of Regensburg (Germany), the University of Gothenburg (Sweden), and the Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne (Switzerland). On a national level, she collaborates with several Spanish universities, including the University of Salamanca, the University of the Basque Country, and the University of Granada.

In addition to her academic roles, Adela is a consultant and speaker in the fields of management and leadership for both international and national companies. A mentor at the Imagine Creativity Center in Silicon Valley (USA), she is the author of the books Reinvent Your Leadership: 12 Keys to Managing Teams and Senior tourism: determinants, motivations and behaviour in a globalized and evolving market. Her publications and research interests cover leadership as well as tourism and well-being for the silver market.

Keynote Presentation (2024) | On People and Ageing: Opportunities in an Overlooked and Misunderstood Market Segment
Robert E. Claar
HekaBio K.K., Japan

Biography

Rob creates new businesses that address the unmet needs of patients, doctors, innovators, regulators, and payors. He is passionate about developing innovative solutions for access to Japan’s healthcare market.

Over three decades, Rob has founded, managed, and exited a number of healthcare businesses in Japan, Europe, and the United States, including Junicon, a global healthcare marketing research consultancy that developed Japan’s first comprehensive Key Opinion Leader (KOL) physician database and pioneered in-hospital observational research, and Vorpal Technologies, a regulatory consultancy that achieved the leading position in Japan for new category MedTech approvals.

He maintains a worldwide trust network with leading innovators in MedTech and Pharma through optimism, tenacious follow-through, and a spirit of collaboration.

Rob dedicates a part of his time to education and development as a Trustee of Yokohama International School and Board Chair of Hope International Development Agency Japan.

Keynote Presentation (2024) | Japan as a Role Model for Ultra-Aging Societies: Innovation and Sustainability in Universal Access Healthcare
Joseph Haldane
The International Academic Forum (IAFOR), Japan

Biography

Joseph Haldane is the Founder, Chairman and CEO of IAFOR. He is responsible for devising strategy, setting policies, forging institutional partnerships, implementing projects, and overseeing the organisation’s global business and academic operations.

Dr Haldane’s research and teaching is on history, politics, international affairs and international education, as well as governance and decision making, and he is a Member of the World Economic Forum’s Expert Network for Global Governance. Since 2015 he has been a Guest Professor at The Osaka School of International Public Policy (OSIPP) at Osaka University, where he teaches on the postgraduate Global Governance Course, and, since 2017, Co-Director of the OSIPP-IAFOR Research Centre, an interdisciplinary think tank situated within the University.

In 2020 Dr Haldane was appointed Honorary Professor of UCL (University College London), through the Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction. He holds Visiting Professorships in the Faculty of Philology at the University of Belgrade, and at the Doshisha Business School in Kyoto, where he teaches Ethics and Governance on the MBA, and is a member of the Value Research Center. He is also a Member of the International Advisory Council of the Department of Educational Foundations at the University of Hawaiʻi Mānoa.

Professor Haldane has given invited lectures and presentations to universities and conferences globally, including at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, and advised universities, NGOs and governments on issues relating to international education policy, public-private partnerships, and multi-stakeholder forums. He was the project lead on the 2019 Kansai Resilience Forum, held by the Japanese Government through the Prime Minister’s and Cabinet Office, and oversaw the 2021 Ministry of Foreign Affairs commissioned study on Infectious Diseases on Cruise Ships.

Dr Haldane has a PhD from the University of London in 19th-century French Studies, and has had full-time faculty positions at the Université Paris-Est Créteil, Sciences Po Paris, and Nagoya University of Commerce and Business, as well as visiting positions at the French Press Institute in the Université Paris-Panthéon-Assas, and the schools of Journalism at both Sciences Po Paris, and Moscow State University.

From 2012-2014, Dr Haldane served as Treasurer of the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan (Chubu), and since 2015 has been a Trustee of HOPE International Development Agency (Japan). He was elected Fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society in 2012 and the Royal Society of Arts in 2015. He lives in Japan and holds a black belt in Judo.

Panel Presentation (2024) | Communication and Education for Peace
Brendan Howe
Ewha Womans University, South Korea

Biography

Brendan Howe is Dean and Professor of the Graduate School of International Studies, Ewha Womans University, South Korea, where he has also served two terms as Associate Dean and Department Chair. He is also currently the President of the Asian Political and International Studies Association, and an Honorary Ambassador of Public Diplomacy and advisor for the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He has held visiting professorships and research fellowships at the East-West Center (where he is currently enjoying a second term as a POSCO Visiting Research Fellow), the Freie Universität Berlin, De La Salle University, the University of Sydney, Korea National Defence University, Georgetown University, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, and Beijing Foreign Studies University.

Educated at the University of Oxford, the University of Kent at Canterbury, Trinity College Dublin, and Georgetown University, his ongoing research agendas focus on traditional and non-traditional security in East Asia, human security, middle powers, public diplomacy, post-crisis development, comprehensive peacebuilding and conflict transformation. He has authored, co-authored, or edited around 100 related publications including Society and Democracy in South Korea and Indonesia (Palgrave, 2022), The Niche Diplomacy of Asian Middle Powers (Lexington Books, 2021), UN Governance: Peace and Human Security in Cambodia and Timor-Leste (Springer, 2020), Regional Cooperation for Peace and Development (Routledge, 2018), National Security, State Centricity, and Governance in East Asia (Springer, 2017), Peacekeeping and the Asia-Pacific (Brill, 2016), Democratic Governance in East Asia (Springer, 2015), Post-Conflict Development in East Asia (Ashgate, 2014), and The Protection and Promotion of Human Security in East Asia (Palgrave, 2013).

Panel Presentation (2024) | Communication and Education for Peace
Kevin Kester
Seoul National University, South Korea

Biography

Kevin Kester is Associate Professor of Comparative International Education and Peace/Development Studies at Seoul National University, South Korea. He is cross-appointed to the Interdisciplinary MA/PhD Program in Global Education Cooperation in the Department of Education; Interdisciplinary MA Program in Peace and Unification Studies in the College of Social Sciences; and the MA Program in International Development in the Graduate School of International Studies. He is also Visiting Professor at the University of Hargeisa’s Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies in Somaliland and consultant to UNESCO’s Asia-Pacific Centre of Education for International Understanding in Seoul. He holds a PhD in Education and International Development from the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom. His research interests lie in the sociology and politics of education with a focus on the intersectional fields of comparative education, education and conflict, peace education, and global citizenship education. His most recent books are the Common Curriculum Guide for Peace Education in Northeast Asia (2023, UNESCO) and The United Nations and Higher Education: Peacebuilding, Social Justice and Global Cooperation for the 21st Century (2020, IAP). More on his background can be found here: https://kevinkester.weebly.com/

Keynote Presentation (2024) | Healing the Scars of War: Teaching for Peace through Higher Education in Divided and Conflict-Affected Contexts
Keith W. Miller
University of Missouri – St. Louis, United States

Biography

Keith W. Miller is the Orthwein Endowed Professor for Lifelong Learning in the Sciences at the University of Missouri – St. Louis, USA. In that position, he is partnering with the St. Louis Science Center. Dr Miller’s research interests are in computer ethics, online learning, and software testing. He is a past editor-in-chief of IEEE Technology and Society Magazine. He was awarded the 2011 Joseph Weizenbaum Award by the International Society for Ethics and Information Technology, and is currently the President of that Society. He has been a principal investigator of grants from the US National Science Foundation to study the effects of ethics education for computer science students, and to encourage scientists to become teachers.

Keynote Presentation (2024) | Dealing with the New as We Get Old: AI, Aging, and Ethical Issues
Panel Presentation (2022) | Helping Hands: Robotic Assistance in Supporting and Maintaining Social Interactions with Elders
Miriam Sang-Ah Park
Nottingham Trent University, United Kingdom

Biography

Dr Miriam Sang-Ah Park is a Principal Lecturer at Nottingham Trent University, United Kingdom. She works as both a psychologist and researcher as well as the international lead for the School of Social Sciences. She obtained her PhD in cross-cultural psychology from Brunel University, United Kingdom, and her research has always had a focus on the significance of culture in shaping the daily lives, beliefs, and behaviours of people and groups around the world. More specifically, she has a keen interest in topics relating to psychological well-being and resilience, and she works closely with a group of ageing researchers establishing the concept and experience of positive ageing. She has taught classes on cultural and cross-cultural psychology, positive psychology, and research methods, and has won numerous awards for excellent teaching and scholarship. She has also served as an associate (and invited) editor for reputable journals, including the British Journal of Social Psychology. She is currently editing a special topic, ‘Improving Wellbeing through Positive Interpersonal and Intergroup Relations’, for Frontiers in Psychology. She has a recognised international research profile and has strong and global research collaborative networks.

Featured Presentation (2024) | Getting Old, Staying Young? Studying Older Adults’ Well-being
Bhanu Ranjan
SP Jain School of Global Management, Singapore

Biography

Dr Ranjan designed and currently leads a soft-skills program for the Master of Business Administration and the Executive-Master of Business Administration candidates at SP Jain School of Global Management, Singapore, crafting global business leaders equipped to lead in the new economy. She holds a PhD in Emotional Intelligence and Leadership Effectiveness and has over 20 years of experience helping individuals and teams with crisis management, negotiation, conflict resolution, management communication, personal branding, presentation skills, and emotional intelligence in the workplace. She is a highly sought-after speaker and actively volunteers for a variety of community-building initiatives, alongside her service as an officer in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAFVC).

Featured Presentation (2024) | Transforming Mental Healthcare While Harnessing Artificial Intelligence
Dexter Da Silva
Keisen University, Japan

Biography

Dr Dexter Da Silva is currently Professor of Educational Psychology at Keisen University in Tokyo. He has taught EFL at junior high school, language schools, and universities in Sydney, Australia, and for more than two decades has been living, and teaching at the tertiary level, in Japan. Professor Da Silva was educated at the University of Sydney (BA, Dip. Ed., MA), and the University of Western Sydney (PhD). He has presented and co-presented at conferences in Asia, Australia, Europe and the United States, co-edited two books on Motivation in Foreign Language Learning, and written or co-written articles and book chapters on education-related topics, such as trust, student motivation, autonomy, and content-based language teaching. He is a past editor of On CUE Journal, past president of the Asian Psychological Association, regular reviewer for conferences, proceedings, journal articles and book chapters, and regularly co-chairs and participates in the Organising Committee of conferences on Motivation, Language Learning and Teaching, and Psychology and the Behavioral Sciences.

Panel Presentation (2024) | Communication and Education for Peace
Merril Silverstein
Syracuse University, United States

Biography

Merril Silverstein, PhD, is inaugural holder of the Marjorie Cantor Chair in Aging Studies at Syracuse University and serves as professor in the Department of Sociology and the Department of Human Development and Family Science. Professor Silverstein received his doctorate in Sociology from Columbia University, after which he served on the faculty of the Leonard Davis School of Gerontology at the University of Southern California. In over 200 research publications, he has focused on ageing in the context of family life, with an emphasis on intergenerational relations over the life course and international-comparative perspectives. Professor Silverstein currently serves as principal investigator for the Longitudinal Study of Generations, which has collected data from the same families for over fifty years, and is co-originator of the Longitudinal Study of Older Adults in Anhui Province, China, now in its 20th year. Professor Silverstein is a Fellow of the Brookdale Foundation, the Fulbright Senior Scholars program, the Gerontological Society of America, and the James Martin School at Oxford University. Between 2010-2014, he served as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences. In 2019, he was awarded the Matilda White Riley Distinguished Scholar Award from the Section on Aging and the Life Course of the American Sociological Association.

Keynote Presentation (2024) | Filial Piety and its Discontents in Rural China: How Coresidence and Migration of Adult Children Shift Perceptions by Older Parents
Kiyotaka Takahashi
Keisen University, Japan

Biography

Professor Kiyotaka Takahashi graduated from Sophia University with a Bachelor of Science in Physics and the University of Manchester with a Master of Philosophy in Social Anthropology, and subsequently worked as a development consultant in a private company for 5 years. He then served as a research and advocacy officer in a non-profit humanitarian organisation for about 10 years. Professor Takahashi was also a member of the Development Project Accountability Committee of Foreign Affairs in Japan. With these experiences, he moved on to teaching development studies and peace-building in Keisen University in Tokyo. He has published several articles on development cooperation and peace-building, and recently contributed a short article on human security and conflict in the book titled What is Real Globalization? (2023, Rural Culture Association), and another on the current situation of development and environmental refugees in the upcoming Encyclopedia of Peace Studies, edited by the Peace Studies Association of Japan, in June.

Featured Presentation (2024) | Critical Review on Changing Characteristics of Japan’s Development Assistance and Some Responses of Civil Society
Healing the Scars of War: Teaching for Peace through Higher Education in Divided and Conflict-Affected Contexts
Keynote Presentation: Kevin Kester

Given the growing importance of higher education within the international community in its efforts to achieve the United Nations’ 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), this presentation examines the potentiality for higher education to contribute to peacebuilding in divided and conflict-affected settings. For more than a decade, the international community has explicitly stated that the achievement of global development goals is dependent on addressing access to quality education in conflict-affected contexts; and, in 2015, the SDGs extended this to higher education. However, in settings affected by conflict, higher education is often perceived to be a luxury, not a necessity. Recent research has indicated the positive role of higher education to contribute to post-conflict recovery, reconciliation, the promotion of democracy, and preservation of local culture, but little is known about how university educators themselves teach for peace and reconciliation through higher education in settings affected by conflict. In light of this lacuna, this presentation explores higher education pedagogies and policies for peace with university educators in four divided and conflict-affected contexts: China/Taiwan, Cyprus, Korea, and Somalia. Data was collected through extensive fieldwork, document analysis, and interviews with 34 faculty. Inductive thematic analysis generated four themes (community, complexity, criticality, and change) that were then further analysed through the lenses of cultural political economy of education and borderlands. Findings reveal contested interpretations of peace across cultures and educational settings, as well as creative and resilient approaches to teaching for peace and reconciliation in divided and conflict-affected contexts. Learning from cross-cutting themes within and across these locales is valuable for faculty in each of the settings as well as those faculty and policymakers elsewhere who promote peace through higher education in other divided and conflict-affected regions.

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Dealing with the New as We Get Old: AI, Aging, and Ethical Issues
Keynote Presentation: Keith W. Miller

Artificial intelligence (AI) has moved from relative obscurity to its current place in a blinding spotlight. There is currently enormous public and scientific interest in AI, and consequently, an explosion of interest in AI ethics. This talk focuses on one set of AI applications: those that are designed for the elderly. We will look both at the technical advances being used in these projects, as well as approaches to intelligently discuss the ethical challenges of these projects. During the presentation, attendees will be challenged to make ethically-charged decisions about two fictional cases where aging, AI, and ethics intertwine.

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On People and Ageing: Opportunities in an Overlooked and Misunderstood Market Segment
Keynote Presentation: Adela Balderas Cejudo

The world population is ageing. Population ageing—the increasing proportion of older individuals in the population—is poised to become one of the most significant social transformations of the twenty-first century, with implications for nearly all sectors of society (UN, 2015). The World Population Prospects (2022) report reveals that the population aged 65 and above is growing at a faster rate than their younger counterparts. This demographic shift is projected to elevate the global proportion of individuals aged 65 and above from 10 percent in 2022 to 16 percent in 2050.

This demographic transition has given rise to a substantial and expanding segment of the population, often referred to as the “overlooked demographic”. Their unmet needs are a direct result of this demographic change. Understanding the economic advantages of the silver economy is essential, as is gaining insight into the behaviour of older individuals that goes beyond clichés, labels, biases, and preconceptions.

An increasing number of developed countries now recognise older individuals as a priority market, acknowledging the changing global population and the growing participation of older individuals in various activities. However, despite their significance, older individuals remain relatively unknown and under-marketed.

Ageing presents a significant challenge for decision-makers in fields ranging from politics and technology to marketing and service industries. Companies must strive to fully understand what older consumers want and are willing to pay for in an era marked by rapidly evolving consumer profiles and behaviours. This involves comprehending new consumption patterns, reevaluating the services they offer, adapting to the shifting needs of older individuals, and proactively addressing the changes and challenges.

This lecture serves a dual purpose: firstly, to explore this vital yet often overlooked demographic and secondly, to shed light on the changing behaviour of older individuals regarding essential aspects for businesses. The insights gained, along with their practical implications, can assist researchers, industry professionals, policymakers, and marketers in better understanding and meeting the evolving needs and expectations of older consumers as the population continues to age.

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Japan as a Role Model for Ultra-Aging Societies: Innovation and Sustainability in Universal Access Healthcare
Keynote Presentation: Robert E. Claar

Japan’s healthcare system enables universal – and frequent – access to medical services, which is one of the reasons for Japan’s top performance in life expectancy and healthy life expectancy among G20 nations. However, Japan’s aging population and declining working population means the tax base will become insufficient to support such a standard within universal access healthcare within the next two decades without new policies and improved efficiencies.

The government is eyeing certain methods of supplementation such as increasing Japan’s workforce to remedy this, making it easier for foreign workers to receive working visas and contribute to social services. Immigration is on the rise, but more is needed, not only to bolster the working population and tax base, but also to grow the number of workers involved in medical and nursing care services required by the aging population.

Healthcare innovations with the potential to drive cost savings are needed, but there is a growing number of novel technologies available in the United States and Europe that have yet to be approved in Japan. The Japanese government has made great progress in lowering regulatory hurdles, although these improvements are not yet well understood. Many innovators are not coming to Japan due to this outdated understanding of regulatory challenges and uncertainty around pricing.

By enhancing pricing transparency, supporting innovations that bring long-term health economic benefit, continuing to lower regulatory hurdles, and further supporting immigration growth, Japan has the opportunity to lead the developed world in demonstrating sustainability of single-payer universal healthcare in an ultra-aging society.

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Getting Old, Staying Young? Studying Older Adults’ Well-being
Featured Presentation: Miriam Sang-Ah Park

The global population is ageing rapidly, with many countries seeing a marked increase in the percentage of the population reaching over age 60. This important demographic change and trend has implications that deserve much-needed attention from researchers and stakeholders alike. Firstly, ‘old’ is no longer so old and the ageing process and experience are no longer all negative. This means we need to ‘update’ our perceptions and research focus to take account of older adults’ lifestyles today and investigate what it means for them to age well and positively. Secondly, we also need to be receptive to their personal stories and lived experiences, which can count towards measurements and interventions associated with positive ageing. In this session, a research programme exploring the psychological well-being of older adults and what it means to age positively will be presented, along with some considerations for how both ageing and positive ageing may be culturally constructed. As it centres around the conceptualisation of positive ageing, the aim of this talk is to shift research focus onto the social and psychological aspects of ageing (well) rather than the more traditional biomedical models of ageing.

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Transforming Mental Healthcare While Harnessing Artificial Intelligence
Featured Presentation: Bhanu Ranjan

The prevalence of mental health disorders worldwide poses a significant and pressing concern, affecting the quality of life and life expectancy of a substantial portion of the global population. This research endeavours to investigate the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Technologies in addressing the complex challenges within the realm of mental health. It aims to navigate barriers associated with cost-efficiency, accessibility, and product development. The objective of this study is to formulate a strategic framework enabling mental health solution providers to reduce costs while accommodating the diverse needs and preferences of individuals.

Employing a qualitative research design, this study seeks to comprehensively explore the multifaceted dimensions of the research problem. It intends to substantiate the relationship between AI technology and connectivity in the context of mental health through rigorous investigation. Focused group discussions will be conducted to gauge public sentiment and perceptions regarding the utilisation of AI technology in mental healthcare. Additionally, an analysis of claims data, if available, will offer insights into various aspects such as the number of claims, patient visits and expenditure from both patients and insurers.

The anticipated outcome of this research is to provide empirical evidence demonstrating the impact of AI integration on mental health solutions. It aims to furnish actionable guidance for businesses within the mental health sector to curtail costs and cater to the diverse needs of individuals. Furthermore, it aspires to yield a nuanced understanding of public attitudes, concerns and willingness to embrace AI-based solutions in mental healthcare.

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Critical Review on Changing Characteristics of Japan’s Development Assistance and Some Responses of Civil Society
Featured Presentation: Kiyotaka Takahashi

This paper critically examines the transformation of Japan’s Official Development Assistance (ODA), highlighting strategic shifts towards fostering stronger security cooperation with Southeast Asian countries. Last year, the Japanese government also introduced a new cooperation framework distinct from ODA, aimed at benefiting the armed forces and related organisations of developing countries in terms of security cooperation, called the Official Security Assistance (OSA) framework. With this new framework, the government has already provided some defence equipment such as coastal surveillance radars and patrol boats to improve the security capabilities of Bangladesh and the Philippines. Against this major and drastic shift within Japan’s history of government assistance, most civil society organisations in Japan have responded and advocated to maintain the “non-war” principle of Japan’s ODA and instead empower non-military-based approaches to security such as human security. However, looking into the details of their discussion, there are various positions of understanding about the significance of military approaches, particularly reflecting the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict and even the new round of Palestinian-Israeli conflict. The paper discusses, in these uncertain and complex contexts, what educational advancements civil society needs to foster - that are responsive to the evolving needs of global communities in the 21st century.

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Panel Series: Communication and Education for Peace
Panel Presentation: Brendan Howe, Dexter Da Silva

The modern globalised world offers extraordinary examples of cooperation between countries, and as they are progressively enhanced by technologies, major international initiatives help us advance common goals in the pursuit of a sustainable future, in the understanding that global issues such as climate change, energy security, pandemics, and mass migration, by definition are not and cannot be dealt with by one country alone.

However there is also much to be concerned about, as populism, nationalism, and authoritarianism are not only prevalent in autocratic regimes, but at the heart of democracies. Resulting governments emphasise competition and grievance with their neighbours, international institutions, and their authority is undermined, and diplomacy takes a back seat to force. Competing narratives are increasingly without nuance, and people/arguments from the other side/team/country are caricatured, misrepresented, and even dehumanised.

In this panel, we will specifically discuss current global crises and human security through the lens of psychology and institutions. The main question around how to overcome global crises will attempt to uncover a deeper psychological crisis that permeates societies, and ask whether institutions have failed us, considering the workings of psychological manipulation in our everyday life. This panel is part of a series of plenary panels that draws on members of the IAFOR network from different national, cultural, and disciplinary backgrounds, who will address the importance of cooperative engagement, through individuals and institutions, ultimately posing the question of what can be done to encourage more constructive global dialogue, and how this can be nurtured in ourselves.

Psychology and Human Insecurity

Brendan Howe, Ehwa Woman's University, South Korea

Socio-political psychology and human insecurity are linked through the processes of othering and securitisation. The discriminatory treatment of the "other" outgroup (minorities, refugees, political opponents) undermines their human security, whereby they are seen as not being entitled to similar rights, benefits, or treatment, or may even be seen as in direct competition with the ingroup for perceived limited resources. These socio-political conditions are then further exacerbated by securitisation whereby the nature of the other and their identity is first politicised, and then socially constructed by an unscrupulous political entrepreneur as a threat to the security of the referent subject (nation, way of life, regime, religion, race, generation, etc.). At the international level, these processes undermine international cooperation, perhaps dealing a fatal blow to human security-related multilateral regimes such as climate change, disaster relief, humanitarian intervention, and food security. Such trends have become more apparent with the rise of illiberal populism, and pose a direct threat to rights-based governance. On the other hand, we have seen something of a countering force of pro-rights and solidarist populism within the East Asian region. Education and information would seem to be key to addressing these challenges, but the spread of disinformation is an ever-present threat.

Is Psychology in Crisis?

Dexter Da Silva, Keisen University, Japan

Important issues, referred to as crises, in society today have taken the forefront in political as well as academic debates. Crises such as the climate crisis, the refugee crisis, debt crisis, cost-of-living crisis, or the food security crisis, have sparked protests all over the world and are severely undermining human security. Merz et al (2023) observe the birth of an additional crisis, “The Human Behavioural Crisis'', which drives “ecological overshoot”. A critical part of this crisis is what they call “behavioural manipulation” by the marketing, media, and entertainment industries. Considering that the common definition of the field of psychology is “the study of human behaviour and the mind”, and that common goals of psychology include understanding, explaining, and predicting behaviour, and applying this knowledge to improve individuals' well-being, it seems natural to suggest that perhaps the field of Psychology itself is in a crisis. Merz et al (2023) call for increased interdisciplinary collaboration in order to address ecological overshoot which is integrally linked to the above crises.

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Filial Piety and its Discontents Variation in Evaluating Adult Children as “Filial” by Older Parents in Rural China
Keynote Presentation: Merril Silverstein

Filial piety—the Confucian dictate that children should provide care, support, respect, and obedience to their older parents—is a fundamental, normative expectation in East Asian societies. In this presentation, I examine variation in perceptions of filial piety of adult children by their older parents in rural China, focusing on the impact of co-residence and migration status and the compensatory behaviours of more distant children that mitigate assessments of them as less than “filial”. The data source is the 2021 wave of the Longitudinal Study of Older Adults in Anhui Province, China, which includes 1,489 parents aged 60 and older and their relationships with 3,934 adult children. Parents provided information about each child in terms of demographic characteristics, intergenerational exchanges, and the degree to which the child is perceived as being “filial”. Results affirm the importance of instrumental support and particularly monetary support in enhancing assessments of filial piety of more distant children relative to co-resident children. Parents with stronger normative expectations held their more distant children to a higher standard for being filial. Finally, functional impairment caused more distant children to be evaluated as less filial, ostensibly because those children were in a weaker position to respond to their parent’s elevated support needs. Overall, the results speak to the adaptable nature of filial piety when family change and migration put pressure on younger generations, which, in highly dynamic rural China, is causing concern about the viability of intergenerational support for older parents.

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