IAFOR held The 11th Asian Conference on Education & International Development (ACEID2025), The 15th Asian Conference on Psychology & the Behavioral Sciences (ACP2025), and The 11th Asian Conference on Aging and Gerontology (AGen2025) from March 24 to 29, 2025, in Tokyo, Japan. In total, 839 delegates from 62 countries participated in this interdisciplinary conference, representing 529 institutions and organisations worldwide. The conference’s plenary programme combined all four IAFOR themes of Humanity and Human Intelligence, Technology and Artificial Intelligence, Global Citizenship and Education for Peace, and Leadership to discuss critical issues around marginalised youth, climate refugees, the empowerment of the elderly, artificial intelligence, female leadership, and global citizenship. Using an interdisciplinary lens, keynote speakers and panellists looked at these issues from an educational, psychological, and gerontological perspective, urging for stronger international collaboration in all three fields.
Conference Report and Intelligence Briefing 2025 – Issue 5 – ACEID/ACP/AGen2025
Editor: Joseph Haldane
Authors: Melina Neophytou, Apipol Sae-Tung, and Briar Pelletier
Published: May 29, 2025
ISSN: 2759-4939
In partnership with: The IAFOR Research Centre at the Osaka School of International Public Policy (OSIPP)
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Contents
Introduction
War and conflict are among the most prominent reasons for compromising the future and well-being of individuals and societies, especially in the realms of education and international cooperation. Quoting the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack (GCPEA), Dr Amir Dhia of the Education Above All (EAA) foundation, Qatar, claimed that ‘every three hours, there is an attack on education’. According to the GCPEA, ‘attack’ in this context refers to any intentional threat or use of force against students, educators, or educational facilities. Globally, these attacks can take many forms, from physical violence on civilians and destruction of infrastructure to financial cuts and legal restrictions that undermine education access. In conflict-affected regions, such attacks deny students their right to learn, creating an environment of fear, disruption, and educational setbacks. Beyond education, war and conflict also cause massive energy insecurity, which complicates international cooperation and trade, hindering cooperation on climate change mitigation.
IAFOR Chairman & CEO Dr Joseph Haldane delivered the Welcome Address at ACEID/ACP/AGen2025.
Both these ‘attacks’ on education and international cooperation on climate change exacerbate marginalised and vulnerable groups of people in search of safety and survival: asylum seekers and refugees, displaced both by war and climate change. These groups face even more marginalisation in their host countries, moving from one hostile environment to another. Discriminated against on the basis of language, race, social status, and citizenship, marginalised youth face barriers to education, legal protection, and community inclusion. Due to limited educational resources, refugees and migrants have fewer professional development opportunities and employment prospects, a situation that creates a permanent underclass even in societies that claim to welcome them. Social conflict and racism rob marginalised youth of information, financial security, and social mobility. On the other hand, climate refugees are currently not recognised by international law, leaving those seeking refuge due to natural disasters without any protection or assistance. According to Dr Dhia, the number of students in tertiary education has doubled in the last two decades, but this increase is mainly observed in developed countries and within specific ethnicities.
Aside from obvious changes in law and innovative financing, education plays an important role in resolving many of these issues. Dr Kyung Nam Shin of the Global Green Growth Initiative (GGGI), South Korea, and Dr Dhia urged educational institutions to collaborate with governmental agencies and the private sector on innovating financial support for the marginalised and on providing career paths. Professor Brendan Howe of Ewha Womans University, South Korea, also urged educational institutions to create more employment opportunities for refugees and pathways to citizenship. He also saw education as an important facilitator of peace and inclusion of refugees within their communities, by educating host countries of the positive effects and opportunities that come with the acceptance of refugees. On the other hand, refugees and marginalised people can also empower themselves to become resilient, Mr Harry A. Hill, CEO of Better-U Fitness, Japan, said. By acquiring what he calls the ‘fighter’s mindset’, vulnerable people of any age can learn how to become more resilient in the face of adversity through extracurricular activities such as boxing and working out, building confidence and community. The message here is that both host societies and those facing marginalisation and exclusion can take steps to end discrimination and vulnerability.
Creativity, critical thinking, and problem solving, which embodies human intelligence, are also compromised by recent technological advancements that increasingly lead us to overreliance on technology. Technology, particularly AI, can assist in providing the marginalised with a platform to speak up, access education, and promote intergenerational and intercultural understanding by minimising intergroup conflict. Although technology and AI can have a positive impact on marginalised communities’ lives, they can also have profound negative effects on our psychological well-being and our brain’s neuroplasticity, according to Dr Dharmawan Ardi Purnama from the Krida Wacana Christian University, Indonesia. Issues such as privacy concerns, loss of identity, agency, and purpose in life, as well as neurobiological corruption of the brain can create ‘a narrow-minded generation in the future, if we miseducate children on the use of AI’, Dr Purnama warned. Professor Da Silva questioned whether we have already achieved peak humanity, including whether we have already experienced the best of human intelligence.
The plenary programme at The 11th Asian Conference on Education & International Development (ACEID2025), The 15th Asian Conference on Psychology & the Behavioral Sciences (ACP2025), and The 11th Asian Conference on Aging & Gerontology (AGen2025) discussed issues through an interdisciplinary lens, intersecting the four IAFOR themes of Humanity and Human Intelligence, Technology and Artificial Intelligence, Global Citizenship and Education for Peace, and Leadership. Through various viewpoints and by combining insights from the education, international development, psychology, and gerontology disciplines, the main takeaway from this interdisciplinary conference is that people from all social strata, economic sectors, demographic ages, cultures, and disciplines need to collaborate in order to provide protection for and empower those most vulnerable and marginalised. Such collaborations can erase conflict and promote peace, while preserving our humanity in the process, through a common approach: educating for peace. As Dr Emiliano Bosio of Toyo University, Japan, pointed out, ‘if we can leave something to future generations that they can read and learn from, then perhaps we can have different leaders; leaders who are able to engage in dialogue, who appreciate sustainability and ethical values, and who are able to contribute to social justice.’
2. Education, Climate Change, and the Marginalised
Education is essential in addressing ongoing and interconnected challenges around climate change, marginalisation, and global peace. In the panel presentation ‘Education for Good Global Governance,’ Professor Jun Arima of the University of Tokyo, Japan, and IAFOR President, emphasised that education plays a crucial role in advocating for public support in climate change policies. The support from the public and key industries is essential to the sustainability of climate change policies, in a time where energy transition is largely driven by public policies rather than technological and economic advantage as in the past. ‘Climate change is a common threat, but it is affecting smaller economies more severely and disproportionately,’ said Professor Arima. The current global energy transition is driven by priority differences between the Global North and South. While the North is moving towards renewable energy, the South is largely transitioning from biomass to more modern energy sources, regardless of their renewability. The current world supply chains still rely heavily on hydrocarbon energy and fossil fuels. Plagued with energy security concerns over the Russia-Ukraine War and less financial support from the major powers for developing countries to pursue renewable energies, the energy transition process remains hindered. Hence, education should, and can, promote understanding about the need to change people’s energy consumption patterns to reduce the effects of global warming.
The effort in advocating for climate change education and awareness has taken root in international collaboration. Dr Kyung Nam Shin of the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), South Korea, presented the institution’s current work in bridging education and climate change to achieve the Net Zero target. The institution joined universities around the world through the Least Developed Countries Universities Consortium on Climate Change and prestigious universities in South Korea together with their global partners to garner global policy expertise and funding, increase research and academic capacity, and share technical expertise and innovations on climate change.
Left to right: Professor Yukari Ando, Professor Brendan Howe, Dr Kyung Nam Shin, Professor Jun Arima
The importance of education on climate change issues was further emphasised by fellow panellist Professor Yukari Ando of the University of Toyama, Japan. According to her, ‘education is a hope for the future generation. Ignorance is sometimes not innocent.’ Education allows global citizens to make informed choices in constructing governance structures and selecting their representatives. Professor Ando highlighted a crucial example of ‘environmental refugees,’ where people are forced to be displaced by environmental crises, and for whom returning to their country of origin would pose a threat to their lives. Although the term ‘environmental refugees’ is not legally recognised in the United Nations’ definition of refugee, they exist today, and are persons in need of international protection. They are subjected to ‘complementary protection,’ which Japan has adopted in the 2023 Immigration Act of Japan, offering protection to ‘those who are in need of protection, such as those who are likely to be subjected to arbitrary deprivation of life.’ This reflects the principle of non-refoulement adopted by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) in 1966 by the UN General Assembly, stating in Article 6(1) that ‘no one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his life.’ Hence, the environmental refugee is protected under this law. Professor Ando stated that it is important for decision-makers and educators to realise the hardship of refugees when deciding to take in and arrange proper education for them. It is equally important to raise awareness and provide education for the society and its educators, in addition to refugees.
To put public policy on refugees into perspective, Professor Brendan Howe of Ewha Womans University, South Korea, highlighted the state’s role in prescribing good governance at the domestic and international levels. In the East Asian context, there is a required shift in the focus of governance from efficacy and efficiency to a human-centred provision of safe havens for vulnerable individuals. According to Professor Howe, this becomes a challenge for three intersecting factors: priority on national security, developmentalism, where governance issues can be dealt with by economic development; and the concept of homogeneity. Korea and Japan are the ‘norm entrepreneurs’ in the region, yet they still have a low acceptance of refugees. The discrimination among groups of refugees by the recipient country, based on which ‘type’ of refugee is accepted, is problematic in guaranteeing universal entitlement rights of vulnerable individuals and groups, violating the international normative principle on refugees.
Dr Kyung Nam Shin of the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI)
The path to end discrimination in selecting and accepting migrants and refugees is to embrace multiethnicity. Professor Howe suggested that, rather than focusing on how governments and societies should integrate refugees, efforts should be made to educate societies accepting refugees about the benefits of transitioning to a multicultural society. This includes raising awareness of the direct need for immigrants in the society, and the indirect benefits of multiculturalism that result from this integration. As Professor Howe states, it is ‘only through mixing and blending that “new” is created.’ This is especially important in the East Asian context, where nations like South Korea and Japan are experiencing lower birth rates and increasingly larger elderly populations, also known as a ‘demographic time bomb’. The need for a robust labor force is causing both countries to accept foreigners into their societies. However, even today, immigrants of blood, such as Chinese-Korean in South Korea or Nikkei Peruvian in Japan, still face discrimination and hardship in integrating into Korean or Japanese society. Only by embracing multiculturalism can society survive, and discrimination against immigrants end, paving the way for immigrants with a pathway to citizenship, easier access to education, and a better quality of life.
Dr Amir Dhia of the Education Above All (EAA) foundation, Qatar
To showcase the advocacy work and the importance of education for the marginalised, Dr Amir Dhia of the Education Above All (EAA) foundation, Qatar, shared the challenges, success stories, and good practices in supporting marginalised youth. ‘Despite all your resilience, the doors remain closed,’ Dr Dhia stated in his presentation ‘Supporting Quality and Relevant Tertiary Education for Marginalized Youth and Communities,’ highlighting how higher education is not accessible to everyone not because of a lack of talent or ambitions, but because of war, displacement, conflict, economic hardships, or exclusion. Education itself has been the victim of war, conflict, and economic hardships: according to Dr Dhia, war affects education through the destruction of educational facilities, and war leads governments to allocate more budgets on warfare and less on education. In countries where governments are undergoing budget cuts, education is often given the lowest priority and the first to receive cuts . Less funding for education forces educators to leave their profession, creating a ‘teacher gap,’ a disparity between the number and quality of educators and teaching practises at large that is difficult to recover from. Furthermore, students are highly likely to drop out of school, which would have transgenerational consequences from succeeding generations not having access to educational opportunities. In some countries, education is considered a luxury for both the refugees and even the locals as a result of political instability and economic stagnation, where universities are forced to operate under budget cuts, or close down altogether.
To ensure access to quality education, Dr Dhia proposed a holistic approach to the innovative financing model, focusing on public-private partnerships. ‘The question is not whether we can afford to invest, but whether we can afford not to invest,’ said Dr Dhia. Funding is an important drive to support and empower students in higher education. In recent years, non-state actors have increasingly contributed to funding education. To build social cohesion, scholarships were granted to both local and refugee students to ensure equitable access to all ‘types’ of students. Equally important is the state’s role in facilitating legal support for displaced students to have access to the receiving country and educational institutions. Universities took part in adjusting the curriculum for displaced students, offering shorter-term courses and a two-year certificate programme focusing on important skills for students to join the workforce. An example of a successful public-private partnership is the Qatar Scholarship for Afghans Project. After the recent Afghan conflict broke out, the project was able to quickly relocate 250 Afghans to the United States with US visa support and funding from private agencies around the world.
The question is not whether we can afford to invest, but whether we can afford not to invest.
Beyond financing, Dr Dhia proposed that we should foster an ecosystem where young people can feel seen, valued, and connected, creating a sense of belonging in a new community that in turn gives themselves value. This resonates with the panellists’ discussion on good global governance, who agree that it is important to create an environment that promotes intercultural exchanges and their benefits, educate the society to recognise the benefits of multiculturalism, and increase international exposure among university students. In a post-conference interview, Dr Dhia commended IAFOR’s mission, saying that ‘international events and conferences like IAFOR’s are excellent places where we can raise these points, but we can also share insights to see how we can tackle difficulties and foster partnerships.’
Mr Harry A. Hill of Better-U Fitness, Japan
3. Empowering the Elders through Positive Mindset and Technology
The ageing population has long been discussed in Japanese society. Oftentimes, the discussion centres around what support we can provide to assist the elderly, who are seen as vulnerable, frail, and fragile. However, vulnerable groups such as the elderly can also take steps to empower themselves and improve their quality of life through adjustments and better self-care. Fitness entrepreneur and owner of the UFC Gym Japan franchise, Mr Harry A. Hill of Better-U Fitness, Japan, laid out the power of ‘The Fighter’s Mindset’ in the keynote presentation titled ‘The Fighter’s Mindset: Training for Resilience Across Life and Business’. Drawing from personal experiences, Mr Hill gave a short definition of the fighter’s mindset as an ‘anti-ageing superpower.’ According to him, the fighter’s mindset is not about combatting with others or necessarily having enemies, but how to control one’s own emotions. With his expertise in the fitness world, he compared emotion control with high-intensity interval training (HIIT), specifically how we should manage our emotions similarly to watching heart rates. He further highlighted the importance of a resilient mind in setting goals and achievements, comparing the 42 kilometres of ‘marathon conditioning’ to three to five minute rounds of ‘kickboxing conditioning’. The important point is not the ultimate goal, but about being able to identify what one can do, and having a resilient mindset to set achievable goals. ‘Every one of us has something that we’re fighting for,’ said Mr Hill as he concluded that the key to being successful is not only being different or unique, but by the process of learning and developing.
Dr Hidenobu Sumioka of the Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute, Japan
In addition to motivation, technology has constantly been developing to help the elderly live better lives. In the keynote presentation titled ‘Social Robots For All Stakeholders in Elderly Care,’ Dr Hidenobu Sumioka of Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International, Japan, showcased the Institute’s development of ‘Hiro-chan,’ a social robot that acts as a communication device for elderly persons diagnosed with dementia. Currently, there is no medical treatment for dementia, and often, burdens fall upon caretakers in having to handle the patients’ dementia-associated aggression, delusions, or depression. Hiro-chan was designed to help calm the patient, allowing the patient the ability to self-soothe and lessen the workload of their caretakers. The robot was built to mimic a cooing baby human, in accordance with research findings that confirmed dementia patients’ interactions with baby-dolls and life-like dolls were successful in soothing them during dementia-associated distress. Hiro-chan was also designed as faceless and gender neutral, allowing patients to use their full imagination when interacting with the doll. The doll’s initial design reacted accordingly to its handling, giving emotional responses such as laughter when being held or crying when left in a position that would be perceived as uncomfortable by a real baby.
From its initial design, Hiro-chan went through 20 functional improvements based on the patients’ and caretakers’ feedback. As a result, one of the features removed from Hiro-chan was its crying function, which lessened the patients' willingness to interact with the robot. The continuous development of Hiro-chan has helped all stakeholders in terms of keeping the patients engaged, lessening the workload of caretakers, and improving mental health for both. Dr Sumioka is currently exploring the possibility of advancing Hiro-chan with the use of ChatGPT for a better experience for all stakeholders in elderly care. Nonetheless, at its current stage, Hiro-chan demonstrates the practical integration of technological simplicity amid the hype surrounding AI as the solution to today’s technological challenges.
Dr Beth Hedva of the Canadian Institute Transpersonal and Integrative Sciences, Canada
4. Human vs Artificial Intelligence
Disruptive technologies have always been met with mixed emotions: they offer innovation and a redefinition of human capabilities, but often at the cost of losing traits which define our humanity. By fundamentally changing how we interact with the world and each other, these technologies can have significant impacts on our mental processes, behaviours, and even our understanding of reality. As technology advances at an unprecedented pace, our ability to quickly identify and mitigate threats posed by disruptive technologies such as AI may be outpaced by our enticement with the opportunities that come with it, pushing us to its unregulated use.
What sets AI apart from other innovations is its challenge to the concept of ‘intelligence.’ What is intelligence, what is human intelligence, and how does artificial intelligence differ from human intelligence? In a panel titled ‘Human vs Artificial Intelligence: Psychological Threats and Opportunities’, panellists discussed this deeply philosophical question through a psychological and educational lens. Moderated by Professor Dexter Da Silva from Keisen University, Japan, the panel invited clinical psychologist Dr Beth Hedva from the Canadian Institute for Transpersonal and Integrative Sciences, Canada; clinical psychiatrist Dr Dharmawan Ardi Purnama from Krida Wacana Christian University, Indonesia; academic computer scientist Dr Davy Tsz Kit Ng from The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong; and educational psychologist Professor Chi-Shing Tse from The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, to share their views on a variety of topics concerning AI and its psychological impact. From mindfulness and transcendent awareness, to the neurobiological impact of AI on the brain, to intergenerational and intercultural communication, the panellists agreed that AI as a tool is not the problem, but its unregulated and irresponsible use is the real threat.
The Forum session on ‘Global Citizenship: Human and Artificial Intelligence’ that succeeded the panel discussion saw delegates agreeing with many of the points raised during the panel, showing the reluctance of seasoned educators and professionals to use AI in their classroom and practice. Diving into questions of whether AI should feel or understand human emotions and what the difference between human and artificial intelligence is, participants indirectly responded to the panel’s rhetorical questions about AI and the future of humanity.
Left: Dr Beth Hedva from the Canadian Institute for Transpersonal and Integrative Sciences, Canada; Right: Professor Dexter Da Silva from Keisen University, Japan
4.1. Artificial Intelligence and Its Psychological Impact on Human Intelligence
Opening with a discussion on ‘intelligence’, Professor Da Silva quoted Howard Gardner’s definition of ‘multiple intelligences’ and posed a set of thought-provoking questions around AI. According to Gardner (1999), intelligence is seen as a ‘biopsychological potential to process information that can be activated in a cultural setting to solve problems or create products that are of value in a culture.’ Keeping this definition in mind, Professor Da Silva questioned whether AI can think, feel, or learn; whether it can be creative, empathic, or reflective, and whether it can possess consciousness and become more than just a tool.
Dr Beth Hedva dismissed the idea of AI as intelligent, asserting that ‘accelerated data processing is not intelligence. It lacks sentient consciousness, creativity, and transcendent awareness.’ Elaborating more on this in a post-conference interview, Dr Hedva explained that ‘even if AI is generative, it is not generating new ideas, creative possibilities, or a connection with transcendent awareness. It cannot inspire us and give insight and meaning to our lives, or how to be present in the world that is dealing with accelerated change, like the climate crisis, economic crisis, and all the interpersonal crises we face in our everyday lives.’ More than that, she warned of AI’s potential to erode human intelligence and well-being through job loss, a loss of identity, agency, and life purpose. By promoting over-engagement, for example, on social media, AI leads to dependence and addiction, leaving a lasting effect on our psycho-physical and neurological system. According to her, AI may even fuel authoritarianism through the misuse of personal data, such as health records, financial records, and social media conversations. ‘This can create serious concerns as we are moving towards greater authoritarian leadership worldwide,’ Dr Hedva warned.
Left: Dr Dharmawan Ardi Purnama from Krida Wacana Christian University, Indonesia; Right: Professor Chi-Shing Tse from The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Dr Dharmawan Ardi Purnama further elaborated on AI’s negative impact on brain neurobiology. According to him, ‘using AI from childhood will reduce the cognitive load and neuroplasticity of the brain’. While AI can be a useful and complementary tool for older generations, who already possess foundational cognitive skills, children’s overreliance on it hinders their brain development. Eventually, this leads to an attention deficit and a lack of critical thinking and problem-solving. Conditions like ADHD, for example, may be misdiagnosed when in fact they stem from excessive tech use, explained Dr Purnama. As for AI being able to understand these complex human emotions and psychological conditions, he said that ‘we believe that every human is unique. So, how can we programme AI to reflect this human uniqueness? I think it is difficult to program emotions and feelings, because there is too much variation.’
Both Dr Hedva and Dr Purnama emphasised the role of education in mitigating the potential negative effects of overreliance on AI. While Dr Purnama blamed the current education system’s outcome-oriented focus, Dr Hedva was more optimistic about education being a solution to many of the technologically induced psychological problems. Indeed, Dr Purnama warned that ‘we will have a narrow-minded generation in the future, if we miseducate children on the use of AI’. If future generations are losing necessary functions of the brain, ‘have we now reached peak humanity, and have we already experienced the best of human intelligence?’, Professor Da Silva asked rhetorically.
Dr Davy Tsz Kit Ng from The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
However, Dr Davy Tsz Kit Ng claimed that ‘AI is not all that bad’. Dr Ng has conducted several studies with various learning groups and found many positive impacts of AI. For example, during one study, older adults recreated memories through AI-generated artefacts and shared them with younger students, boosting their self-efficacy and confidence in using technology. In this way, AI also promotes intergenerational communication and learning. In another study, an AI-generated intercultural writing programme was found to promote cross-cultural understanding and empathy among students. Through AI-generated artefacts, students from all cultures created stories about their own culture and migration stories, and shared those with their classmates. This makes AI a great tool for multicultural education.
Yet another study presented by Professor Chi-Shing Tse showed how the promotion of intercultural understanding through AI can lead to a reduction of intergroup conflict. Autobiographical memory (AM), the recalling of past memories, can help us construct and maintain a coherent sense of ourselves and our identity over time, help us learn from our experience, and enhance our emotional bonding with others. When used collectively, AM can help reconcile conflicting social groups by creating a shared collective memory, Professor Tse argued. To prove this, he conducted an experiment in which he asked students to create AI-generated images of a familiar scene as a cue to facilitate an AM event narration. Then, he allowed participants to recreate and co-create these images of unfamiliar cultural heritage to improve the accuracy of the ‘other’s’ perception, creating a collaborative AI-image-generation practice. This proved to reduce prejudice and conflict, and promote intercultural understanding.
IAFOR's Dr Melina Neophytou (left) interviews Dr Dharmawan Ardi Purnama (middle) and Dr Beth Hedva (right) after the panel.
Even though AI cannot be compared to human intelligence due to its lack of emotional depth, creative thinking, and transcendent awareness, it is a good tool to promote intercultural and intergenerational understanding and peace. Although there are potential psycho-social and physical pitfalls to overreliance on AI, AI literacy and education can mitigate these negative impacts. ‘Since AI learns about empathy from text and it is debatable whether those are real emotions, teachers’ role is to intervene and make sense of what technology is generating to students’, said Dr Ng. ‘In other words, AI is controllable and should be controlled by teachers so that students can learn properly’, he concluded. On the expectations many have of AI being able to solve all of our problems, Dr Hedva quoted Albert Einstein to say that ‘we cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.’ In a post-conference interview, IAFOR asked Professor Tse whether it is wise to solve a problem caused by technology with the help of technology.
Yeah, this is a paradox… You don’t want your children to rely too much on technology, but at the same time, you want them to use technology. I think it really depends on how they use technology. Children today use technology too much, for example, social media. That is not good, obviously, but teachers need to understand why young people do this. Instead of telling them ‘don’t do this or that’, we need to figure out what the alternative is. We can ask them to have more interpersonal communication, which doesn’t rely on social media. We can organise more in-person events. However, there is also a positive side to this. Some people are introverts. Talking online can help them cultivate interpersonal skills, so it’s good for them, even when their talking partner is not human. This is the first step [to warm them up to communication]. But then, we need to make sure that the second step works: can they transfer these interpersonal skills to the real world?
IAFOR's Academic Operations Manager, Dr Melina Neophytou, moderated the Forum session.
4.2. The Forum: Insights on Global Citizenship Education and Artificial Intelligence from the IAFOR Community
IAFOR celebrated one year of the Forum at the ACEID/ACP/AGen2025 conference in Tokyo. One year since its inception, and having travelled to seven cities including Tokyo, London, Kyoto, Incheon, Barcelona, Honolulu, and Kuala Lumpur, the Forum has accumulated a wealth of insights on various aspects of Global Citizenship, shaped by the local context and plenary discussions at each conference. The Forum is a moderated one-hour discussion among delegates, giving them a platform to voice their opinions and individual experiences on issues of Global Citizenship, such as ethics and care, climate change, social justice, mass tourism, AI, responsible consumption, and many more. The strength of the Forum session lies in its ability to draw a variety of perspectives on a specific topic from all ages, cultures, and professions.
In Tokyo, the Forum further discussed Human and Artificial Intelligence in detail, through the lens of Global Citizenship Education. Following the thought-provoking discussion during the previous panel, respondent Dr Emiliano Bosio from Toyo University, Japan, and moderator Dr Melina Neophytou from IAFOR invited delegates to share their experiences and insights on the following questions: (1) Should AI ever truly understand human emotions? (2) For what purpose are we using AI in the classroom, and why does it need to understand human emotions? (3) Is the current education system turning students’ human intelligence more and more into artificial intelligence? (4) What is the difference between human and artificial intelligence?
Starting with the simple poll question on whether AI should ever truly understand human emotions, the answers proved to be more complicated and divided. 28% of participants said ‘yes’, an almost equal number of 27% said ‘no’, 33% answered ‘it depends’, and 13% were not sure. Those who answered ‘no’ were more vocal about their choice, citing privacy concerns, the inability to replicate the complexity of human emotions, and ethics as reasons for their hesitation.
I said ‘no’ and the reason for that is as a preventive measure against those potential misuses we could have in the future. I don’t feel particularly comfortable with Google and Microsoft knowing my personal thoughts and feelings about things. I don’t think it’s a beneficial function for society to have, where AI that is developed by those companies can use them for commercial purposes and even for nefarious purposes, in the case of an authoritarian country. I don’t think it will be a beneficial thing overall.
- A delegate from the United Kingdom, working in Japan
I also voted for ‘no’. Human emotions are far too complex to try to make two ends meet down the line. AI is, at the moment, structured to follow certain commands. It should follow what humans intend it to do. I don’t think emotions would play a part in this.
- A delegate from India
When someone is depressed, AI can reflect empathy. But when does it know instinctively, intuitively, empathically, how to shift from ‘yes, I understand that’s difficult’ to ‘it’s time to take action now’? If that takes a certain level of emotional intelligence, then I don’t believe we can programme it into AI, at least not at this phase. This requires a certain energetic relationship between two people.
- A delegate from Canada
I answered ‘no’ as well because what’s good to you might be evil to me. Who is the person to decide what is good to whom?
- A delegate from India
It depends on what for. Coming back to ethics, if the reason for understanding human emotions is for good, then great; if it’s for evil, absolutely not.
- A delegate from Australia
Dr Emiliano Bosio from Toyo University, Japan, served as respondent for The Forum.
Another delegate offered a more positive response for why AI should be programmed to understand human emotions in the near future:
I think AI is going to help us understand our students’ emotional relationships and their complexities growing up using AI. So, I think there are new sets of emotions that are emerging that are not defined yet. I think AI is going to understand them better than we can now. In this light, we need to let AI do some of the work. We just don’t know what that work is yet.
- A delegate from the United States
To the question of what purpose we are using AI in the classroom for and why it needs to understand human emotions, most delegates agreed that it would be a great tool for school counsellors and for students with various learning barriers. However, one delegate specifically mentioned that this may well be the only obvious way that AI could be useful for the education system at the moment:
Listening to what was said in the previous Forum [in Tokyo about community-assisted education] and to what is being said now, it appears to me that the big division between global citizenship and AI is social equity. For example, social equity forms bases of inclusive education for students with special needs who may have ADHD or a range of educational difficulties. I can see the purpose of AI working quite nicely for them on a localised basis, working with a psychologist and working within a school. But I don’t see AI at this point being a global factor in how education is planned for, delivered, and assessed. We also need to have a fortuitous discussion with our communities. After all, it is communities that send people to school. We have to be really careful that we don’t walk over them under the basis of social equity.
- A delegate from New Zealand
Partly in response to this argument, and while answering the next question of ‘How can global citizenship education integrate AI while preserving our humanity?’, a delegate disagreed with the view that global citizenship education and AI are not connected.
The people who take our scholarship programmes are very patriotic. They are all very motivated by their local experiences before they are concerned about global issues. A person was interested in malaria prevention because that is a big problem in that particular part of East Africa. One was interested in protection against lightning strikes because that’s a big problem in that part of the world. The way of solving those problems has a global impact. While they are solving local problems, they are also solving global problems. Even if this person was initially interested in malaria prevention in Rwanda, the same method could be used across the world. So, even if they are not thinking of global citizenship education per se, they are still contributing to the global good. They are saving lives, and they are using AI to do that. I think what we educators need to do is to give them the tools and the knowledge to pursue AI in a responsible way that helps them solve both local and global problems.
- A delegate from the United Kingdom, working in Japan
Echoing the point made by Dr Purnama previously that the education system promotes too much goal-orientedness, a poll asked delegates to verify whether their students are more goal-oriented, process-oriented, or both, but leaning towards one of the two. A large majority (81%) of participants replied that most of their students were either goal-oriented (35%) or both goal-oriented and process-oriented (46%). With only 2% answering process-oriented and 17% saying their students were both but leaning towards process-oriented, it was clear that, indeed, the education system furthers goal-orientedness. However, a delegate offered a more nuanced view of the current state of education:
The problem isn’t necessarily that the education system is turning our students more goal-oriented. Rather, it’s about how they process that goal-orientedness. Students are often preoccupied with these goals and ambitions. How they arrive at those goals and ambitions is what is problematic. Overqualification, grades, and being extracurricularly motivated are often associated with all these different learning challenges that leads students to take an easier route: to use AI as a way for them to obtain the high grades they need to accomplish a particular task, which then robs them of the authentic experience of the creative process. This is where the discussion should focus: how can we use AI to help students become much more creative thinkers, and how can we use it as a way to tap into their creative intelligence, in order to arrive at those goal-oriented ambitions in a much more meaningful way. This is something we, educators and mental health practitioners, should focus on within the community.
- A delegate from the Philippines
On the other hand, much like Dr Purnama, a delegate blamed the education system and educators today for turning students into goal-oriented thinkers:
In one of the questions, we said that most students are goal-oriented. But we actually caused this. When we set our exams and our evaluations, we expect certain kinds of responses. This is causing a lot of issues we are seeing. AI does not have the subjectivity that we have. We are educating our students to become very objective, without thinking critically and creatively. We expect them to respond very quickly to situations that require only a particular response.
- A delegate from Jamaica
Another delegate agreed with Dr Purnama in that adult learners are often better at using AI responsibly than younger students:
I would say it depends on what kind of students you have. For adult learners, what I noticed is that they tend to be more process-oriented in the sense that they still use AI, but in order to break down concepts in PDFs, for example. It helps them to think critically about what the task is for. There is a risk with younger students using AI, because as I’ve seen with the younger generations, they tend to take information as it is. I am not an educator [I work in gerontology], but I think it’s the educators’ job to encourage students to think critically.
- A delegate from Singapore
Finally, delegates were asked to describe the difference between human and artificial intelligence, and how we can best preserve our humanity while using AI. Many delegates focused on the notion of creative and critical thinking to define human intelligence and differentiate it from AI.
In terms of the difference between human and artificial intelligence, I would say for human intelligence, there is always the aspect of creativity, whereas for artificial intelligence, it will always be goal-oriented. It depends on what the human trains it for, and on the human assessing the output. No model is going to be perfect.
- A delegate from Singapore
When I think about human intelligence, I think about innovation, creativity, and judgement. I work with a lot of patients who are extremely drug-affected, and we make clinical decisions around treatment. When we think about the difference between human judgement and decision-making in terms of clinical decision-making (but I guess we can translate that to education and teaching as well), there is an element of judgment and decision-making that doesn’t fit a particular formula. Sometimes, there is a risk that might come from depending on artificial intelligence to make decisions when people do not necessarily fit into a certain box.
- A delegate from Australia
How do we preserve our humanity? Students tend to gravitate towards using AI. I think we need to teach them how not to use AI, but be creative. They have to go through that process in order to be creative and think of ideas. If we always shuffle it towards AI, how are we being human that way? If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. There needs to be something in the education system that teaches ‘this is the time to use AI, and this is the time you should be using your own brain to come up with new ideas and be creative.
- A delegate from the United States, working in Japan
The Forum session at the ACEID/ACP/AGen2025 conference sparked a deeply philosophical reflection on the ethical, emotional, and educational implications of using AI. The diversity of views expressed—from concern over AI's capacity to understand or misuse human emotion, to optimism about its potential to support inclusive and locally relevant education—highlighted the complexity of integrating AI into the classroom and professional practice without compromising human creativity, critical thinking, and emotional depth. As educators and professionals expressed their distaste with the overly goal-oriented academic systems and rapid technological advancement, the Forum reaffirmed the importance of intentional, process-oriented thinking in shaping a future where AI complements rather than replaces the uniquely human aspects of intelligence.
5. IAFOR Global Fellows Panel: Addressing ‘The Monster’ of Patriarchy - A Foreign Woman in Japanese Buddhism
Driven by our international, intercultural, and interdisciplinary mission, the IAFOR Global Fellowship Programme aims to connect early and mid-career academics to the IAFOR network for their research and personal development. In addition to supporting their research, IAFOR Global Fellows have been integrated into IAFOR conferences to present their work, connecting the local and the global, both in terms of zeitgeist issues and interpersonal connections. The IAFOR Global Fellows Panel Presentation connects to the main conference themes in which they present, from the role of media and states’ power in the Asia Pacific at KAMC/MediAsia2024 to cultural heritage preservation through arts and education in East Asia at ACE2024. During ACEID/ACP/AGen2025, Dr Joseph Haldane, IAFOR’s Chairman and CEO, moderated the Global Fellows Panel titled ‘Ageing and Gender in Contemporary Japan: Navigating New Female Buddhist Leadership within Institutional and Societal Constraints,’ presented by 2024/25 Global Fellows Dr Sheng-Hsiang Lance Peng from Taiwan and Mr Hongmin Ahn from South Korea. The Fellows’ panel addressed the issues of gender and ageing society through psychological aspects, with the empirics in the Japanese context.
The core discussion centred around how the norm-conforming society and institutions are being challenged to change their position in the inevitable societal change. Dr Peng used the concept of ‘monster,’ exploring the anxiety and curiosity caused by the unknown consequences of the norm and institutional changes brought about by the ‘others.’ This concept usually looks at how immigrants are treated in a society, but it has recently become applicable to other marginalised groups within the society. Through this concept, the ageing population may be cast out as ‘the others,’ as they portray helplessness and an out-of-touch image, leaving them in a state of otherness within society.
Dr Sheng-Hsiang Lance Peng (left) and Mr Hongmin Ahn (right)
This otherness and its interplay with society are portrayed in a case study of Kim Myoseon, as presented by Mr Ahn. Kim is the first Korean woman to become the leader of Dainichiji Temple, one of the major Buddhist temples along the Shikoku Pilgrimage route in Japan. Kim’s case represents several layers of otherness: she was the other in becoming a Buddhist monk, an area reserved for men; she has no monastic background, only traditional Korean monk dance; and is the first foreign national to lead a sacred space of a nationalistic Japan. Kim had a son with Oguri Koei, then the head priest of Dainichiji, who was nine years old at the time of Oguri’s death in 2007. Although she was able to assume leadership of the temple in 2008, her position as the head priest faced challenges from other temple leaders questioning her gender and nationality, as well as a part of the society that viewed her leadership as a threat to the sanctity of Japanese Buddhist traditions. Kim’s leadership was against the institutional norm of succession, which usually passed on to male relatives of the deceased head priest. Her assumed leadership was viewed as temporary and was not marked as a sign of progressive change to this norm-conforming institution and society. Mr Ahn suggested that Kim’s case reflects the reality of Japanese Buddhism, in that the opening to new leadership is not by choice, but is instead a necessity. This resonates with Professor Howe’s statement that the declining demographic caused by low birth rates and limited immigration in countries like Japan and Korea has led to shrinking communities, labour shortage, and in this case, declining religious sustainability.
Can Kim’s case provide a glimpse into the future of Buddhist leadership in Japan? To Mr Ahn, Kim’s case forces us to rethink the conditionality of Buddhist leadership in Japan, and that Buddhism cannot be static. Kim’s case is not a revolutionary change, but it has opened the pathway for next-generation leaders in Japan’s ageing society. Dr Peng concluded the panel with the ‘monstrous feminine’ framework to explain the feminine figure that disrupts traditional structures, challenging the notion of purity and authority. Women stepping into a male-dominant society challenges the norm, and probed us to look at balancing tradition and accepting transformation within institutions. Kim’s case destabilises the hegemonic constructs of gender, nationality, and religion, and redefines leadership in a dynamic force shaped by necessity and transformation. The panel concluded that the future of Buddhism in Japan should not be confined by age or gender, and depends largely on its ability to evolve.
6. Conclusion
The ACEID/ACP/AGen2025 joint conference offered an interdisciplinary lens between education, international development, psychology, and gerontology to discuss contemporary threats to humanity and human intelligence. War and social conflict pose a threat to humanity by leading people to seek refuge in host countries that can be as hostile as their countries of origin, offering limited access to education and, thereby, financial security and employment opportunities. Discrimination and exclusion from local communities further hinders any meaningful engagement of refugees and migrants with society, diminishing their sense of purpose in life. War and conflict also disrupt international cooperation, especially in critical areas such as climate change. Those suffering the most from this type of conflict are climate refugees, who are currently not recognised by international law as individuals in need of protection. Technology and AI also pose a threat to human intelligence. Issues such as privacy concerns, loss of identity, agency, and purpose in life, addiction, and neurobiological corruption reduce the neuroplasticity of the brain and interpersonal communication—an essential activity that promotes empathy and intergroup peace.
Both of these outcomes—the marginalisation of groups in terms of education and the miseducation of young people on the use of AI—are problematic for the future of humanity. They both create problematic future generations; generations that are uneducated, underprivileged, and narrow-minded. With previous conditions usually being transferred to succeeding generations, this will create a permanent underclass and an increasing erosion of human intelligence, if we do not take any preventive steps in mitigating the effects caused by war and technological advancement. Education plays an important role in raising awareness, creating opportunities for the marginalised, and teaching younger generations empathy, creativity, critical thinking, and the responsible use of technology. Preserving our humanity amidst the rapidly evolving socio-political and technological landscape should be a core element of any political, legal, technological, and educational endeavour we take in the near future.
7. Capacity-Building Workshops
As part of IAFOR’s mission to give back to its community, this conference offered three capacity-building workshops for early-, mid-, and seasoned academics. With a workshop on ‘Tips and Technology to Maximise Your Conference Experience’, Professor Grant Black of Chuo University, Japan, and Professor Mike Menchaca of the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, United States, shared tips on how to make the most out of a conference experience, by both emphasising interpersonal skills and using AI-tools such as otter.ai and Gemini.
Dr Lara Carminati of the University of Twente, Netherlands, offered a workshop on ‘How to Write a Clear and Effective Introduction’. Comparing the introduction of an article or book to the trailer of a movie, she emphasised the importance of the contribution part in a research paper, as academic journals are now strongly pushing for a clearly defined contribution. The workshop was geared towards early-career researchers, but many mid-career academics also attended the session as a useful workshop for their own book publications.
Ms Kathryn Lavender of the National Archive of Computerized Data on Aging (NACDA)
Ms Kathryn Lavender of the National Archive of Computerized Data on Aging (NACDA), United States, offered a workshop on ‘Aging Data: NACDA Resources for Gerontological Research, Training and Education’ for all researchers interested in using datasets for gerontology-related research.
All three workshops were well attended and generated lively Q&A sessions, as these topics proved to be the source of frustration for many researchers, who had the opportunity to speak to experts in their fields about matters pertinent to their research topics.
8. Networking and Cultural Programme
IAFOR’s Conference Networking and Cultural Events are designed to provide spaces where participants can gather, connect, and make new contacts within the IAFOR network in professional and social settings outside the conference venue. The inclusion of networking and cultural events at a joint conference such as ACEID/ACP/AGen2025 is integral to IAFOR’s mission of fostering international, intercultural, and interdisciplinary collaborations, as they provide spaces where attendees from various areas of research can meet and mingle outside of their respective disciplines.
Welcome Reception
The Welcome Reception followed the pre-conference programme at The Public Red Akasaka, a gastropub located a few minutes’ walk from the conference venue. The Welcome Reception is always free for delegates to attend, and provides a relaxed networking space where delegates can become better acquainted with each other at the conference. Participants were able to reconvene with colleagues they met during the pre-conference workshops and meet new faces at the event. Creating such spaces for delegates to network and form long-lasting connections within our conference programme is essential to our conference planning.
Conference Dinner
The Conference Dinner provides an exclusive event within the conference programme where plenary speakers, IAFOR Executives, and VIP guests can partake in more in-depth conversations with the participants. IAFOR Conference Dinners are always held at spectacular venues, offering high-quality dining, unique cultural experiences, and a welcoming platform for attendees to connect.
The Conference Dinner event for our Tokyo Conference Programme has been hosted at Shunju Tameikesanno, a stylish Japanese izakaya restaurant with spectacular views of Tokyo’s metropolitan skyline, for nearly two years, with tickets often selling out. Shunju Tameikesanno’s seasonally-inspired course menu specialises in incorporating local, seasonal produce and modern flavours into traditional Japanese dishes, making each dining experience unique.
Conference Cultural Event: Kimono Dressing Demonstration
A Kimono Dressing Demonstration was included in the pre-conference programme, led by local kimono instructor Kazuko Abe, a specialist in traditional kimono dressing. Delegates who attended the free demonstration were given an in-depth overview of the history and traditions of Japanese kimono through Abe-sensei’s expert instruction. Yamada-sensei explained the rules and intricacies of kimono dressing, particularly the gala style for both men and women, with the aid of live models. The event included a Q&A session for audience members to pose questions and engage with Abe-sensei as she demonstrated each step. IAFOR is humbled to have made connections with locally-renowned instructors who are happy in turn to share their craft with us, as their contributions support us in creating a well-rounded programme.
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Key Statistics
Delegate World Map & Country Breakdown
Total Number of Attendees: 839
Total Number of Countries Represented: 62
| Country | Count |
|---|---|
| Taiwan | 93 |
| Philippines | 71 |
| Thailand | 65 |
| Australia | 61 |
| Hong Kong | 61 |
| Japan | 57 |
| United States | 54 |
| Singapore | 50 |
| China | 34 |
| Indonesia | 31 |
| India | 29 |
| Canada | 22 |
| South Korea | 20 |
| United Kingdom | 16 |
| Israel | 14 |
| Malaysia | 11 |
| South Africa | 11 |
| United Arab Emirates | 11 |
| New Zealand | 10 |
| Italy | 8 |
| Sweden | 7 |
| Germany | 6 |
| Mongolia | 6 |
| Poland | 6 |
| Switzerland | 6 |
| Vietnam | 6 |
| Turkey | 5 |
| Bulgaria | 4 |
| Morocco | 4 |
| Norway | 4 |
| Spain | 4 |
| Country | Count |
|---|---|
| Sri Lanka | 4 |
| Finland | 3 |
| France | 3 |
| Kazakhstan | 3 |
| Mexico | 3 |
| Pakistan | 3 |
| Portugal | 3 |
| Saudi Arabia | 3 |
| Costa Rica | 2 |
| Oman | 2 |
| Russia | 2 |
| Uzbekistan | 2 |
| Armenia | 1 |
| Austria | 1 |
| Belgium | 1 |
| Brazil | 1 |
| Chile | 1 |
| Cyprus | 1 |
| Czech Republic | 1 |
| Egypt | 1 |
| Georgia | 1 |
| Iraq | 1 |
| Jamaica | 1 |
| Jordan | 1 |
| Kuwait | 1 |
| Laos | 1 |
| Lithuania | 1 |
| Macau | 1 |
| Netherlands | 1 |
| Nigeria | 1 |
| Slovenia | 1 |
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