NEWS

On December 3 and 4 of 2022, Ritsumeikan Center for Asia Pacific Studies (RCAPS) held the Asia Pacific Conference 2022 (AP Conference). Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the previous two conferences were held either online or in a hybrid format, making this the first time in three years that it was held completely in person.

As one of the largest international academic conferences in the humanities and social sciences fields that is held in English in Japan, the AP Conference has provided researchers, speakers, listeners, and students with opportunities to share and gain new insights. This year marks its 20th anniversary.

AP Conference 2022, which opened with a declaration from President Haruaki Deguchi, welcomed 221 presenters from 50 educational and research institutions in 46 countries/regions. The conference was held in 8 sessions and 1 reception with a total of 972 participants. In the opening session, Dr. Jemilah Mahmood of Sunway University presented the keynote speech, "Planetary Health and Humanitarian Crises - Causes and Solutions," in which she discussed climate change, its effect on society, and how we can address it. In the plenary session, as part of a collaborative project with the East Kyushu Medical Valley concept promoted by Oita and Miyazaki prefectures, APU welcomed Shugo Sumiyoshi, President and CEO of Asahi Kasei Medical Co., Ltd., and Professor Yoshiyuki Sankai of the University of Tsukuba to present “Globalization of the Local Medical Devices Industry during Uncertain Times: The Eastern Kyushu Medical Valley and Beyond.”