In contrast to the traditional idea of national security, human security is distinguished by its focus on the protection and basic welfare of individiuals.
The emerging concept of human security has been an agenda within international cooperation in a range of academic and professional discussions for over 10 years. Projects, discussion and research continue to be influenced by a wide variety of perspectives.
Though academics and practitioners are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of including in their targets for analysis a diverse set of stakeholders, the role of the corporate sector has yet to be thoroughly discussed. To approach this issue, Human Security and Business was chosen as the general theme of the Todai Forum 2009.
Welcome!
to the official website of the TODAI FORUM 2009 in London
The Human Security Program of the University of Tokyo and its partners will hold an international symposium in the City of London on the 27th and 28th of April, 2009.
General Theme:
Human Security and Business
−Focusing on Conflicts, Human Mobility and Governance−
Time Table
The Todai Forum consists of three parts: a Symposium, a Students’ Forum and a Poster Session (Booths).
Organizer
Professor Susumu Yamakage
Dean, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
The University of Tokyo
Co-organizer
City University London, Cass Business School
Host
Professor Junichi Hamada
President of the University of Tokyo
Professor Malcolm Gillies
Vice Chancellor of City University London
Supporters
International Alliance of Research University (IARU), Security Research Project
United Nations Human Security Unit
Japan Consortium for Human Security Education and Research
Centre for Financial Regulation and Crime, Cass Business School
Todai Forum
Todai means the University of Tokyo in Japanese
The Todai Forum is a international symposium to present new research developments and results universally. It is also a chance for broad international exchanges between researchers and students, in association with partners from around the world.
The forum 2009 aims to discuss and articulate the growing interdependence between the concept of Human Security and the practicalities of Business. Now Human Security is no longer simply achieved through the protection of national security, international law, or international relations - all of which apply to the principle of state sovereignty extensively. How can Human Security be ensured against new threats, such as armed conflicts, natural disasters, refugee exodus, pandemics, poverty and others in our globalizing world?
In the process of ensuring Human Security, it is not only states and international organizations that play active roles; it is also the corporate sector and civil society that are among today’s and preeminent and leading actors. Reforms of market-oriented economies through globalization have proven to be factors that will further develop the private sector and make it more powerful, whereas state sovereignty on the other hand, is losing ground.
In response to this evolution, the forum proposes to discuss the interdependence between Human Security and the private sector, to examine the issues arising from their convergence and to look at the business prospects within the context of Human Security (these prospects have yet to be approached formally as a discussion topic for researchers globally). To this end, the forum, in particular, proposes to contrast the UK-based theory of Human Security with that of Japan’s. Both of us is now sharing an effort to broaden familiarity with our academic research achievements through a comparative studies across various disciplines.
Since former Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi’s statement for relief funding in favor of the Asian financial crisis in 1999, ‘Human Security’ has become one of the pillars of Japanese contemporary diplomacy. Japan has since created the United Nations Trust Fund for Human Security. Japan also supported establishment of the Commission on Human Security, which was co-chaired by Madame Sadako Ogata (JICA President and formerly UNHCR) and Dr. Amartya Sen (Nobel Prize winner in Economics). The Commission later culminated with the publication of ‘Human Security Now’ - which is the leading text on the promulgation and operation of the Human Security concept. In 2003 Japan’s ODA Charter, ‘Human Security’ was put forward as one of the main principles and peace-building was listed as one of the main priorities for her ODA. In 2004, the University of Tokyo established the Graduate Program on Human Security (HSP) within the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences to tackle Human Security as an academic challenge within its new educational and research paradigm. The HSP has promoted international and local networking with academics and practitioners, including government and civil society organizations and business people as partners for the human security study. Thus, we wish to share our achievements and proposals with our UK partners and encourage students of both sides to develop further this new paradigm and cross-border networking for it.
Register
Participants can register here.
For security reasons, only registered participants will be able to enter the venue.
Time Table
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