Seminars and Symposia

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July 30, 2009: GPSS Progress Report Presentations

Time: 9:00-17:00
Venue: Lecture Room 2, Environmental Building

Schedule

July 23, 2009: GPSS Student Seminar

Time: 10:00-10:45
Venue: Lecture Room 3, Environmental Building

SAKURAI Mariko, "The Role of Cooperation from Agricultural Experience for Sustainable Regional Welfare: Through the case study on Minumatanbo welfare farm in Japan"

July 17, 2009: GPSS Student Seminar

Time: 13:00-14:30
Venue: Lecture Room 3, Environmental Building

Farzana ISLAM, "Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for Sustainable Development: A perspective for developing countries"

TANAKA Yuko, "International Environmental Institutions for Regional Sustainability"

July 13, 2009

Kashiwa Sustainability Science Seminar Series 10

"Eco-Innovation and Industrial Dynamics in an Evolutionary Perspective"

Date: Monday, July 13 at 14:45-16:25

Venue: Lecture Room 3, Third Floor, Environmental Building, Kashiwa Campus, University of Tokyo

Vanessa OLTRA

GREThA, University of Bordeaux, France

Abstract

This seminar will present an overview of the research works on eco-innovation and industrial dynamics. The first part will be dedicated to a discussion of the evolutionary framework and its contributions to the analysis of eco-innovations. In a second part, we will discuss the empirical literature on the determinants of eco-innovations trying to emphasize the specificities of eco-innovation in comparison with innovation in general. The third part will focus on sectoral systems of eco-innovation. The purpose is to stress the differences in eco-innovation patterns across industrial sectors and to take into account self-reinforcement and lock-in effects characterizing industrial dynamics. In the last part, we will discuss how eco-innovative strategies of firms can be studied in evolutionary agent-based simulation models and what kind of results can be obtained with this type of methodology.

Biography

Vanessa OLTRA is Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Bordeaux (France) and researcher at GREThA (Research Group on Applied and Theoretical Economics). She is the coordinator of a European research network on "Eco-innovations" within the DIME ('Dynamics of Institutions and Markets in Europe') European Network of Excellence (http://www.dime-eu.org/wp25). Her background is on innovation studies with a specialisation on evolutionary theory of innovation and industrial dynamics simulation models. She is working for several years on eco-innovations conducting empirical and theoretical research projects on the determinants of eco-innovation and the role of policy instruments, the role of eco-innovation in industrial dynamics and firms' innovative strategies.

Contact: YARIME Masaru

July 3, 2009: GPSS Student Seminar

Time: 13:00-14:30
Venue: Lecture Room 2, Environmental Building

ENOKI Minami, "Reconsidering Sustainability of Culture: Through the Case Study on Traditional Urushi Industry in Japan"

SUZUKI Ryoko, "Sustainable CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) for Peace Building"

June 26, 2009: Kashiwa Sustainability Science Seminar Series 9

Time: 16:30-18:30
Venue: Lecture Room 3, Environmental Building

Theory, Empirical Research, and Teaching in Sustainability Science ? Challenges, Gaps, and Future Trajectories

Speakers: Arnim Wiek and David Iwaniec
School of Sustainability
Arizona State University
United States

Abstract:
The emerging field of sustainability science proposes new ways of organizing and conducting science from a problem-driven and solution oriented perspective in close collaboration with non-academic stakeholder groups. Thereby, sustainability science is challenging dominant research and teaching institutions in place (rules-in-use). These challenges have led to some significant gaps with respect to the congruence between the theoretical framework and the actual research? and teaching practices in sustainability science. Yet, promising future trajectories and strategies have been developed to establish genuine sustainability programs in research and education. In this seminar, we will be exploring some of the challenges and strategies with the example of a graduate course in sustainability science at the University of Tokyo.

Biographical Statements:
Arnim Wiek is an Assistant Professor in the School of Sustainability at Arizona State University. He has conducted sustainability research on urban development, land use conflicts, and resource management in different European countries, Canada, USA, and Sri Lanka, as well as on sustainable governance of nanotechnology and nuclear power. His methodological research has focused on the collaboration between scientists and non-academic partners from government, business, and the civil society to support sustainability transitions. His current interest addresses the question of how sustainability science can be developed as a genuine problem- and solution-oriented research field to make a substantial contribution to sustainability challenges. Prior to Arizona State University, he was Visiting Scientist at the Institute for Resources, Environment, and Sustainability at the University of British Columbia, with funding from the Swiss National Science Foundation (2007-2008). He holds a PhD in environmental sciences from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, a Master’s degree in environmental sciences from the University of Jena, and a Master’s degree in philosophy from the Free University Berlin.

David Iwaniec is a PhD student in the School of Sustainability at Arizona State University, with funding from the National Science Foundation. He holds a Master’s degree in Biological Sciences with concentrations in both Mathematics and Statistics from Florida International University. His Master’s research was in the field of ecosystems ecology. His background includes research on system stability, valuation of ecosystem services, ecosystem-based management, and systems modeling. His research interests have evolved toward use-inspired sustainability research on urban stability and state change. He is passionate about furthering the development of sustainability science and contributing to the innovations associated with this developing field. Another area of interest is teaching and learning, especially product-driven working group models which allow for peer-teaching and facilitated collaboration.

Contact: YARIME Masaru

June 26, 2009: GPSS Student Seminar

Time: 13:00-14:30
Venue: Lecture Room 2, Environmental Building

Md. Abdul LATIF, "A Study on Adoption of One Village One Product Model in Bangladesh: A Movement for Sustainable Agro-industrial Development"

Juan Carlos URIBE, "Landscape Transformation Process in the Bogota High-Plain City Region:
Identifying Drivers and Patterns in the Spatial Formation of a Metropolis"

June 19, 2009: GPSS Student Seminar

Time: 13:00-14:30
Venue: Lecture Room 2, Environmental Building

Jose Cristhian Veizaga BELLIDO, "Performance of Solid Waste Management in the Konohana Ecovillage in Fujinoyima, Japan"

Jovelyn G. FERRER, "Opportunities and Challenges in Metro Manila’s Solid Waste Management"

June 12, 2009: GPSS Student Seminar

Time: 13:00-14:30
Venue: Lecture Room 2, Environmental Building

Tracy-Ann HYMAN, "Towards a less Climate Dependent tourism industry-- the feasibility of Indoor Tourism as a coping mechanism for Climate Change (Target Countries: Jamaica and Japan)"

Dagne M. YADATE, "Evaluating Agricultural Sustainability, and the Adoption/Diffusion of Resource
Conserving Technologies in Ethiopia, Sub-Saharan Africa"

June 5, 2009: GPSS Student Seminar

Time: 13:00-14:30
Venue: Lecture Room 2, Environmental Building

TAKAHASHI Yoshimasa, "Introduction of PET-Bottle Reuse and Deposit System in Japan"

XU Qing, "Decentralized Wastewater Treatment System in China"

May 29, 2009: GPSS Student Seminar

Time: 13:00-14:30
Venue: Lecture Room 2, Environmental Building

Carla Alvial PALAVICINO, "A Model for Sustainable Systems of Innovations in the Case of Developing Countries"

Doreen Ingosan ALLASIW, "Understanding the Role of Land Tenure and Property Rights Towards Sustainable Conservation: the case of Philippine National Parks"

May 22, 2009: GPSS Student Seminar

Time: 13:00-14:30
Venue: Lecture Room 2, Environmental Building

Slavka BATOROVA, "Education for Sustainable Development ? Its potential and limitations to initiate social change towards sustainability"

Kurnia ALIYANTI, "The Effect of Environmental Aid in Supporting Sustainable Development in
Developing Country"

May 15, 2009: GPSS Student Seminar

Time: 13:00-14:30
Venue: Lecture Room 2, Environmental Building

Caroline TIEN, "Land-Change and Trust: The Effects of Foreign Direct Investments in Rubber
Plantations on Subsistence Farmers in Laos"

Grace DEWI, " How Power Operates within the Government of National
Resource?s Sustainable Development (SD): Foucault?s Notion of Governmentality"

May 8, 2009: GPSS Student Seminar

Time: 13:00-14:30
Venue: Lecture Room 2, Environmental Building

Andy DARMAWAN, “Land Use/Cover and Surface Water Quality at Multiple Spatial Scales in the Kanto Region”

QIU Su, “Transfer of Low Carbon Technology - Case study of wind power technology in China"

May 1, 2009: GPSS Student Seminar

Time: 13:00-13:45
Venue: Lecture Room 2, Environmental Building

SHIBUYA Naho, “Vulnerability and Resilience Reexamined: A Case Study of Climate Change Induced Hydrological Disasters”

April 24, 2009: GPSS Student Seminar

Time: 13:00-13:45
Venue: Lecture Room 2, Environmental Building

IWASA Reiko, “Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) within Community Life”

April 17, 2009: GPSS Student Seminar

Time: 13:00-14:30
Venue: Lecture Room 2, Environmental Building

Niranji SATANARACHCHI, “From Sustainability to Transdisciplinarity to Sustainability Dynamics: Case study methodology as a research tool to address the dynamical component of sustainability”

Tahira MAMMADOVA, "Newspaper coverage of environmental issues in Azerbaijan. Data collection process, current results and future research plans"

March 25, 2009: Kashiwa Sustainability Science Seminar Series 8

We will organize the Kashiwa Sustainability Science Seminar Series 8 on Wednesday, March 25 at 10:00-11:30 at Lecture Room 3 of the Environmental Building in the Kashiwa campus of the University of Tokyo. Dr. Barry Ness of Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies (LUCSUS) in Sweden will discuss the development of assessment tools in sustainability science with a case study of the Swedish sugar sector. If you are interested in this issue, please feel free to join us.

"Sustainability of the Swedish Sugar Sector: Assessment Tool Development and Case Study Appraisal"

Date: Wednesday, March 25, 10:00-11:30
Venue: Lecture Room 3, Third Floor, Environmental Building, Kashiwa Campus, University of Tokyo

Speaker: Dr. Barry Ness, Centre for Sustainability Studies, Lund University (LUCSUS), Sweden

Abstract:
This thesis contributes to the development of tools and methods for assessing sustainability and applies them to an assessment of the Swedish sugar production system. The thesis’ aims are to compile an overview of the existing approaches for assessing sustainability, to suggest a method(s) for structuring and analyzing complex sustainability issues, and to appraise sustainability impacts from Swedish sugar production. The sugar sector analyses uncovered a number of regional to global sustainability challenges stemming from the production system.? An analysis using an integrated assessment model calculated the impacts for a number of social and ecological indicators accompanying the ongoing decrease in the sugar production quota and beet and sugar prices for Sweden. A GIS-based proximity analysis tool was used to calculate beet transport distances. Distance results are then used to estimate diesel fuel consumption and air emissions for five pollutants during the movement of beets from field to processing facility.
The assessment tool survey and categorization showed that many available approaches for assessing sustainability are incomplete when more holistic interpretations of sustainability are considered, but that development to address the deficiencies is ongoing with many of the approaches. A new approach to structure complex issues of unsustainability that fuses the DPSIR framework within Torsten Hagerstrand’s system of nested domains is also presented. The research presented in the thesis is a first step in a long pathway to a comprehensive understanding and development of sustainability science and the actualization of sustainable development.

Biography:
Barry Ness of Lund University is the first to receive a doctoral degree in sustainability science in Sweden. He also holds a Master’s degree from Lund in environmental studies and sustainability science (LUMES) and a Bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Minnesota. His research interests are diverse but focus significantly on understanding the variety of tools that exist for sustainability assessment, conceptualizing complex problems of sustainability based on scale and cross-scale interactions, and quantitative environmental and sustainability assessment. The majority of Barry’s recent research has focused on the assessment of industrial agricultural systems for food bioenergy along with other past research focusing on municipal solid waste treatment and waste water purification systems. Barry was born and raised in the United States, but has lived in Southern Sweden for the past decade.

Contact: YARIME Masaru

March 18, 2009: Kashiwa Sustainability Science Seminar Series 7

We will organize the Kashiwa Sustainability Science Seminar Series 7 on Wednesday, March 18. The speaker is Dr. Eniola Fabusoro, an agro-sociologist at the Department of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development of the University of Agriculture, Abeokuta in Nigeria. He will discuss essential values for sustainability in developing countries from the perspective of culture and modernization.

"Culture and Modernisation: Essential Values for Sustainability in Developing Societies"

Date: Wednesday, March 18, 10:00-11:30
Venue: Lecture Room 3, Third Floor, Environmental Building, Kashiwa Campus, University of Tokyo

Speaker:
Eniola Fabusoro, PhD
Department of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development, University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria
(Visiting Associate Professor, Department of Advanced Social and International Relations, University of Tokyo)

When I first came to Japan in 2005, I received a great shock of my life that a country so well developed still retains main parts of his culture despite its high level of modernisation. Now ‘am back in 2009, the situation is still the same, at least to an outsider like me. Then I looked back to my country and continent Africa that has been struggling to develop, yet gravitating rapidly towards modernisation. As a foreigner that could not speak any Japanese language other than ‘arigato’, I begin to appreciate the high level of modernisation in the midst of rich cultural heritage. Being an academic with some knowledge in sociology, I took interest in analysing the society sociologically and compare with some developed and developing societies around me. I found out that there have been many debates on the interplay between culture or tradition, as often termed by many scholars, and modernisation. Although many of these differ in their hypotheses and submissions, a common landing point, particularly among sociologists and cultural anthropologists, has been the beauty of ‘cultural modernisation’ which has been seen to be a factor in the sustainable development of some societies. While accepting modernisation as a way of life necessary for every society to keep in tune with the globalised world, the integration of culture into this process, I have seen, will ensure sustainability of the developing societies over time. It will require a conscious import of modernised ideals adapted into the socio-cultural system of those societies. I take culture to be the root of every society and fundamental to the sustainability of what ever forms of development a society may achieve. Also if culture is taken as a ‘way of life’, it may be a time to do a cultural stock taking of some societies to see what ‘ways of life’ are congenital to sustainable development and which ones are not. In the face of global financial and food crisis and the imminent climate change, the developing societies in Africa need to adopt or redefine certain values that will ensure the sustainability of their development efforts and restore hope for the future generation. Some African societies were far better than Japan after the end of World War II in 1945. Ghana and South Korea had similar economies in the 1960s; Nigeria had greater potential to develop that Malaysia in the end of 1960s. Today the reason why the Asian have developed and African undeveloped are rooted in the cultural values adopted by the two societies. Since our focus is on sustainability, this paper will generate discussion issues to understand the intricacies of culture in sustainable development.

A Brief of Profile:
Eniola Fabusoro is an agro-sociologist and presently a Visiting Associate Professor at the University of Tokyo. With an agricultural background, he is more interested in research on rural sociology and development issues and has good experience of rural situation and pastoral livelihoods in other parts of Africa, particularly countries of west, central and east Africa. He is a two times grantee of the International Foundation for Science (IFS) and a Fellow of Agriculture for Peace in Africa of the United Nations University Institute of Advanced Studies, Japan. He has special interest in issues relating to property rights, social dynamics and collective action, conflict management and transformation, development communication, spatial factors in livelihoods analysis, natural resource use, among others. He works permanently for the department of agricultural extension and rural development, University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria.

Contact: YARIME Masaru

February 10, 2009: Kashiwa Sustainability Science Seminar Series 6

We organized the Kashiwa Sustainability Science Seminar Series 6 on February 10. The speaker was Dr. S. M. Atiqul Islam, Associate Professor of Dhaka University of Engineering and Technology (DUET). He presented the current state of water pollution, including arsenic pollution, and discussed possibilities and challenges for taking effective countermeasures.

"The Perspectives of Water Environment in Bangladesh"
Date: Thursday, February 10, 10:00-11:30
Venue: Lecture Room 3, Third Floor, Environmental Building, Kashiwa Campus, University of Tokyo

Dr. S.M. Atiqul Islam, Associate Professor, Dhaka University of Engineering and Technology (DUET), Dhaka, Bangladesh

Broad Abstract:
Safe water and sanitation are essential for the development of public health. The Government of Bangladesh has a goal to ensure that all people have access to safe water and sanitation services at an affordable cost. To achieve this goal and to ensure that development in the water supply and sanitation sector is equitable and sustainable, formulation of National Policy for Safe Water Supply and Sanitation is essential. GOB started initiative with the help of UNICEF in early 70s of past century and got success in water supply. GOB could able to cover more than 98% people with safe drinking water by supplying groundwater using simple technology hand tube-well within 20 years. This success became ruined when toxic arsenic was observed in ground water of Bangladesh almost all over the country.

Groundwater contamination by arsenic is a severe problem now in Bangladesh. Presently, 59 districts and 60% land are affected by arsenic contamination. It is estimated that more than 35 million people are consuming arsenic-polluted ground water alone in Bangladesh where underground water is used mainly for drinking and cooking (Das et al., 2004). The worst affected districts are Chandpur, Bagerhat, Comilla, Meherpur, Jessore, Chapai Nawabganj, Rajshahi and Rangpur (BGS, 2000). The World Health Organization (WHO) considers drinking water to be safe at arsenic concentrations below 0.01 mg/l.? According to Bangladesh national standards, the maximum permissible limit for Arsenic is 0.05 mg/l.? In 2002, the total number of arsenic- related patients in Bangladesh was estimated at approximately 13,000 people.

In Bangladesh, most attention has been given to the arsenic contamination of drinking water. Besides domestic use (drinking, cooking, washing, etc.), significant quantities of water from shallow aquifers are being used in the dry season especially for irrigating paddy and vegetables. In Bangladesh, both shallow tube-wells (STW) and deep tube-wells (DTW) are used in large numbers (approximately 2.6 million) to irrigate about 2.5 million ha of land, which contributes significantly to the country’s food grain production. Long-term use of arsenic contaminated water for irrigation purposes may result in elevated arsenic concentration in soils (Ullah, 1998; Alam and Satter, 2000; Huq et al., 2003; Ali et al., 2003; Islam et al., 2004; Islam et al., 2006; 2007). Use of arsenic contaminated irrigation water for growing crops in arsenic rich soil may lead to crop yield losses and elevated arsenic concentrations in cereals, vegetables and other agricultural products (Abedin et al., 2002; Meharg and Rahman, 2003; Hironaka? and Ahmed, 2003; Williams et al., 2003; Das et al., 2004; Islam et al., 2006). Rice is the staple food crop and production of rice is largely dependent on arsenic contaminated irrigation water, which explains the importance of arsenic issue in rice. Objective of this presentation is to provide a knowledge base on water environment of Bangladesh and associated activities that pose risk to sustainability human and eco-system as well.

Dr. S.M. Atiqul Islam, Associate Professor, DUET, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Sep 2005 - Mar 2006: Project Research Associate, Integrated Research System for Sustainability Science (IR3S), University of Tokyo
Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering, Department of Urban Engineering, University of Tokyo (2005)

Contact: YARIME Masaru

February 10, 2009: The 8th Seminar of the Research Group on Peacebuilding and Business

"Insect-Borne Diseases and the Development of Olyset Net"

Date: February 10, 2009
Venue: General Library, Hongo Campus, University of Tokyo

Speaker: ITO Takaaki, Sumitomo Chemical

Co-organized by the the Division of University-Corporate Relations, Human Security Program (HSP), Peacebuilding Study Group, Graduate Program in Sustainability Science (GPSS) of the Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, and the Alliance for Global Sustainability (AGS)

Dr. ITO Takaaki of Sumitomo Chemical was invited to talk about the development of the insecticidal Olyset net for preventing the transmission of malaria and future challenges for its adoption and diffusion in Africa.

Contact: YARIME Masaru

January 19, 2009: Kashiwa Sustainability Science Seminar Series 5

We will organize Kashiwa Sustainability Science Seminar Series 5 on Monday, January 19 at 10:00-11:00 in Lecture Room 2 on the second floor of the Environmental Building. Dr. Espen Moe will discuss political economy of the energy industry, focusing on the role of vested interests and its implications for sustainability. If you are interested in this topic, please join us.

Energy, Industry and Politics: Some Schumpeterian Perspectives on Vested Interests and Structural Economic Change for Long-Term Growth and Development

Date: Monday, January 19, 10:00-11:00
Venue: Lecture Room 2, Second Floor, Environmental Building, Kashiwa Campus, University of Tokyo

Speaker: Dr. Espen Moe
JSPS Post Doctoral Fellow, Kwansei Gakuin University, School of Policy Studies
Post Doctoral Fellow, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim (NTNU), Industrial Ecology Program
Ph.D., UCLA, Department of Political Science, 2004.

Contact: YARIME Masaru

November 7, 2008: Kashiwa Sustainability Science Seminar Series 4

We will organize Kashiwa Sustainability Science Seminar Series 4 on Friday, November 7 at 16:30-18:00 at Lecture Room 3 on the third floor of the Environmental Building in the Kashiwa campus of the University of Tokyo. Based on a recent report for the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution in the UK, Dr. Ismael Rafols of the University of Sussex will describe trends and characteristics of nanomaterials innovation systems and discuss how to establish and implement a effective governance system for nanomaterials innovation, utilizing policy and institutional mechanisms such as precautionary regulatory appraisal and transition management. If you are interested in this topic, please feel free to join us.

The Direction of Innovation in Nanomaterials

Ismael Rafols, Patrick van Zwanenberg, Molly Morgan and Paul Nightingale
SPRU - Science & Technology Policy Research
University of Sussex
Brighton, BN1 9QE, England
I.Rafols@sussex.ac.uk
http://www.sussex.ac.uk/spru/irafols

Date: Friday, November 7 at 16:30-18:00
Venue: Lecture Room 3, Third Floor, Environmental Building, Kashiwa Campus, University of Tokyo

This seminar is jointly organized by the Graduate Program on Sustainability Science (GPSS) and the Innovation and Institutionalization of Technology Assessment in Japan (I2TA).

Abstract:
A feature of both scholarly and policy debate on the governance of nanotechnologies is increasing attention to the role of human agency in the unfolding directions of technological futures. This is reflected, for example, in academic interest in how public engagement activities can be moved ‘upstream’ in the innovation process, and with official interest in whether, and how, socially legitimate and environmentally beneficial nanotechnology applications might be actively encouraged - alongside the more traditional regulatory concerns with minimising the adverse physical impacts of nanotechnology innovation.

In this paper we report one pilot research into the nature of innovation systems for one type of nanotechnology, namely nanomaterials, and the scope for its purposeful direction. Based on evolutionary assumptions about technology innovation and use, we first describe and examine the links between research, policy and economic actors in the innovation system. On the basis of this mapping we sketch some of the driving forces underlying the direction of current nanomaterials innovation and we identify potential points of policy intervention within those systems.

This empirical analysis is then linked to an assessment of potential regulatory mechanisms and governance strategies available to policy-makers. We describe how recent scholarship on precautionary regulatory appraisal and transition management highlights a suite of potentially useful policy mechanisms by which innovation could be purposefully directed and we describe where such mechanisms might be applied within the current nonmaterial innovation system.
Note: This presentation is based on a report we prepared for the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution available at:
http://www.sussex.ac.uk/spru/documents/spru-rcep-nanomaterials.pdf

Biography:
Ismael Rafols is a research fellow at SPRU (Science and Technology Policy Research), University of Sussex (UK). He studies the emergence of new technologies, such as bionanotechnologies or synthetic biology, focusing on the (interdisciplinary) processes of translation/integration of knowledge among different epistemic cultures. He also contributes to broader studies on the mapping and the governance of nanotechnologies. Before his arrival to SPRU in 2004, Ismael had worked as a biophysicist in Tohoku Univ. (Japan) and Cornell Univ., as well as on international cooperation in Oxfam and the City Council of Barcelona.

For further information, please contact YARIME Masaru.

July 11, 2008: Kashiwa Sustainability Science Seminar Series 3

There will be a seminar on sustainability from the perspective of regional innovation systems on Friday, July 11 at 16:30-18:00 at the Lecture Room 3. The speaker is Dr. Fumi Kitagawa, Assistant Professor of Lund University in Sweden. She will discuss the implications of recent studies on regional innovation systems for the issue of sustainability, using some case studies in Europe. If you are interested, you are most welcome to participate in this seminar.

Sustainability from the Perspective of Regional Innovation Systems

Date: Friday, July 11, 2008
Venue: Lecture Room 3, Third Floor, Environmental Building, Kashiwa Campus, University of Tokyo

Speaker: Fumi Kitagawa, PhD (Urban
Assistant Professor
Centre for Innovation, Research and Competence in the Learning Economy (CIRCLE)
Lund University, Sweden

Abstract:
The aim of the presentation is twofold. Firstly, I would like to introduce Centre for Innovation, Research and Competence in the Learning Economy (CIRCLE) at Lund University in Sweden, where I am based. CIRCLE was set up as an interdisciplinary research centre in 2004, as a research centre of excellence in innovation studies. I would like to tell you some of the works I am currently working on at CIRCLE (e.g. ESF funded project, Constructing Regional Advantage). Secondly, although I don’t have any expertise in the areas of sustainability studies myself, I would like to give a short presentation on ‘sustainability issues from regional innovation systems perspective’. This is based on some of the recent works conducted by Professor Phil Cooke at Cardiff University in the UK on Cleantech and platform policies (Cooke, 2008). The complex content of the clean tech platform will be identified - encompassing energy related agriculture, air and environment, materials, and healthcare biosciences. Some of the cases in Denmark, Sweden etc will be discussed. I will try to link this to recent theoretical discussion in the area of economic geography.

Short bio:
Fumi Kitagawa joined CIRCLE as Assistant professor in January 2008. Previously, she worked as Research Fellow at Department of Higher Education, National Institute for Educational Policy Research (NIER) in Japan, conducting a wide range of research on higher education policy issues. Between 2006 and 2007, Fumi was involved in two international peer review teams for the OECD project "Supporting the Contribution of HEIs to Regional Development" (Metropolitan City of Pusan in South Korea, and the Atlantic Canada region in Canada). In 2005, she held Jean Monnet Fellowship at European University Institute as part of the European Forum “The role of universities in innovation systems” whilst she was a lecturer at Hitotsubashi University in Tokyo. She received her doctorate degree from the University of Birmingham in 2004, and her PhD thesis was entitled Universities and Regional Advantage in the Knowledge Economy: Markets, Governance and Networks as Developing in English Regions.

Organizer: YARIME Masaru

June 4, 2008: Kashiwa Sustainability Science Seminar Series 2

We will organize a seminar on the photovoltaics innovation system in Japan on Wednesday, June 4 at 16:30-18:00 at the Lecture Room 3 on the Third Floor of the Environmental Building. The speaker is working on a comparative study between the Japanese and Dutch innovation systems on photovoltaics in Management of Technology at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands and is currently a researcher at the Royal Netherlands Embassy. Everybody is welcome to participate in this seminar.

Learning from the Japanese PV Technology Specific Innovation Systems
What are the driving forces behind the development of PV technologies in Japan?

Date: Wednesday, June 4, 2008 at 16:30-18:00
Venue: Lecture Room 3, Environmental Building 3F, Kashiwa Campus, University of Tokyo

Speaker: Ms. Marjan Prent, Researcher, The Netherlands Office for Science and
Royal Netherlands Embassy (Webpage: http://www.twanetwerk.nl)

Between February and June 2008, Marjan Prent has investigated how the Innovation Systems of several PV (photo-voltaic) technologies in Japan are organized, and how they are performing. This seminar will discuss the initial conclusions from this research and will give insight into which factors promote and inhibit the development of PV in Japan. Though part of the research involves a comparison with the Netherlands, the focus of this seminar will lie on the Japanese analysis.

Introduction:
Japan is a frontrunner in the development and implementation of renewable energy technologies. One of the areas where Japan is highly proficient is in the field of PV technologies. Many countries, such as the Netherlands, are very keen to learn more about the innovations that are developed in Japan. However, they usually overlook the main problem with adopting new technologies, i.e. that the technology needs to be integrated into an existing social and technological system. Each technology has its own unique network of institutions that enables a technological breakthrough to diffuse successfully in the market. Such systems are often referred to as ‘Technology Specific Innovation Systems’ (TSIS) and include actors such as: universities, R&D institutes, manufacturers, users, branch organizations, government, interest groups and financial institutions. On the basis of Japan’s success rate in developing and implementing PV innovations, it is safe to assume that the Japanese PV TSIS are well organized. Countries such as the Netherlands might benefit from learning how Japanese TSIS function. Therefore, an in-depth study of these Japanese Systems of Innovation will be of value.

Research:
The research is part of a 6-month master thesis research to be completed in July 2008. The research will also fill in the Japanese part of the “Status rapport ‘Solar PV (Photovoltaic conversion of solar energy)” of SenterNovem, the funding agency of the Netherlands Ministry of Economic Affairs. The objective of the research is to investigate the organization and performance of several Japanese Energy Innovation Systems in Japan. After this analysis a comparison will be made between the Dutch and Japanese systems, which may lead to recommendations to the Netherlands energy sector how they can speed up the creation and diffusion of PV technologies. In total 7 PV technologies have been chosen: Solar grade silicon, crystalline silicon solar cells, thin-film silicon solar cells, stacked silicon solar cells, CIS solar cells, dye-sensitized solar cells and polymer solar cells. The TSIS were investigated through interviews with key actors within the Japanese PV branch, including: manufacturers, suppliers, government organizations and research institutes. With the completion of the investigation of the Japanese PV Innovation systems, Marjan Prent will return to the Netherlands in the beginning of June to complete the comparison between the Dutch and Japanese systems.

Profile of researcher:
Marjan Prent (BSc. Electrical Engineering) is currently finishing her Master’s Degree in Management of Technology at Delft University of Technology and is pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Languages and Cultures of Japan at Leiden University. The research in Japan was commissioned by the Netherlands Office of Science and Technology of the Royal Netherlands Embassy and is conducted in collaboration with SenterNovem, the Innovation Systems department of Delft University of Technology and the department of Innovation and Environmental Sciences of Utrecht University.

Organizer: YARIME Masaru

May 16, 2008: Kashiwa Sustainability Science Seminar Series 1

We will have the first seminar in the Kashiwa Sustainability Science Seminar Series on Friday, May 16 at 16:30-18:00 in the Lecture Room 3 on the third floor of the Environmental Building, the same room as used in the previous seminar. The speaker is Professor Jeffrey Broadbent of the University of Minnesota in the United States. Utilizing policy network analysis, it is a very interesting research on the formation of advocacy coalition networks in the field of global climate change and its influence on national policy responses. If you are interested in it, please participate in the seminar for further discussions.

Social Learning and National Response to Global Climate Change:
Hypotheses for a New Comparative Project using Policy Network Analysis

Date: Friday, May 16 at 16:30-18:00
Venue: Lecture Room 3, Environmental Building 3F, Kashiwa Campus, University of Tokyo

Speaker:
Jeffrey Broadbent
Associate Professor
Department of Sociology and Institute for Global Studies
University of Minnesota
Webpage: http://www.soc.umn.edu/faculty/broadbent.html

Abstract:
This paper reviews the construction and logic of an international comparative research project on the social factors bringing about differences in national responses to global climate change. The project, Comparing Climate Change Policy Networks (abbreviated COMPON) will use the policy network method to collect data on the national response processes in a large number of different countries and regions (at present count, 17 plus the international arena). The project will seek the causes of variation in national response by closely examining the processes of social learning about the problem, as it takes place through the diffusion of the dominant scientific consensus on global climate change (as represented by the IPCC), global norms about positive action on the problem by reducing greenhouse gas emissions (as represented by UNFCCC agreements), and the mobilization and success of advocacy coalitions for and against those claims and norms within the different national political systems. The main hypothesis is that the mobilization of an effective advocacy coalition bearing the scientific claims and global norms is the crucial intervening variable bringing about positive national response to the problem. The paper explains the benefits of the policy network method for this comparative analytical task, and presents network graphics from a previous policy network study on the same issue in Japan. The paper concludes with the presentation of 10 hypotheses on the social contexts that could affect the relative political success of different national advocacy coalitions concerning how to respond to the problem of global climate change.? The paper represents an introduction not only to the COMPON project but also to the wider field of comparative social science and its general utility in the study of variation in national behavior.

Organizer: YARIME Masaru