BRINGING TOGETHER JAPANESE AND INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES ON SCIENCE COMMUNICATION AND ENGAGEMENT
The Falling Walls Engage Hub Japan offers a space for exchange and collaboration on Science Engagement and Communication in Japan. The Hub is hosted by the Tokyo Institute of Technology Earth-Life Science Institute (ELSI) and managed by Director of Communications and Associate Professor Thilina Heetingala.
LAUNCH EVENT IN TOKYO AND OKINAWA
The Falling Walls Engage Hub Japan was launched on 17-21 October 2022 in Tokyo and Okinawa. This 8th Hub launch was a wonderful opportunity to explore the Science Engagement ecosystem in Japan and the internationalisation of the field with national and international practitioners, scientists, policy-makers and students.
As an inaugural event, ELSI hosted a symposium on 17 October 2022 with 40+ university representatives and practitioners to discuss challenges and opportunities in Science Communication. In addition to local participants, a group of 4 international participants from Canada, the UK, Malta and Kenya joined the week-long program. The Hub program was held back-to-back to the 4th edition of the Japan SciCom Forum, a yearly event aiming at inspiring and boosting the cohesion of Scicomm in Japan and hosted by the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST) on 21 October 2022.
As part of the Japan SciCom Forum, we invited Hub participants Douglas Keddy (Western University & Falling Walls Engage Hub Canada), Mohamed Daoud (University of Malta & Falling Walls Engage Winner 2020), Shane McCracken (I am Scientist, Get Me Out of Here & Falling Walls Engage Winner 2018), Sara Koyabashi (Miraikan – the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation) and Edna Muthamia (Okayama University & Falling Walls Engage Hub Kenya) to discuss perspectives on Science Engagement, dialogue and participation.