The enhancement of gender equality and women’s empowerment is an important issue to be addressed by the global community. It is also the target of an independent goal, Goal 5, and considered from a cross-disciplinary perspective to tackle other goals in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The concept of ‘Gender and Development’ has been adopted since the 1970s. It has made women visible in the development field and raised awareness of gender issues in relation to policies, institutions, regional societies and households both at global and local levels. On the other hand, as demonstrated by the limited achievement of SDG5 and the low gender gap index, initiatives to solve gender issues have not been enough to achieve gender equality and women’s empowerment. Although various activities have been implemented at the individual levels and treated as good practice, they have not combined into a corrective approach.

The core concept of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Leave No One Behind, reminds us of the need for further discussions about differences between women and men, and about gender and diversity and intersectionality. However, discussion about issues surrounding diversity often leads to misunderstandings that negatively impact discussion of the inequality between women and men.

The aim of this group is to find effective approaches to the issues of gender equality and women’s empowerment that fill the gaps between policies and theories at the macro level and field activities at the micro (grass roots) level, such as information sharing, field research and/or awareness raising. The findings will be presented at the annual conference and compiled to share in proceedings. The objective of the first year is information sharing among members and planning for the activities of the second and third years.

It has been more than 30 years since the establishment of the Japan Society for International Development (JASID). During this period, the global agenda regarding foreign aid has undergone significant transformations, the motivations driving donor countries to provide foreign assistance have shifted, and the domestic social challenges faced by donor countries have also evolved. JASID cannot remain unaffected by these changes in the academic and social landscape.
The objective of this study group is to reframe the perspective on international development in Japan. By examining the genealogy of “development” theory in Japan from a multidisciplinary and multigenerational perspective, and while remaining attentive to the evolving circumstances surrounding Japan’s foreign aid stakeholders, we are going to construct a comprehensive view of “development” that can effectively address the challenges Japan will encounter in the medium term, such as population decline, fiscal pressures, and the securitization in international affairs.
The outcomes of the research group’s activities will be presented at spring and winter conferences and disseminated beyond JASID through journal submissions and edited books.

This research group aims to reimagine the field of International Educational Development by bridging theory and practice. It intends to do two main activities: 1) facilitating a series of dialogue between next generation scholars and practitioners in this field to better understand each other; and 2) proposing new image of the field through collaborative explorations of the past and current experiences. The research team has already launched an informal study group last year, where we learned that scholars (or theories) and practitioners (or their practices) have somehow “passed” each other without really engaging in dialogue. For example, scholars tended to perceive JICA as a monolithic actor rather than paying attention to individual feelings and struggles inside the organization, whereas practitioners tended not to utilize researchers’ perspectives and critiques fully in their daily business. The proposed research group, therefore, tries to have continuous dialogue between scholars (or theories) and practitioners (or their practices) so that we could deepen our understanding about how and why there has been such a distance between them as well as whether we ought to bridge the gap or not, what it means, and how. Unpacking these questions in collaboration with the two parties may help reimagine the field of International Educational Development.

Over recent years, the international development sector has witnessed a rise in ICT-related projects, including digital transformation (DX) and innovation. This trend, driven by a significant increase in cooperation between public and private sectors, has resulted in transformative social changes catalyzed by digital tools and an increase in ICT applications in varied sectors, such as business, education, and peacebuilding.

However, challenges are also accumulating, including ethical issues related to AI, information management and censorship, and persistent digital divides. Many studies have raised concerns about the negative impacts and failures due to hasty digitalization, warning against excessive expectations towards ICT.

In response to these dynamics, our research group aims to explore both the potential and limitations of ICT and innovation within the international development sector. We have actively participated in JASID conferences, delivering presentations on subjects such as PeaceTech and the bottlenecks in DX Implementation. Additionally, some of the members have translated and published “ICT for Development” by Dr. Richard Heeks.

Once this application is approved, our group plans to hold regular research meetings and invite guest speakers. Moreover, we strive to foster the academic growth of our fields, such as Development Informatics and ICT4D, that are less recognized as an academic field compared to their practical application.

Director: Matsuo WATANABE (Ritsumeikan University)

In Kyoto-Shiga region, universities specialized in international cooperation and development issues are highly concentrated. The researchers and practitioners form clusters of their own, but this is not necessarily reflected in the development and expansion of JASID’s activities.

The Keiji Branch is intended to provide opportunities for information sharing, discussion, research study for a wide range of people interested in development and international cooperation in the region by promoting cooperation and collaboration between the universities here — such as Doshisha University, Kyoto University, Ritsumeikan University and Ryukoku University — and individuals and organizations in neighboring prefectures such as Osaka.

In addition, the Branch expects to further promote the JASID’s activities, enhance its presence, and increase its membership through activities on the own development issues in this region.

In Kansai region, the Kansai Branch has been organizing activities with primary contribution by the Graduate School of International Cooperation Studies of Kobe University. However, the distance between Kobe and Kyoto/Shiga has certainly made frequent exchanges difficult.

As such the Keiji Branch is also expected to contribute to revitalize the JASID’s activities throughout the Kinki region in cooperation with the Kansai Branch through activities of the Committees of Human Development and Social Affairs, for example.