Japan

Innovative Aging: Economic Vitality Amidst Aging Demographics

An engaging round table on maintaining economic vitality in the face of demographic shifts. Discover innovative policies, explore the power of continuous education, and learn how we can adapt our workforce for the challenges ahead.

Join us on September 16th, Respect for the Aged Day, for a round table discussion with Dr. Hans Groth, Chairman of the Board of World Demographic & Ageing Forum (WDA Forum) and ex-Pfizer, Dr. Thomas Zeltner, CEO ad interim of the WHO Foundation and former Swiss Public Health Minister, and Prof. Charles Yuji Horioka from Kobe University. In addition, we will welcome Ms. Kaoru Hirata from Mitsubishi UFJ Research and Consulting to share her knowledge about Japanese economic demographics in aging society. Our esteemed panel will discuss strategies for maintaining economic vitality amidst demographic changes, emphasizing innovative policies, continuous education, and workforce adaptation. Mr. Kanta Mochida from Mitsubishi UFJ Research and Consulting will also present Japan’s aging society issues, focusing on economic impacts, labor market changes, and building a cohesive society. This event offers a unique opportunity to gain expert insights and participate in a crucial conversation about our society’s future. Don’t miss this important dialogue.

Reference document: Demography Dialogue Switzerland

Speakers

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    Bio

    Dr. Hans Groth

    Chairman, Board of the World Demographic & Aging Forum (WDA Forum)

    Chairman of the Board of the World Demographic & Aging Forum (WDA Forum), Dr. Hans Groth, is also a Board Member of ZurzachCare AG, a leading group of Rehabilitation Clinics in Switzerland. He has been a guest lecturer at the University of St. Gallen (Switzerland) from 2009 to 2020. From 2009 to 2015, he was a Member of the Global Agenda Council of the World Economic Forum (WEF). Currently, he is a visiting Professor at the Makerere University in Kambala (Uganda) and the Andrassy University in Budapest (Hungary).

    For the past twenty years, Dr. Groth has been studying the interaction between global demographic change, economic development, wealth, and societal stability. His research focuses on theories of economic development and productivity and on employing the value of health as a sustainable tool to unlock new ways to tackle the imminent challenges of demographic change and its opportunities for society, governance, and business.

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    Bio

    Prof. Thomas Zeltner

    Chairman of the Swiss Red Cross, Founder & Chairman of the WHO Foundation

    Thomas Zeltner is a Swiss Medical Doctor and Lawyer. Since 1992 he has been Professor of Public Health at the University of Bern. Currently he serves the Swiss Red Cross as Chairman. He is also the founder and first chairman of the WHO Foundation in Geneva. He is the Deputy Chair of the University Council of the Medical University of Vienna (Austria). Between 1991 and 2009 Thomas Zeltner served Switzerland as Secretary of State and Director General of the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health.

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    Bio

    Prof. Dr. Charles Yuji Horioka

    Economist and Project Professor at Kobe University

    Professor Charles Yuji Horioka is a distinguished economist and Project Professor at Kobe University’s Research Institute for Economics and Business Administration. He holds a Ph.D. from Harvard University and has had a prolific career spanning over four decades. Prof. Horioka’s research primarily focuses on household behavior, savings, and intergenerational transfers, making him an ideal speaker for an event on aging society and economic growth. He is renowned for his work on the Feldstein-Horioka puzzle in international economics. Prof. Horioka has received numerous awards, including the Japanese Economic Association/Nakahara Prize, and holds leadership positions in several prestigious economic associations.

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    Bio

    Ms. Kaoru Hirata

    Head of Employment and Labor Group / Chief Analyst Social Policies Dept. Policy Research & Consulting Division(Tokyo), Mitsubishi UFJ Research & Consulting Co., Ltd.

    Kaoru Hirata belongs to the company’s research division, which employs over 250 researchers across Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka. Specializing in employment and labor policies, labor issues, and senior employment, she has extensive experience in surveys and research, primarily focusing on government-commissioned projects. Since 2015, as part of the “Industry-specific Senior Employment Promotion Project” commissioned annually by the Japan Organization for Employment of the Elderly, Persons with Disabilities and Job Seekers (an affiliate of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare), she has conducted surveys on senior employment in various industry groups and developed the “Guidelines for Promoting Senior Employment.” In the fiscal year 2023, she was the project leader for the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare-commissioned “Research Project for the Realization of a Lifelong Active Society.”

Partners

Contact

    Minami Kotani

    Head of Academic Relations
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