Luncheon and special conversation with Dr. Akihiko Tanaka, President of the Japanese International Cooperation Agency

Join us for a special event with the head of the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA),  one of the largest and most influential providers of official development assistance in the world. JICA  is also the Japanese government’s flagship institution for fostering economic and social growth in developing countries. JICA has made major contributions to advancing the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and has offered bilateral aid to dozens of nations around Asia and the world. This assistance constitutes a major part of Japan’s foreign relations.

Politics can complicate this work. The beheading by ISIS of a Japanese journalist was perpetrated in response to Japan’s pledge of aid to fight the terrorist group. Japan’s response to the formation of the China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, may also influence JICA’s commitments over time. And the development agenda is likely to change considerably once the UN replaces the MDGs with its Sustainable Development Goals. How will JICA respond to these and other changes ahead? What does the world have to learn from the aid policies and practices of this large-scale aid organization? The Asia Society Policy Institute is pleased to welcome JICA President Akihiko Tanaka to discuss his organization’s role in Asia and the world and how he plans to tackle development challenges going forward.

Speakers:

Dr. Akihiko Tanaka is the President of the JICA. Prior to assuming this post, he was Professor of International Politics at the Interfaculty Initiative in Information Studies and at the Institute for Advanced Studies on Asia, at the University of Tokyo. At the University of Tokyo, Tanaka also served as the vice president of the university. He has numerous books and articles in Japanese and English including The New Middle Ages: The World System in the 21st Century.

Tom Nagorski is the Executive Vice President of the Asia Society. He joined Asia Society following a three-decade career in journalism — having served most recently as Managing Editor for International Coverage at ABC News. Nagorski was the recipient of eight Emmy awards and the Dupont Award for excellence in international coverage, as well as a fellowship from the Henry Luce Foundation.

Can’t make it to this program? Tune in to AsiaSociety.org/Live at 12:30 pm New York time for a free live video webcast. Viewers are encouraged to submit questions to [email protected], or tweet questions using the hashtag #AskAsia.

Related: Asia Society Southern California Center welcomes Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe on May 1st.  Click here for tickets and event details.