Research networking
Ubiquitous Media: Asia Transformations: Theory, Culture & Society 25th Anniversary Conference, University of Tokyo, July 2007 - Mike Featherstone, S. Tomoko Tamari and Couze Venn played a central role in the organization, along with Shunya Yoshimi and Hidetaka Ishida.
The University of Tokyo is the leading university in Asia. The joint organization of the conference made it a highly prestigious event attracting over 750 participants from many parts of the world. The conference organizers raised 15,000,000 Yen (£90,000) from various Japanese government and foundation sources including:
- the Horiba International Conference Fund
- the Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science International Meeting Series
- the International Communications Foundation
- Japan Foundation
- The 21st Century Centre of Excellence Program Center for the Study of Ubiquitous Computing Infrastructure, at the University of Tokyo
- Sage Publications Ltd.
A selection of the 300 plus papers given in more than 100 sessions will be published as a Theory, Culture & Society special issue in English and as a 3 volume set in Japanese by Tokyo University Press. The conference not only provided an opportunity to introduce Theory, Culture & Society to a larger Asian audience, but also had a number of sessions on the New Encyclopaedia Project and the new Megacities cluster.
We continue to work with Prof Shunya Yoshimi, Dean of the Interfaculty Initiative in Information Studies, and associates on a number of projects including:
- global history
- communication technologies for older persons
- automobilities
- cold war culture
- food
- media theory.
Currently we are working with Prof Myungkoo Kang of Seoul National University - the leading Korean University - to develop a network in Asia. The intention is to produce a series of workshops and colloquia drawing on Theory, Culture & Society and New Encyclopedia Project topics, with regular meetings at the University of Tokyo; Seoul National University; the National University of Singapore; and other venues. Tomoko Tamari is playing an important role in the development of this network.
