Globalization and its Effects on Culture, Society and Education in the Japan Arab Conference
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Alexandria—
As part of the proceedings of the Japan Arab Conference entitled "A New Dawn: Arabs looking East", the BA organized a session entitled "Globalization and its Effects on Culture and Society and Education – Phenomena, Perception and Responses". Participants in the session included Tamotsu Aoki, Commissioner, Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japan; Yoshiko Ashiwa, Professor, Hitotsubashi University, Japan; and Ahmed El-Sheikh, Director, Arab Center for Western Studies, Egypt. The session was chaired by Rawya Saud Al-Busaidi, Minister of Higher Education, Oman.
The session discussed the Japanese experience in globalization, preservation of Japan's national identity, and the ability of the Japanese society to filter western cultural interventions. The Japanese side referred to the difficulty of defining globalization and its objectives due to its continuous change.
Participants also tackled the importance of higher education and means of developing the education system in universities to complement the challenges of the new age. They referred to the necessity of promoting literature, humanities, and arts within the educational system.
Arabs spoke on the cultural and social repercussions of globalization and stressed the imperativeness of reforming education in the Arab world. Both sides discussed Japanese and Arab civilizations as well as the cultural relations and common values shared by Japan and the Arab world.