The Tokai QOL webinar series is an initiative for examining the facets and parameters for improving quality of life in society. Each addition to the QOL series focuses on different themes and topics in order to contribute to an more constructive dialogue between nations and cultures. 
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Tourism provides experiences for enhanced quality of life for millions of people around the world. As a major global industry, tourism faces challenges to meet a growing sustainable agenda, while at the same time being a potent catalyst for revival and development in local communities. This seminar will address some of these issue and provide examples of how the tourism industry is developing and adjusting to a greener post Covid-19 world.

The 5th addition to our Quality of Life (QOL) webinar series, titled "Quality of Life and Gender Issues: Breaking down barriers and the importance of international collaboration", was held on January 29th. 
The webinar was arranged as a part of the academic program for the Japan Alumni and Researcher Assembly (JARA), which is held each year in collaboration between TUEC, Embassy of Japan in Denmark, Japan Society for Promotion of Science (JSPS) Stockholm Office, and the Tokai University Alumni Association in Denmark.  

On August 12th, Tokai University European Center (TUEC) held the first in a series of QOL seminars. The theme was “Digital Transformation (DX) and Work-Life Balance in Denmark under COVID-19 Pandemic”.

The seminar was held as part of the 50th anniversary celebrations of TUEC, which was established in 1970 as an academic and cultural exchange hub between Japan and Europe. Furthermore, as the only university in Japan with a Department of Nordic Studies under the School of Cultural and Social Studies, Tokai University has been on the cutting edge of research on Nordic countries for over 50 years. The purpose of the seminar series is to contribute to creating a better international society by using findings which have been done up to this point. For the 2020 fiscal year, there are four planned QOL seminars, the first of which was conducted online. The August 12 seminar featured six presenters, from respectively the Danish Ministry of Finance, the Royal Embassy of Denmark in Japan, the University of Copenhagen, Roskilde University, KMD, and a lecturer from Tokai University. Approximately 180 participants attended the seminar.

Deputy Director of TUEC Jakob Skyt Jensen was MC, and Tokai University Chancellor Kiyoshi Yamada made the opening remarks. Chancellor Yamada touched upon the history of exchange between Tokai University and Denmark, as well as how Tokai University founder, Dr. Shigeyoshi Matsumae, got inspiration from his visit to Denmark to enter the field of education. He also expressed hope that the seminar will serve as an opportunity to further deepen the exchange between Japan and Denmark.

The presentations introduced the participants to Denmark a country with an advanced e-government, the history of IT implementation in education and in companies, as well as examples of how application of technology helps cope with issues raised by the spread of COVID-19. Additionally, the presenters offered insights and opinions about the improvement of QOL by means of technology and establishment of remote working environments, and compared this to conditions in Japan. This tied in with the current strategic focus of Tokai University on the subject of QOL.

Following the presentations, Professor Naoto Yoshikawa, Vice Chancellor of Tokai University and Executive Director of Tokai University European Center, moderated the Q&A session.
How the governments of Denmark and Japan handle the personal information of its citizens, as well as the collaboration between EU countries and Denmark, were some of the subjects discussed during the Q&A session. The closing remarks were also made by Chancellor Yamada who stated that the implementation of technology in education has become necessary, as in the case of university lectures having moved online. After the COVID-19 pandemic, this will hopefully contribute to the realization of a better society.
 
Seminar speakers, and presentation titles were as follows.
 
“Public Sector Digital Transformation in Denmark: (The Infrastructure Promoting Work-Efficiency and QOL)”
Karen Ejersbo Iversen, Chief adviser, Agency for Digitisation, Ministry of Finance, Denmark
 
“Digital Initiatives at UCPH: The Impact of Covid-19 on University Life”
Andra Jeanina Liu, International Coordinator, Faculty of Humanities, University of Copenhagen
 
“Danish User-Centered Digital Transformation and its Application in the Educational Sector”
Mika Yasuoka Jensen, Associate Professor, Department of People and Technology, Roskilde University
 
“Delay of Digital Transformation in Japan - Collaboration with Denmark”
Kyoko Kameoka, Professor, Department of Business Administration, School of Political Science and Economics, Tokai University
 
“QOL at Danish Companies and Digital Transformation under COVID-19”
Hans Jayatissa, Chief Technology Officer,   KMD
 
“Work-Life in The Ministry of Foreign Affairs during COVID-19”
Jonathan Benjamin Knudsen, Deputy Head of Mission & Counsellor, Royal Danish Embassy in Japan
 
Q&A Session
Facilitator: Naoto Yoshikawa
Vice Chancellor of Tokai University, Director of Tokai University European Center