Tuesday 3 May 2011
please note that thie location of this event has been changed

Organised by:
Asia-Pacific Technology Network
Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation

Chair

• Louis Turner, Chief Executive, Asia-Pacific Technology Network

Speakers

• Professor Nobuhiro Kiyotaki, Department of Economics, Princeton University
• Shinji Fujino, Head of the Country Studies Division, IEA (International Energy Agency)
• Alex Stewart, Managing Director, Alexander Capital Access (ACA)

The 11 March earthquake and tsunami have produced a human tragedy, to which the Japanese have responded with stoicism. However, this is also an economic crisis, made more complicated by the damage done to the Fukushima nuclear complex and disruption to other east coast facilities, including nuclear and thermal plants. In this seminar, we want to reflect on the impact of these events on the Japanese and the global economy. Professor Kiyotaki of Princeton University will discuss the economic implications of the Tohoku disaster, and will raise the prospect of post-crisis planning and rebuilding. Shinji Fujino from the OECD/International Energy Agency will discuss current electricity supply problems and the future of Japan's energy sector. Finally, Alex Stewart, a specialist on the Chuken Kigyo (Japan's strong, medium-sized companies), will look at how the high-tech corporate sector has been affected by the crisis, and will ask if these companies can lead Japan's economic response.

Location: Brunei Gallery Lecture Theatre, School of Oriental & African Studies, Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, London WC1H 0XG
Nearest tube station: Russell Square (Map)
Timing: Registration from 17:30: seminar from 18:00 - 19.45 (followed by refreshments)
Pricing: This is a free seminar
To Register: Please book  here  (If you have already signed in, please ignore this)

Nobuhiro Kiyotaki is an economist and professor in the Department of Economics at Princeton University. He previously held faculty positions at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, the University of Minnesota and the London School of Economics. Dr Kiyotaki is a fellow of the Econometric Society and, among other achievements, was awarded the Japan Economics Association Nakahara Prize in 1997. In 2010, he was named a Thomson Reuters Citation Laureate in Economics for the formulation of the Kiyotaki­Moore model, which describes how small shocks to an economy may lead to a cycle of lower output and a restrictive credit environment.

Shinji Fujino has been Head of the Country Studies Division of the IEA (International Energy Agency) since September 2008 and is currently in charge of reviewing energy policies of the IEA member countries. Mr Fujino joined the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) in 1987. Over the next ten years, he built up significant experience in energy and environment policy, including the promotion of energy efficiency, energy diversification, market reform and R&D. During this period, he had the opportunity to work for the 1997 Kyoto Protocol Climate Conference and was responsible for renewable energy policy.

Alex Stewart began his career in the late 1970s, working as an investment analyst on the Japanese Equities desk of the Crown Agents. He spent a total of 20 years as a researcher in the City of London, mainly covering Japanese industry, especially high technology. In 2002, he established his own company, Alexander Capital Access, in Japan. Among other roles, he was an adviser to the Office of the Mayor of Osaka, where he established the still­thriving Foreign Business Network Club and the Tokyo Business Leaders Forum. While based in the Kansai region, and working especially with the Technology Partnership (TTP), he was able to build up a working knowledge of the mid­size high­tech corporate sector which is especially strong in the Kyoto area. He returned to the UK in 2007 to provide a channel between Japan and the UK for high technology investment. He chose Cambridge to be near his principal client, TTP, and to be part of the UK’s leading technology cluster.

Louis Turner (Chair) is Chief Executive of the Asia­Pacific Technology Network and an Associate Fellow of Chatham House. He is also a Visiting Fellow at the Centre for International Business, Leeds University. His publications include Industrial Collaboration with Japan (1987) and The Recent History of Japanese Investment in the UK (2010) – a specialist website.