Ogawa Seminar students participated as volunteers in the World Bank-Hosted Understanding Risk Global Forum 2024 in Himeji

A public symposium convened under the theme “Cultural Heritage and Natural Disasters: Learning from Himeji towards Sustainable Futures,” held from June 16-21, 2024, took place in conjunction with the Understanding Risk Global Forum 2024 (UR24) in Himeji City, Hyogo prefecture. Hosted by the World Bank, this forum brought together Disaster Risk Management (DRM) experts, practitioners and scholars worldwide. Over 1,720 attendees from 135 countries participated in more than 100 sessions over six days. UR24 sessions included panel and group discussions that continued the central theme of better understanding risk from natural hazards to enable more effective action in a space to share best practices and foster new knowledge, innovation, and collaboration. UR24 blended tradition, history, and culture with innovation, technology, and creativity, providing knowledge sharing, collaboration, and practical learning opportunities to enhance disaster risk management efforts worldwide.

This forum focused on promoting cross-border collaboration and learning about disaster risk finance for resilient infrastructure, bringing together representatives from governments and multilateral development private and public sectors. The opening plenary marked the 30^th commemoration of the 6.9 magnitude Great Hanshin Awaji earthquake in January 1995 and highlighted the lessons learned from that event. This forum aimed to generate innovative climate analytics tools, research opportunities, and investment prospects while emphasizing the importance of local knowledge in climate service. It brings together experts to address gaps in climate analytics and promote collaboration in disaster risk management, climate adaptation, and investment.

The event enlisted the participation of 44 dedicated volunteers from the Graduate School of International Cooperation Studies (GSICS) at Kobe University. The volunteer team is divided into six distinct teams: the reception team, secretariat team, plenary team, technical team, exhibition team, and Japan pavilion team. The forum was successfully concluded through the active participation of dedicated volunteers, showcasing exemplary teamwork characterized by a strong sense of commitment and responsibility. Moreover, the involvement of international graduate students enabled them to immerse themselves in Japanese culture and gain valuable insights into the global perspectives on understanding risks in various regions as they actively participated, observed, and learned from each section. They were able to contribute to the success of the event and gain firsthand knowledge of its inner workings in the future. The experience highlighted the transformative potential of international graduate studies and the importance of fostering a global perspective among future leaders and researchers. The participation of the Ogawa Seminar’s students highlighted the importance of international collaboration, interdisciplinary research, and cross-cultural competencies in addressing global challenges. After the forum finished, there was a reception dinner at Hotel Nikko Himeji, which was a congratulatory party for team volunteers, and a certificate was awarded to everyone.

Overall, the Ogawa Seminar’s participation in the Understanding Risk Global Forum showcased the value of international collaboration in tackling global challenges. The insights gained by the volunteers will undoubtedly contribute to their academic and professional growth in organizing a global event and working with several stakeholders by delivering knowledge and experience to people.

Authored by Visal Touch (Master’s student)