Sustainable Society Design Center (SSDC) Second International Symposium

Towards a Sustainable and Inclusive Society: The Capability Approach
 UTokyo Kashiwa Campus — Media Hall
 Thursday, 6 November 2025 | 10:00–12:30 JST

About the Symposium

Achieving sustainability requires more than just economic growth; it demands an approach that expands human freedom, enhances well-being, and respects planetary boundaries. Human well-being is deeply intertwined with the environment, yet traditional economic indicators often fail to capture the full spectrum of nature’s contributions to society.

The Capability Approach, pioneered by Amartya Sen and Martha Nussbaum, provides a transformative framework for moving beyond conventional economic indicators, such as GDP and HDI, instead focusing on what people can do and be to achieve well-being. However, regional inequalities and environmental degradation limit these opportunities, particularly in rural and marginalised communities. While the Human Development Index (HDI) offers a comprehensive measure of societal progress, it does not fully capture environmental sustainability or regional disparities.

This symposium explores how the Capability Approach can guide us toward a more just, inclusive, and ecologically sustainable society. By bringing together scholars, policymakers, and practitioners, the event will examine new ways to integrate well-being metrics, resource access, and social inclusion into sustainable development frameworks.

Key Details

• Date & Time: Thursday, 6 November 2025 | 10:00–12:30 JST
• Venue: Media Hall (1st floor of Kashiwa Campus Liburary), Kashiwa Campus, The University of Tokyo (Map)
• Language: English
• Fee: Free
• Registration (required): Click here to register

Organizer: Sustainable Society Design Center (SSDC)
Co-hosts: Graduate School of Frontier Sciences (GSFS), The University of Tokyo; IQS School of Management, Ramon Llull University
Supported by: European Union’s Horizon Europe Programme

Programme

Symposium

• 10:00–10:05 | Opening Remarks — Yasuko Kameyama (Director, SSDC)
• 10:05–11:05 | Keynote — Flavio Comim (Professor & Dean, IQS School of      Management, Ramon Llull University)
• 11:05–11:25 | Discussant — Makiko Omura (Professor, Meijigakuin University)
• 11:25–11:40 | Q&A
• 11:40–11:45 | Closing Remarks
• 11:45–12:30 | Networking (light refreshments)

Afternoon Session — (Special Session for Students) 

14:00–15:00 | Bridging Academia and the UN: A Conversation with Flavio Comim
Panellists: Flavio Comim, Hiroe Ishihara, Eiko Saito

Venue: Lecture room 3, 3rd floor, Environmental Building, Kashiwa Campus, University of Tokyo (Map⑥)

Note: Participation is open to students only; general participants will not be admitted. Priority will be given to students from the University of Tokyo. Students from outside UTokyo are kindly requested to contact the organizers in advance.

The session will reflect on how students and early-career researchers can prepare to contribute to the work of the United Nations and other international organisations.  Dr.Comim will share insights from his professional path, discuss the practical and intellectual skills valued in multilateral settings, and highlight the opportunities and challenges that young scholars face when seeking to engage in global development work. The session will be facilitated by Professors Ishihara Hiroe and Saito Eiko, both of whom bring extensive experience from their work with the United Nations prior to entering academia.

Featured Speaker

Prof. Flavio Comim is a development economist specialising in human development, sustainability, the capability approach, and the economics of poverty. He has served as a Senior Economist at the UNDP, advised UNEP, FAO, WHO, and UNESCO, and coordinated national Human Development Reports. Currently Dean of IQS School of Management (Ramon Llull University) and Affiliated Lecturer in Human Development at the University of Cambridge, he brings decades of experience at the interface of research and policymaking.