"In parallel with the technical AI development, more knowledge is needed about the brain, emotions, ethical, and pedagogical development. Anyone curious about this range of future challenges should come to the EJEA conference," says Anders Törnvall, board member of EJEA: European Japan Experts Association.
The EJEA conference 2024 is aimed at individual experts and citizens, decision-makers and opinion leaders from related organizations, companies, universities, research institutes as well as public administration and governments from Japan and Europe. By this, a platform of knowledge and expertise will be created.
Megatrends 2030 in artificial intelligence
The conference focuses on complex societal transformations in the medium and long term in Japan and Europe. The goal is to realize fair and trustworthy artificial intelligence (AI), AI for managing integration, cooperation, participation, and competition in society, economy, and research. Megatrends for 2030 will be guiding the 2024 conference. They include technological progress most notably AI, as well as application areas like economy, health, agriculture, education, society, culture, and work assisted by AI.
The conference will specifically focus on how the collaboration between human intelligence and artificial intelligence is shaped, understood, and developed. The goal is for the discussions to take shape in more intensive research, education, and cooperation.
EJEA - a link between the EU and Japan
"EJEA has developed over about thirty years," says Anders Törnvall. He has worked with intercultural communication focusing on Japanese culture and business cultures for thirty-five years.
"Japan and the EU have had good relations all the time. The EU has gradually understood that we need to monitor Japan better and work more closely together in a completely new and more intensive way. EJEA is part of the collaboration between the EU and Japan, a link between them."
Anders Törnvall believes that Japan has advanced in certain areas, including AI and that it is therefore very important to follow and deepen cooperation.
"Interdisciplinary research and educational development are essential. EJEA aims to encourage more Japanese students to study here and for Swedes to study at the top universities in Japan. This way, we achieve a broader educational and research perspective."
In 2018, EJEA began organizing annual conferences to address the challenges Europe and Japan face in the era of digital transformation. In recent years, the conferences have therefore focused on AI.
"We try to stay at the forefront. The Japanese demand the best lecturers on the most important topics. Our partners, the international Fraunhofer research institute, Toshiba International Foundation, and Japanese universities, are also good guarantees for quality," says Anders Törnvall.
Linköping University is hosting EJEA
Linköping University is hosting EJEA 2024, which will take place 5-7 November at Campus Valla. Professor Fredrik Heintz and Katerina Linden, postdoc, are the university's representatives in hosting the event.
"Linköping is known for its broad and comprehensive AI research with significant international impact. This conference highlights the exciting and important collaborations with Japan, a country known for being at the forefront of new technology. The conference provides an opportunity to take part in the exciting developments happening in both Europe and Japan," says Fredrik Heintz.
