• Forum 2021 Report (PDF)
• Forum 2021 Booklet (PDF)

The Honda Foundation held its Honda Y-E-S Online Forum 2021 on July 10 and 11, 2021 at the Honda Yaesu Building on the theme "Integrating Sustainability into Future Urban Design." The Forum was organized by awardees of the Honda Y-E-S Award, which the Honda Foundation promotes in Vietnam, India, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Bangladesh to engage young scientists and engineers from Asia, including Japan, in discussions on their awareness of issues in the region, the role played by science and technology in resolving these issues and the growth of human networks in the area through cooperation between the countries involved in the program.

Initially scheduled to take place in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic forced postponement of the Forum, and it was held online in 2021. The program consisted of presentations by three guest speakers representing the fields of urban engineering and traffic engineering plus an international cooperation organization in Japan, followed by presentations by the Honda Y-E-S Awardees and a panel discussion. A research poster contest was also held, featuring presentations by contest participants and an award ceremony.

◎Keynote Speeches

The keynote speakers on the first day were Dr. Takeru Sakai, Professor (Architecture/Landscape Design) in the Campus Planning Office of the Graduate School of Human-Environment Studies at Kyushu University, and Dr. Takashi Oguchi, Professor (Traffic Management and Control) in the Institute of Industrial Science at the University of Tokyo. On the second day, Mr. Kiyoshi Amada, Director General of the Infrastructure Management Department at the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) gave the keynote speech.
As examples of leading urban planning projects in Fukuoka City, Dr. Sakai’s presentation featured Seaside Momochi built on the former site of the Asian-Pacific Exposition: Fukuoka ‘89 to develop a hub city for Asia, Island City and designed to preserve the tidal flats for migratory birds, to function as a port in coexistence with residential housing, and further the development of Kyushu University Ito New Campus to replace obsolete facilities and consolidate university functions, as well as to promote regional industry-academia partnerships and encourage growth as a center for international exchange. In the course of presenting the three projects, he spoke of the need to develop plans suited to the functions needed for a city, explained the importance of landscape design conscious of the surrounding environment and highlighted the key points requiring attention in urban design.
Dr. Oguchi spotlighted the mobility challenges to be addressed in creating a smart city, elaborating on the role of mobility in social activities and the various issues that mobility brings to the city, such as traffic congestion. He stated that the automated driving technology that is drawing great interest today will assure a higher level of safety for vehicle driving through the creation of a network connecting various urban functions. He also added that connected & automated driving (CAD) is an element in the smart city that will optimize human activities and lifestyles and social activities.
Mr. Amada appeared as a speaker on the second day. In the course of describing outstanding urban management in building sustainable cities, he referred to the various issues that emerge amid the rapid urbanization of developing countries and the spectacular speed with which advances are made in economic scale, urban development, communication infrastructure, etc. To avoid the negative impacts that industrialized countries faced during their development, he reported that JICA is working together with national governments to promote sustainable management of urban development and is providing support to enable people of those countries to exercise their initiative in these efforts. He spoke of the importance of managing urban management by giving examples in Nairobi (Kenya), Vientiane (Laos), Dacca (Bangladesh) and Bangkok (Thailand).
Q&A sessions were held after each presentation, and online participants asked questions enthusiastically to the three guest speakers through chat.

◎Presentations by Honda Y-E-S Awardees

In the first session of Day 2, the Honda Y-E-S Awardees from five countries gave presentations on the measures designed for sustainable urban development in their respective countries.
The representative from Myanmar spoke on green infrastructure and development utilizing forests and river systems. The representatives from Cambodia and Vietnam spoke on the transition to 100% renewable energy and their study into sustainable transportation and the future of urban transportation, respectively. The representative from Laos reported on the state of sustainable urban development in the wetlands that are found extensively in the country. The Indian representative gave a presentation on urban design for an eco-society through a data-driven approach gained from insights into energy, mobility and waste management. Their presentations drew enthusiastic questions from other online participants.

◎Panel Discussion

In the second session of Day 2, a panel discussion was held in two parts on the issues covered by the keynote speeches and presentations by the Honda Y-E-S Awardees.
In the first part, keynote speaker Dr. Oguchi, Mr. Amada, student representatives Ms. Tran Thi To Uyen M.N (The University of Tokyo) and Ms. Kaori Isawa (The University of Tokyo) and Mr. Le Yen Thanh and Mr. Satyam Mohla representing the Honda Y-E-S Awardees served as panelists, with Dr. Atsushi Sunami, Adjunct Professor at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS) and President of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation, as facilitator. In the discussion on the importance of industry-academia-government partnerships in the sustainable urban design of future cities, it was suggested that universities and research institutes should play the role of mediator between the national government that spearheads development and private businesses responsible for project execution, to maintain a balance between economy and sustainability.
In the second part, the panelists were keynote speaker Dr. Sakai, student representative Mr. Shota Tabata (The University of Tokyo) and Ms. Bindu Sancheti, Mr. Dinh Truong Giang, Dr. Khandala Khamphila and Mr. Pyae Phyo Kyaw representing the Honda Y-E-S Awardees. Dr. Mitsunobu Kano, Executive Director of the Honda Foundation and Vice Executive Director and Professor at Okayama University, served as facilitator. In the discussion of the role of young people in carbon-neutral urban development, the discussion called for "involvement not only of the generation of students today but subsequent generations as well" in which "each and every person must have a sense of ownership regarding effective use of resources and wider use of renewable energy."

◎Research Poster Contest

Concurrent with the Forum, a research poster contest was held on the theme "Integrating Sustainability into Future Urban Design." It was organized to create opportunities for networking among the participants and for the improvement and sharing of their research projects. It featured presentations held by the 10 shortlisted teams. The top three teams were selected by a Selection Committee consisting of a director of the Honda Foundation, the keynote speakers Dr. Sakai, Dr. Oguchi and Mr. Amada and the Honda Y-E-S Online Forum Preparation Committee. Additionally, the Audience Award was selected by votes from the online participants.

◎Member of the Honda Y-E-S Online Forum 2021 Preparation Committee