Louvain-Kobe Project: Security and social inclusion in the age of globalization (SIAG)

In October 2017, the Hoover Chair has launched a research exchange programme with its partners at the University of Kobe in Japan. The project, entitled “Security and social inclusion in the age of globalization” has received the financial support of the UCL “Fonds d’appui à l’internationalisation”. It is supervised by Profs. Yannick Vanderborght and Axel Gosseries in Louvain, and Prof. Fumio Iida (Graduate School of Law) in Kobe.

Short description of the project

This project aims at deepening the collaboration between researchers from Kobe and Louvain on issues belonging mainly to the realm of political science, political theory, economics and law. Both Japan and Belgium are currently facing huge challenges in terms of security and social inclusion. The project focuses on some specific aspects of these challenges. First, it tackles the issue of decreasing “material” security, through the comparative study of social policy reform in both countries. In particular, we explore the fields of minimum income protection, unemployment insurance, pensions, and health care. Second, it addresses what could be labelled “non-material” security, here understood as “cultural” security, relating to multiculturalism and its negative side, racism. In Japan and Europe alike, replacement migration is sometimes seen as part of the answer to the challenge of an ageing population. But it raises new issues in terms of social inclusion of newcomers, for instance regarding key moral values of the host society (e.g. gender equality or secularism). These two aspects of the project are dealt with through: (1) stays of PhD students, (2) stays of senior researchers, (3) organization of workshops, (4) exploration of possible joint PhDs. The project builds up on previous collaborations between UCL and Kobe University, as well as on the exchanges held at the occasion of the October 2016 Royal mission to Japan.

Activities

Here is a list of past activities within the framework of this project

In Louvain-la-Neuve

6 June 2019
Sawako Oba (Kobe University) presented a paper entitled “Why group rights can be superior to individual rights in the constitutional system of Bosnia and Herzegovina.”

24 April 2018
Prof. Kaoru Ando (Graduate School of Law, Kobe) presented a seminar on “Harm of Sexual Assault: some thoughts on McMahan and Singer's ‘Who Is the Victim in the Anna Stubblefield Case?’”

20 February 2018
Lecturer Michela Riminucci (Graduate School of Law, Kobe) presented a seminar on “The prohibition of indirect discrimination in Japan”

13 February 2018
Prof. Fumio Iida (Graduate School of Law, Kobe) presented a seminar on: “Can liberal states treat political and economic refugees alike?”

In Kobe

16 May 2023
Prof. Yannick Vanderborght (Hoover Chair) gave a presentation on “Universal basic income and social investment: dismantling or reinforcing the welfare state?”, within the framework of the Kobe University Seminar on Political Theory.

28 April 2023
Pierre André (Hoover Chair) gave an open conference on “Climate Change, Cultural Devastation, and Compensation" at the Faculty of Law of Kobe University.

24 April 2023
Pierre André (Hoover Chair) gave an open lecture on “Climate Justice Issues in the EU : An Introduction” at the Faculty of Law of Kobe University.

17 January 2020
Prof. Alexia Autenne (Institut pour la recherche interdisciplinaire en sciences juridiques) presented a seminar on “Sustainable Pension through Sustainable Investments”.

12 January 2019
Camille Pascal (Hoover Chair) gave a presentation on “Right to Vote: Does Residence Matter for Epistemic Reasons?”, within the framework of the Tokyo University Graduate Seminar on Political Theory.

10 January 2019
Camille Pascal (Hoover Chair) gave a presentation on “Right to Vote: Does Residence Matter for Epistemic Reasons?”, within the framework of the Kobe University Conference on Political Theory.

6 april 2018
Prof. Vincent Vandenberghe (Economic School of Louvain) presented a seminar on “Overcoming the old-age dependency challenge. Is pension reform the only answer?”

28 October 2017
Prof. Yannick Vanderborght (Hoover Chair) gave a presentation on “The unconditional basic income: an old idea with a bright future?”, within the framework of the Kobe University Conference on Political Theory.

24 October 2017
Prof. Yannick Vanderborght (Hoover Chair) gave a presentation on “Should the state finance religious activities? The case of Belgium”, within the framework of the seminar ‘Aspects of EU Law and Politics’.

Contact
yannick.vanderborght@uclouvain.be