Kyoto Conference Program Released: Discussions on Values, Humanity, and AI

Timetable (as of August 25 - speaker information and other details will be updated)


ーMonday, September 22, 2025ー
Welcome Reception at The Prince Kyoto Takaragaike

18:00-18:05 Opening Remarks & Toast
•Jun Sawada, Co-chairperson, Kyoto Institute of Philosophy/Executive Chairman, NTT

18:05-18:45 Dinner Talk: Considering a Multi-layered Value Society from Kyoto
〈Moderator〉
•Shinichi Fukuoka, Professor, Department of Cultural and Creative Studies, School of Cultural and Creative Studies, Aoyama Gakuin University
〈Speaker〉
•Seigen Mori, Director, Kiyomizu-dera Temple
•Rukmini Bhaya Nair, Honorary Professor of Linguistics and English, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi
•Giovanni Cesare Pagazzi, Archbishop (Titular of Belcastro), Archivist and Librarian of the Holy Roman Church
and others (TBD)

18:45-19:55 Dinner ＆ Networking

19:55-20:00 Closing Remarks
•Yasuo Deguchi, Co-chairperson, Kyoto Institute of Philosophy/Dean and Professor of Philosophy, Graduate School of Letters, Kyoto University


ーTuesday, September 23, 2025ー
Kyoto Conference Day 1 at Kyoto International Conference Center

9:00-9:05 Opening Remarks
•Jun Sawada, Co-chairperson, Kyoto Institute of Philosophy/Executive Chairman, NTT

9:05–9:20 Welcome Speech
•Shunichi Tokura, Commissioner, Cultural Affairs
•Takatoshi Nishiwaki, Governor of Kyoto Prefecture
•Koji Matsui, Mayor of Kyoto City
•Nagahiro Minato, President, Kyoto University

9:20–9:30 Guest Introductions

9:30–9:45 Keynote Speech
•Yasuo Deguchi, Co-chairperson, Kyoto Institute of Philosophy/Dean and Professor of Philosophy, Graduate School of Letters, Kyoto University

9:45–10:00 Keynote Speech
•Markus Gabriel, Senior Global Advisor, Kyoto Institute of Philosophy/Professor and Chair in Epistemology, Modern, and Contemporary Philosophy, Director of the International Centre for Philosophy, Director of the Center for Science and Thought, University of Bonn

10:00–10:10 Break

【Part I】 The Fundamental Questions of Value
10:10–11:10 Panel Discussion 1: The Starting Point: Values in a Multilayered World
〈Moderator〉
•Noburu Notomi, Professor, Graduate School of Humanities and Sociology, The University of Tokyo
〈Panelist〉
•Maurizio Ferraris, Full Professor of Philosophy, University of Turin
•Teruo Fujii, President, The University of Tokyo
•Heisook Kim, Professor Emerita, Ewha Womans University
•Michael Neocosmos, Emeritus Professor, Rhodes University

11:20–12:20 Panel Discussion 2: AI and the Question of 'The Human
〈Moderator〉
•Mathias Risse, Berthold Beitz Professor in Human Rights, Global Affairs and Philosophy, Harvard University
〈Panelist〉
•Katsuhiko Hibino, President, Tokyo University of the Arts
•Hiroshi Ishiguro, Distinguished Professor, Department of Systems Innovation, The University of Osaka
•Yutaka Matsuo, Professor, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo
•Anna-Mari Wallenberg, Docent, University of Helsinki

12:20–12:30 Break
 
【Part Ⅱ】 Redesigning Society in the Age of AI
12:30–13:30 Venue A: Technological Transformation and the Future of the Corporation
〈Moderator〉
•Asli M. Colpan, Professor, Graduate School of Management and Graduate School of Economics, Kyoto University
〈Panelist〉
•R. Edward Freeman, Stephen E. Bachand University Professor of Business Administration, University of Virginia
•Toshiaki Higashihara, Director, Kyoto Institute of Philosophy/ Executive Chairman, Hitachi, Ltd.
•Robert Thomson, Chief Executive, News Corp
and others (TBD)

Venue B: Trust and Governance
〈Moderator〉
•Satoshi Kodama, Professor of Ethics, Graduate School of Letters, Kyoto University
〈Panelist〉
•Börje Ekholm, President & CEO, Ericsson
•Tomoyoshi Noda, Chairperson and President, Graduate School of Leadership and Innovation, Shizenkan University
•Jin Roy Ryu, Chairman, Federation of Korean Industries
•Audrey Yamamoto, President & CEO, U.S.-Japan Council

Venue C: Reconstructing Democracy
〈Moderator〉
•Thomas Beschorner, Professor and Director, University of St.Gallen
〈Panelist〉
•Fritz Breithaupt, Professor, The University of Pennsylvania
•Manuel Gustavo Isaac, Science Anticipation Philosophy Lead, GESDA
•Kaori Karasawa, Professor, Graduate School of Humanities and Sociology, The University of Tokyo
•Koji Matsui, Mayor of Kyoto City


13:30–14:00 Break

【Part Ⅲ】 Horizons of Value Co-creation
14:00–15:20 Round Table & Wrap-up Panel

Venue A: Human-Technology Symbiosis
〈Wrap-up Panel Moderator〉
•Takashi Nawa, Professor, Kyoto University of Advanced Science/Visiting Professor, Hitotsubashi University Business School
〈Discussion Leader and Wrap-up Panel Panelist〉
•Anil K. Gupta, Founder, Honey Bee Network/Former Professor and Visiting Faculty, Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad
•Naoto Otake, President and CEO, Institute of Science Tokyo
•Tobias Rees, Founder and CEO, Limn / Philosopher
and others (TBD)

Venue B: Cultural Diversity and Universal Values
〈Wrap-up Panel Moderator〉
•TBD
〈Discussion Leader and Wrap-up Panel Panelist〉
•Husein Inusah, Associate Professor, University of Cape Coast
•Tõnu Viik, Rector and Professor of philosophy, Tallinn University
•Andrej Zwitter, Professor of Political Theory and Governance, University of Groningen

15:20–15:40 Break

【Part IV】The Implementation of Value
15:40–16:40 Panel Discussion 3: Industry as a Driver of Social Change
〈Moderator〉
•Masaki Nomura, Executive Advisor, Chief Strategist, Kyoto Institute of Philosophy/Harvard University Graduate School of Design/Yamauchi No.10 Family Office
〈Panelist〉
•Takahiro Nakajima, Professor and Director, Institute for Advanced Studies on Asia, The University of Tokyo
•Takeshi Niinami, Chairman & CEO, Suntory Holdings Limited
•Kumiko Oomori, Director, Kyoto Institute of Philosophy/ Vice President, Office of Chief Executive Fellow, NTT, Inc.
•Toshikazu Yamaguchi, Director, Kyoto Institute of Philosophy/ Representative Director President, The Yomiuri Shimbun Holdings

16:40–16:50  Break

16:50–17:30 Day 1 Wrap-up
〈Moderator〉
•Masaki Nomura, Executive Advisor, Chief Strategist, Kyoto Institute of Philosophy/Harvard University Graduate School of Design/Yamauchi No.10 Family Office
〈Panelist〉
•Yasuo Deguchi, Co-chairperson, Kyoto Institute of Philosophy
•Jun Sawada, Co-chairperson, Kyoto Institute of Philosophy
•Markus Gabriel, Senior Global Advisor, Kyoto Institute of Philosophy

17:30–18:00  Break

18:00–20:00 Dinner


ーWednesday, September 24, 2025ー
Kyoto Conference Day 2 at Kyoto International Conference Center

9:00-9:10 Day 1 Review
•Yasuo Deguchi, Co-chairperson, Kyoto Institute of Philosophy/Dean and Professor of Philosophy, Graduate School of Letters, Kyoto University

【Part V】The Creation and Expression of Value
9:10–10:10 Panel Discussion 4: The Creative Leap: Value through Arts and Culture
〈Moderator〉
•Wiebke Denecke, S. C. Fang Professor of Chinese Language and Culture, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
〈Panelist〉
•Mohsen Mostafavi, Alexander and Victoria Wiley Professor of Design and Harvard University Distinguished Service Professor, Harvard University
•Devdutt Pattanaik, Mythologist
•Laurie Ann Paul, Millstone Family Professor of Philosophy and Professor of Cognitive Science, Yale University
•Rein Raud, Professor of Asian and Cultural Studies, Tallinn University

10:10–10:20  Break

【Part VI】Prospects for the Future
10:20–11:20  Panel Discussion 5: Towards a Network of Networks
〈Moderator〉
•Markus Gabriel, Senior Global Advisor, Kyoto Institute of Philosophy/Professor and Chair in Epistemology, Modern, and Contemporary Philosophy, Director of the International Centre for Philosophy, Director of the Center for Science and Thought, University of Bonn
〈Panelist〉
•Stéphane Decoutère, Secretary General, GESDA
•Wakanyi Hoffman, Head of African AI and Ubuntu Ethics at Inclusive AI Lab, University of Utrecht
•Guido Saracco, Former Rector and Full Professor, Polytechnic of Turin
•Zoltan Somhegyi, Deputy Secretary-General , International Council for Philosophy and Human Sciences/Associate Professor, University of Szeged

11:25–12:05 Panel Discussion 6: Shaping Our Global Agendas
〈Moderator〉
•Yasuo Deguchi, Co-chairperson, Kyoto Institute of Philosophy/Dean and Professor of Philosophy, Graduate School of Letters, Kyoto University
〈Panelist〉
•Wiebke Denecke, S. C. Fang Professor of Chinese Language and Culture, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
•Markus Gabriel, Senior Global Advisor, Kyoto Institute of Philosophy/Professor and Chair in Epistemology, Modern, and Contemporary Philosophy, Director of the International Centre for Philosophy, Director of the Center for Science and Thought, University of Bonn
•Masaki Nomura, Executive Advisor, Chief Strategist, Kyoto Institute of Philosophy/Harvard University Graduate School of Design/ Yamauchi No.10 Family Office/
•Noburu Notomi, Professor, Graduate School of Humanities and Sociology, The University of Tokyo
•Mathias, Berthold Beitz Professor in Human Rights, Global Affairs and Philosophy, Harvard University

12:05–12:35 Closing
Sharing of Participant Impressions and Responses
〈Moderator〉
•Masaki Nomura, Executive Advisor, Chief Strategist, Kyoto Institute of Philosophy/Harvard University Graduate School of Design/ Yamauchi No.10 Family Office

Summary　
•Yasuo Deguchi, Co-chairperson, Kyoto Institute of Philosophy/Dean and Professor of Philosophy at Graduate School of Letters, Kyoto University
•Markus Gabriel, Senior Global Advisor, Kyoto Institute of Philosophy/Professor and Chair in Epistemology, Modern, and Contemporary Philosophy, Director of the International Centre for Philosophy, Director of the Center for Science and Thought, University of Bonn

Closing Remarks
•Jun Sawada, Co-chairperson, Kyoto Institute of Philosophy/Executive Chairman, NTT

12:50-13:20 Press Conference
•Yasuo Deguchi, Co-chairperson, Kyoto Institute of Philosophy
•Jun Sawada, Co-chairperson, Kyoto Institute of Philosophy
•Markus Gabriel, Senior Global Advisor, Kyoto Institute of Philosophy