Objectives

The cycle of poverty arising from substandard educational surroundings is already quite familiar to people in the developing countries in Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and elsewhere.

Successive generations of children must have literary, basic knowledge of the likes of arithmetic and mathematics, the ability to think scientifically, as well as a media-based education from information and communications technologies. They are absolutely essential for a nation’s future.

NHK and JAMCO play a leading role in supplying a range of educational content from Japan’s broadcasting sector to broadcasters, educational institutions and non-profit organizations in developing countries. There has always been a certain demand for science and educational programs that have relatively few linguistic or religious constraints. Moreover, in recent times, there has also been a growing demand for language programs, and as well as those featuring the latest technologies and disaster mitigation. This educational content from Japan’s broadcasting sector has a valuable role in economic development and improving people’s lives in the developing world.

Refugees fleeing their homes as a result of war or civil strife, malaria, the struggle to survive in harsh climates and environment, child labor, and lack of schooling are among the problems the developing countries around the globe face.

In this symposium, four experts in academia and other fields will describe and discuss the role and significance of educational content in countries that must contend with such problems, along with new strategies and ways of harnessing such content in the future.

In these discussions, I think the following should be borne in mind:

1. Educational content from the broadcasting sector can contribute considerably to quality in education, which is the fourth of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted at the UN Sustainable Development Summit in 2015.


2. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees puts the number of refugees around the world at more than 70 million, of whom half are believed to be under 18 years of age. It is highly likely that these children will reach adulthood without opportunities for a proper education. Content from the broadcasting sector can help children acquire aptitude in basics such as science and arithmetic. For adults, it can help provide them with basic language skills and suchlike for when they go abroad.


3. Broadcasting content that can be used on smartphones and digital devices is also being supplied to the developing countries in recent years in this internet age. Efforts are also being made in remote education with a view providing education for all.

This symposium, I hope, will provide pointers on the role of and new possibilities for educational content in this environment I just described.