The Japan Media Communication Center (JAMCO) promotes international cooperation through television programs with the aims of furthering mutual understanding between Japan and other countries and making contributions to broadcasting and social progress in the developing world. JAMCO has, as one of its activities, organized international conferences on diverse broadcasting-related themes almost every year since 1991.

The continuing theme for the 2020 fiscal year, carried over from last year, is educational content for developing countries. The subject we have chosen for the 29th JAMCO International Symposium is The Potential of Broadcasting and New Media for Supporting Education during the Coronavirus Pandemic. Reports will be presented and debated online by researchers, specialists, and educators in the field, and I am looking forward to hearing everyone’s views and opinions.

JAMCO’s core activity is the selection of television programs broadcast in Japan that are suitable for sharing with the people of developing countries, and production of international versions of them translated into English, Spanish, French and other languages. As of 2020, our center currently has 1,772 international versions of programs in its extensive library across genres ranging from drama to children’s and educational programs and documentaries. We have supplied over 13,200 programs to 98 countries in regions including Asia, the Pacific, Africa, Europe, and Central and South America. Depending on the country, some of these international versions have been translated again for broadcast in the local language, or used as teaching materials at universities and other institutions.

In 2020, the whole world was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. People experienced great changes to their daily lives in both developed and developing countries, and had to adjust their behavior accordingly. Direct classroom teaching, too, became difficult, and new teaching methods had to be found using broadcasting and the internet.

This year’s symposium will examine the roles performed by broadcasting content and the internet during the pandemic. We want this to be an opportunity to reflect on the current state of the world and the issues we face. The impact has been enormous in the developing countries, where the key issues are how to improve educational levels, build national structures that can bring lasting peace, and achieve firm economic development. The symposium will receive and discuss a wide range of reports, some from people in the field now coping with the consequences of the pandemic, others concerning changes in the media situation and various future possibilities. I hope it will prove a useful occasion for everyone, and am convinced it will also provide JAMCO with deep insights for our own future activity. Your support will be greatly appreciated.