"Knowledge culture" - a complex subject area! For the JDZB, the focus is on questioning the way we deal with the meaning of knowledge and the way knowledge is generated, communicated, and applied. From our point of view, transformation processes are particularly exciting: How do the selection and absorption of knowledge change in the face of the digital flood of information? How do we consume knowledge, how can we deal with the complexity that comes with it? Can we do this at all - or is the world becoming dumber rather than smarter? Are we facing an unfolding of creative potential through new opportunities - or is our standard of knowledge leveling down along with our attention span between WhatsApp and Instagram?

Always keeping Japanese and German references in mind, the JDZB approaches these questions in our week of events with a variety of starting points and offerings for our audience, ranging from literary readings by young writers to roundtable discussions on digital learning in school education in Japan, France and Germany with representatives of academia, government, and practice. The overarching theme will be perspectives on the further development of our knowledge societies in Japan and Germany and on how global knowledge structures work. We also want to focus our attention on how companies expand their knowledge, e.g. within the framework of open innovation processes.

We invite you to join us for this focus week organized by the entire JDZB and various partners! Opportunities for networking and active exchange will not be missed.

Schedule

DJW “Hiru no Kai“: "Global Knowledge Infrastructure – Growth Through Sharing? Approaching an Intercultural, Digital Knowledge Network”, 13th of September 2022 (Tu)
The sheer volume of numbers, data, facts is growing and the speed of generating scientific knowledge is ever accelerating. Simultaneously, access to knowledge is becoming more global and digital through open-source projects. At the same time, knowledge must be reliable, verified, and easily accessible.
How can a stable knowledge infrastructure be created and – perhaps more importantly – sufficiently maintained? What are the challenges of providing this infrastructure for and with an intercultural Japanese-German background? Which potential of growth and verification of knowledge lies within the digital transformation?
We are delighted to welcome our cooperation partner DJW to Berlin and look forward to discussing the above and further questions with thought-provoking impulses by our two dialog partners Prof. Dr. Franz Waldenberger and Thomas Elm.
> Go here for further information or got directly the DJW website.

Japan Spoken Word Night, 13th of September 2022 (Tu)
The Japan Spoken Word Night invites you to explore new perspectives on the Japanese language through literature and art. As part of the JDZB Focus Week 2022 “Knowledge Culture“ contributions and readings will focus on the concept of „裏 - ura - concealed“ – exploring what is hidden behind knowledge and culture, trying to grasp the fickle thoughts at the edge of our consciousness.
Readings and contributions (about 5min long) in German, Japanese and English are very welcome. For questions and registration please contact Mrs. WÄGERLE: swaegerle@jdzb.de
> Further Information

Gesprächssalon „Das Teehaus im Humboldt Forum und die Künste aus Kanazawa: Tee-Weg, Architektur und Handwerkskunst“, 14. September 2022 (Mi)
During their trip to Berlin for the grand opening of the eastern wing of the Humboldt Forum, the four artists who designed the tea house in the Museum for Asian Art will also come to JDZB.
The four artists, namely NARA Sōkyū (craftsman and Master of the Urasenke-school for tea ceremony), URA Jun (architect), NAKAMURA Takuo (ceramics craftsman) and SAKAI Naoki (metal sculptor) will discuss the design process of the tea house based upon the Japanese tradition of The Way of Tea and traditional craftsmanship with Dr. Alexander HOFMANN (curator for Japanese art at the Museum for Asian Art).
The talk will begin with a welcoming speech by Mr. Hans-Dieter HEGNER (board member of the Humboldt Forum responsible for constructional matters). We hope you have a lot of fun with this panel talk, which will give in example of Japanese knowledge culture by showing the way knowledge is passed on as traditions.
> Further Information and registration

Symposium „Digital Learning in School Education: Perspectives from Japan, France, and Germany“, 16. September 2022 (Fr)
During the pandemic, remote learning at home suddenly became a reality for schoolchildren across the world. However, it also showed the shortcomings educational institutions still face when it comes to digitization. Despite given deficiencies and substantial backlogs in many areas, the digital transformation of learning in educational facilities on all levels is unstoppable. It will have a fundamental impact on the transfer of knowledge and on the meaning of education itself.  Next to considerable technical challenges, the digitization of learning will also imply social effects. Policy makers and experts in the field of education are in charge of designing, organizing and implementing the change. The work of school directors and teachers will be significantly affected, and, of course and most of all, the pupils themselves with their individual approaches to learning. The future of our societies is at stake.
This international symposium will bring together perspectives on digital learning in school education from three countries, namely Japan, France, and Germany, in the following three areas:
•    The academic perspective: Assessing benefits and disadvantages of, in particular, social aspects of digital learning (Panel)
•    The policy maker perspective on governmental strategies: How is the digital transformation of learning and school education on all levels currently being organized and what will be developments in the near future (Roundtable)
•    The “classroom” perspective: Experiences and concerns in practically applying tools of digital learning (Roundtable)
As the third edition of the “French-German Dialogue on Japan”, this symposium is jointly organized by the Japanese-German Center Berlin (JDZB) and the France-Japan Foundation of the Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales (EHESS), Paris. Conference language is English.
> Further information

Digital German-Japanese Exchange Program for Young Volunteers
During the JDZB Focus Week, the “German-Japanese Exchange Program for Young Volunteers” commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth will also take place. Young volunteers from Japan and Germany will meet in a digital space to discuss the topic of social participation of young people with experts and get to know further possibilities for participation. This international exchange of ideas and experience signifies how knowledge culture can work in practice.
-  Not public