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On Monday, June 5, 2023, the Nobel Perspectives Live event was held at the Waseda University Okuma Auditorium. The Nobel Perspective Live events are organized by UBS, a global financial firm, in collaboration with various organizations around the world. This event featured three Nobel Laureates in Economics: Dr. Bengt Holmström, Dr. Michael Spence, and Sir Christopher A. Pissarides.

The events have been held in Frankfurt, Hong Kong, London, Milan, New York, Shanghai, Singapore, and Taipei. This is the first time the event was held in Japan and Waseda University is only university in Japan to cohost the event. There were approximately 900 students and faculty who registered for the event.

On the day of the event, senior leaders of Waseda University including President Aiji Tanaka met with the guest speakers and discussed topics such as the effects of AI and automation on modern society, the challenges facing the Japanese economy, and their hopes for young people who will be leading the next generation.

Before the start of the event, the guest speakers gathered at the lobby of the Okuma Auditorium for an informal meet-and-greet session with the students. The guest speakers answered questions from students as much as time allowed. Student feedback from this session included comments such as “I wasn’t expecting to have the chance to speak with the Nobel laureates, so it was an extremely valuable opportunity, ” and “as a student studying economics, I was able to get a great deal of advice from the world’s leading economists.”

The event began with opening remarks by President Aiji Tanaka of Waseda University, who thanked UBS for organizing the event. Presided by Zenji Nakamura, CEO of UBS Securities Japan Co Ltd and alumni of the Graduate School of Science and Engineering at Waseda University, the event proceeded to the main discussion with the moderator, Professor Masazumi Wakatabe of the Faculty of Political Science and Economics at Waseda University and former deputy governor of the Bank of Japan, and the guest speakers Dr. Bengt Holmström, Dr. Michael Spence, and Sir Christopher A. Pissarides.

Based on questions that were submitted by students prior to the event, the discussion approached topics such as “the effects of automation, AI and robotics on the labor force and the global labor market” and “Japanese society – challenges and opportunities” through an economic perspective. The audience also had an opportunity to engage with the panel by answering polls through interactive tools. Students listened intently as the panel also addressed students in the audience, giving words of advice to students and young people.

Through this valuable opportunity to engage with the world’s foremost economists, the students gained not only a deep understanding of the challenges facing Japanese society and the international community, but also profound insight into becoming a global leader who will lead the next generation.