DOSHISHA UNIVERSITY CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF THE CREATIVE ECONOMY

Welcome to the Center for the Study of the Creative Economy. We are a newly-born center for research on the ‘creative economy’, a concept that is gaining popularity in social sciences and policy discourse in many parts of the world and yet remains under-researched.

We believe that in today’s globalized world it has become increasingly important for all kinds of nations, both advanced and developing, to adopt a new strategy for economic growth: to encourage the development of new products and services that exhibit exuberant creativity and to brand them with the help of ‘national’ culture.

Japan, too, has become keen to employ such an economic strategy as she boasts a wide variety of creative and cultural products globally admired, ranging from traditional performing arts, heritage, crafts, contemporary visual arts, cuisine, fashion, anime to manga. Knowledge however is still insufficient to effectively implement such a policy and ultimately design a society in which affluence, safety and well-being are secured for the people. The Center for the Study of the Creative Economy will conduct research with such a societal purpose in mind.

We will approach research issues by collaborating with academic researchers from various disciplines and countries of origin as well as with practitioners in the fields such as artists, government officials, business persons and community leaders. We will provide a platform for our stakeholders to exchange information and knowledge, to engage in debate and to further develop ideas.

Founded in April 2013, the Center has been awarded a generous grant by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology as one of the research centers with strategic importance for research within the private university sector since early summer of 2013, only a few months after its launch.

Our work has been fast developing since then. We will disseminate the findings of our research through academic conferences, seminars, workshops, and symposia as well as by publication. Many of these will be open to everyone as we believe the importance of dialogue between academic researchers and those working in the fields such as arts practitioners and public policy makers.

Nobuko Kawashima