September 25, 2022
The NML & Mind-Brain R&D Lab received an invitation to provide consultation, through a series of discussions, emails, and questionnaires, to the Japanese Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) and its Counselor, Nomura Research Institute (NRI), a leading think-tank from Japan, which is conducting a study regarding the inclusion of Japan’s senior citizens.
Representatives from the Institute were interested in the results of the Net Media Lab’s successful Seniors Go Digital: Promoting Inclusive Strategies for Disadvantaged Seniors and GranKIT: Grandparents and Grandchildren Keep in Touch, as well as the Postgraduate Degree Programme, titled “Specialization in ICTs and Special Education: Psychopedagogy of Inclusion”. The consultation was provided from 20 August to 20 September 2022.
In particular, the study aims at launching courses and holding workshops across the country to improve the digital literacy of senior citizens in an effort to eliminate the digital divide in Japan, as it would help realize a society in which everyone can benefit from digitalisation. It also aims at helping Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications understand what kinds of programs are currently running across the world and how they are benefiting the participants as they can immensely aid MIC in replicating similar programs in Japan and modify their already existing Digital Utilization Support Promotion Project.
Net Media Lab had the opportunity to walk them through the structure of the Seniors Go Digital project as well as its tangible results towards the inclusion, upskilling and reskilling of senior citizens.