We welcome you to join us in Osaka, Japan on Friday and Saturday, March 27-28, 2020 for the 6th Conference on Human Development in Asia (COHDA 2020), to be held at the Osaka Corona Hotel in Osaka City, Japan. COHDA 2020 is being jointly held alongside the 6th Conference on Sustainable Tourism in Asia (COSTA 2020).

COHDA 2020 will coincide with the cherry blossom viewing period around Osaka. The good weather and blooming cherry blossoms is a time ‘hanami’ celebrations around the city. Hanami, which means cherry blossom viewing, is an important ritual in Japanese culture dating back hundreds of years. It is customary for people to gather in parks and spread tarps beneath the cherry trees, admiring the splendor of the blossoms, while eating, drinking and enjoying time with family and friends. The most popular spots for hanami get crowded with food and drink stalls, and sometimes there are festivals and events of all kinds. Plus, hanami in Osaka can be enjoyed not only during daytime, but also at night, when the cherry trees are lit up and offer a completely different scenery.

Please note that the number of oral and poster time slots is limited. The organizers will close submissions and registration when the event has reached its capacity.
About COHDA 2020

Welcome to the 6th Conference on Human Development in Asia (COHDA 2020). With the theme of Rethinking Sustainable Development, the aim of this event is to draw attention to both the progress and challenges facing an increasing globalized Asia. The economic, industrial and political developments among the nations that are located within the continent have brought about dramatic social change. Within a span of just over a century, Asia has been a major site of colonialism and decolonization, global warfare, political upheaval and regime change, the rise of new nations, ongoing ethnic and religious conflict, economic boom and recession, population explosion, cultural diasporas, viral epidemics, technological advancement, and severe environmental pollution and disasters.

While commentators and analysts have recognized the vast changes that have shaped the Asian continent, it is also crucial to understand the continuities that are maintained even in the face of such impetus for change. Apart from change, what constants still resist change? In addition, what factors contribute to such ongoing resilience? Although it may be argued that the forces of globalization and development have set in motion a number of positive changes in the ways we live our lives, this has also been counterbalanced by the continuities of inequality and suffering of many others. The tide of change often exists in a state of tension with the forces of continuity. Hence, in order for us to comprehend the forces of change, we must also engage other opposing forces.

At the same time, attempts to mediate the tension between change and continuity have given rise to growing diversities. Driven partly by the forces of migration within a global economic order often guided by transnational markets of production or consumption, new political and social-cultural fragmentation and intersections within nation-states in Asia have emerged. In the face of such developments, the implications of and challenges to efforts at sustainability are numerous. While it is increasingly recognized that sustainability entails dimensions far beyond the ecological sphere, the next step is to examine and understand the impact of change and continuity and the resultant diversities that are contained within.

COHDA 2020 Streams

Education for Sustainable Development
Sustainable Business, Production & Consumption
Sustainable Energy
Sustainable Urban Development
Sustainable Water Management
Other Areas (please specify)

We welcome proposals of 250 words in English by Friday, January 17, 2020.