SIF Participants 2024

Dareen Lee – PPGA Student


Truly honoured to have participated in the Campus Asia Social Innovation Forum (SIF) 2024, hosted this year by Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan. This annual event brings together bright and passionate individuals from 4 leading Asian universities: Nanyang Technological University Singapore, Peking University, Korea University, Waseda University.

The theme of this year's forum focuses on navigating the challenges and opportunities of an ageing population. Addressing one of the most pressing issues confronting societies globally, with particular relevance for our Asian contexts. Over 3 days, we delved into a series of immersive activities designed to enhance understanding, stimulate innovative thinking, and foster cross-cultural collaboration. From practical neighbourhood explorations to enriching guest lectures and collaborative projects, the forum offered a holistic learning experience.

One of the most valuable aspects of this experience was the opportunity to work alongside students from diverse nationalities and cultures. The exchange of ideas and perspectives provided nuanced insights that go beyond traditional academic discourse. This collaboration not only enriched my cultural intelligence but also underscored the importance of effective communication and teamwork in tackling complex global social issues.

I extend my heartfelt thanks to NTU School of Social Sciences for facilitating this incredible opportunity, and to the NTU students team [Hani M., Dawnn Lim, Wang Yi Sheng, Estelle Yeo, Darren Chiong] and all other fellow participants for making this an insightful and memorable experience!

Hani – M – Sociology Undergraduate


Over the summer break, I had the privilege of participating in this year’s edition of CAMPUS Asia Social Innovation Forum, which took place at Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan 🇯🇵. During the forum, we went on excursions to Shin-Okubo and Toyama Apartments, which gave us insight into the issues that changes in demographics may pose in the future. Following the excursions, we were tasked to envision the society we desired and develop solutions to the related issues (e.g ageing population). This whole process prompted me to contemplate my own biases and assumptions. For instance, the solution of increasing tax rates to supply elderly pensions is tied to the assumption that people working are paying taxes. However, studies have shown an upward trend of people leaving taxed jobs, which decreases the effectiveness of the current social security system.

This raises the question of whether simple policy changes are sufficient or if issues like this require a different approach and the dismantling of existing systems, such as a shift from equating GDP with progress, to degrowth. Coming from a country that is grappling with the same problem of an aging population, it was definitely interesting to witness firsthand how different Japan’s approach was to this issue.

All in all, this forum was deeply eye-opening, and I am thankful I got the chance to participate this year. Thank you NTU School of Social Sciences for this opportunity!