EVENT: “Refugees and Inclusion: Building a Whole-of-Society Approach in Japan and Beyond”
WHEN: November 18, 2025 (Tuesday), 2nd Period (11:00~12:30)
WHERE: Aoyama Campus; Classroom 1123 (2nd floor of Building 11)
SPEAKER: Ms. Rei Kasai (Protection Associate, UNHCR Representation in Japan)
LANGUAGE: English (without simultaneous interpretation)
TARGET AUDIENCE: IE students and any other interested parties
Today, more than 120 million people worldwide have been forced to flee their homes due to conflict, persecution, and human rights violations—the highest number on record. Behind these figures are individuals with diverse skills, aspirations, and potential contributions to their host communities.
This talk by Ms. Rei Kasai from the UNHCR Representation in Japan will explore how the international community—and Japan in particular—can promote refugee protection and inclusion through a whole-of-society approach. Drawing from examples in education, employment, and community engagement, the talk will highlight how governments, private companies, universities, and individuals are working together to create opportunities for refugees to rebuild their lives with dignity.
Ms. Kasai will also share her personal career journey, from studying psychology and mental health in Europe to supporting refugee inclusion in Japan.
BIO:
Rei Kasai is a Protection Associate for the UNHCR Representation in Japan. She graduated from the Université de Lausanne (Switzerland, BSc in Psychology) and King’s College London (UK, MSc in War & Psychiatry). After working at a global consulting firm, she joined the Protection Unit of the UNHCR Representation in Japan in 2019. Her work focuses on strengthening refugee protection and social inclusion through partnerships with government agencies, corporations, NGOs, and academic institutions. She also coordinates initiatives in higher education and complementary pathways that expand opportunities for refugees to study and work in Japan.
Teachers may prepare their students by having them do the following:
- Assign students to videos about specific refugee issues that the UNHCR is dealing with at https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=unhcr and have students report on them in an information gap activity.
- Have your students explore key facts and figures about current refugee crises around the world at https://www.unhcr.org/us/ and discuss what surprises or shocks them the most. For example, they might be surprised to learn that most refugees – 73 per cent – are hosted by low- and middle-income countries.
- Your students can listen to the stories of refugees presented in short videos at https://robo-refugeeday.my.canva.site/roboco-ird . To protect their privacy, the videos were AI generated but the stories they convey are real.
