[September 2022] Applications are now open! The Local Government Exchange and Cooperation Seminar

Japanese local governments, which include both prefectural and municipal governments, engage in a variety of projects to improve the wellbeing of their residents and revitalise their communities. Over the years, the challenges they face are changing with the times and the demands of society. When responding to new challenges, Japanese local governments analyse forward-thinking case studies from other local governments and at times, they research cases of governments overseas. With this background, CLAIR Sydney gathers information and researches case studies of local governments in Australia and New Zealand at the request of Japanese local governments. I think this is the same for local governments in Australia and New Zealand.

One of the major events CLAIR hosts is the Local Government Exchange and Cooperation Seminar. This seminar is an annual program to promote mutual understanding and forge an effective network between local governments in Japan and overseas. Under this seminar, CLAIR’s overseas offices invite local government officials from their respective jurisdiction areas to visit Japan to learn about the current situation and challenges that are relevant to Japan’s cities and regions.

Our next Seminar will take place in Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture in February 2023. The themes of this seminar are Environmental Policies and Tourism Resource Management. Please see below for a brief explanation of the two themes.

・Environmental policies that transformed a city that was negatively impacted by industrial pollution – learn about the city’s approaches to aspiring for zero industrial waste, promoting sustainable energy, and eliminating wildfires

・Inbound tourism promotion policies – country-specific strategies and detailed initiatives

If you are interested in the Seminar, please see the link below.

https://www.jlgc.org.au/our-activities/the-local-government-exchange-cooperation-seminar/