Other Online Participation in the Information and Communications Council of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications Although online attendance at meetings of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications’ Information and Communications Council became possible last year,
restrictions were in place: online participation was limited to members other than the chair, and was permitted only if a majority of the members were physically present at the meeting.
As a result, even if I was waiting to participate online every time, I often wasn’t granted permission until the very last minute unless a majority of in-person attendees had been confirmed.
However, following a document review at the Council’s general meeting held last week, this restriction was lifted, and the rules were amended to allow all members—including the chair—to attend online.
I’m glad that my initial suggestion—that “there’s no need to explicitly state that restriction; we can just manage it through operational flexibility”—has finally been taken into account (*^^*)
From now on, let’s definitely make online participation the default!
While we’re at it, I hope the widely discussed request—that “the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications stop requiring Skype for Business exclusively for remote meetings”—will also be approved.
It’ll make it much easier for everyone to participate in meetings!
Professor, Keio University; Ph.D. (Policy and Media)
Director, B Lab
Chairperson, Learning of Tomorrow (General Incorporated Association)
Chairperson, CANVAS
After graduating from the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Tokyo, he served as a visiting researcher at the MIT Media Lab before founding the NPO CANVAS and the Learning of Tomorrow Association, a General Incorporated Association, and assuming the role of representative. He serves as an outside director for Matsuya Co., Ltd., Fuji Media Holdings, Inc., and Digital Garage, Inc.
He has served on various government committees, including the Information and Communications Council of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, as well as the NHK Central Broadcasting Program Council. He also serves as a director of the Digital Signage Consortium, among other roles. He holds a Ph.D. in Policy and Media.
His publications include *Turning On Children’s Creativity!*, *What Are Smart Kids Doing on Their Smartphones?*, *The Forefront of Online Education in Japan: Considering Learning in the Post-COVID Era*,“What Is Programming Education? 45 Questions Parents Want to Know,” and “Declaration on Digital Education.” He has also provided supervision for numerous works, including “Ah, I See! Programming Education for Parents and Children Through Manga.”
