Online symposium emphasizes Alaska-Japan partnership
Children run down a boardwalk in Kongikanak, a microgrid community on Alaska's Kuskokwim Delta.
January 29, 2025
An online symposium hosted by the drew attention to a shared Arctic partnership between Alaska and Japan.
The two-day symposium featured presentations by policy makers, business leaders, energy experts and community leaders from Alaska and Japan, including Japanese Consul Kiyohiko Hamada, Michael Sfraga, the U.S. ambassador-at-large for Arctic Affairs, University of Alaska President Pat Pitney, U.S. Arctic Research Commissioner Mark Myers, Sen. Dan Sullivan and Gov. Mike Dunleavy.
Hamada, in his opening remarks, noted Alaska’s vital role in cultivating collaborative research projects and trade with Japan.
Katsuhiko Takahashi, Japan’s ambassador for International Economic and Arctic Affairs, Women, Peace and Security stressed the importance of continued commitment to the Arctic and international cooperation in scientific and technological advancement.
ACEP Director Jeremy Kasper and Senior Researcher Gwen Holdmann were among the presenters.
Kasper gave a presentation on innovations in rural microgrids, providing insights into energy challenges in and solutions pioneered by Alaska communities.
Holdmann discussed current developments in nuclear microreactors, drawing attention to the shared history between Alaska and Japan, particularly the once-proposed Toshiba 4S 10MW reactor that had been considered for deployment in Galena, Alaska, in the mid-2000s.
Symposium topics included Japan-U.S. bilateral cooperation in the Arctic, energy innovations and solutions in rural communities in Alaska, potential role of Alaska’s natural gas in Asian markets, and opportunities and challenges to research.
Many presenters stressed the importance of international collaboration, noting that challenges facing the Arctic, including climate change and energy challenges, cannot be effectively resolved when nations work alone.