Dharma Drum Institute of Liberal Arts and Tohoku University Co-Host International Conference on Sustainable Happiness in an Aging Society

As the world enters an era of population aging, how can the life of sustainable happiness be realized? On September 8, the Dharma Drum Institute of Liberal Arts (DILA) and Japan's Tohoku University co-hosted an international conference titled "Sustainable Happiness in an Aging Society." Esteemed scholars from Tohoku University, Harvard Medical School, and Hitotsubashi University participated in this cross-national and interdisciplinary exchange, exploring how economics, healthcare, psychology, and faith influence well-being across the different stages of life — ultimately seeking pathways toward sustainable physical and mental happiness.

The conference opened with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for academic collaboration and student exchange, jointly signed by DILA President Professor Ting-Ming Chen (陳定銘) and Professor Hiroshi Yoshida (よしだ ひろし) of Tohoku University. As a gesture of goodwill, both institutions exchanged commemorative gifts, including reproductions of Master Sheng Yen's calligraphy work inscribed with "Compassion, Wisdom, Harmony, and Respect" as well as other cultural and creative products, marking the beginning of a new chapter in their research collaboration.

In his opening remarks, President Chen noted that Tohoku University has ranked No. 1 in Japan in the Times Higher Education (THE) University Impact Rankings for five consecutive years, and is especially renowned for its contributions to economics and religious studies. President Chen expressed gratitude to Professor Yuan-Ho Hsu (許永河) for his long-standing dedication to the study of aging and his key role in facilitating this collaborative partnership between two institutions. President Chen expressed hope that this academic exchange and international conference would generate meaningful outcomes for the broader public.

Professor Hiroshi Yoshida from Tohoku University remarked that both Japan and Taiwan are facing critical challenges of low birthrates and rapidly aging populations. Many scholars are seeking solutions by integrating insights from both economics and religion. Through this conference and the signing of the MOU, Tohoku University and DILA formally entered into a partnership, with hopes that future research outcomes will continue to attract international attention.

In the afternoon session, Professor Hiroshi Yoshida presented his research on the impact of economic status and religious belief on well-being. Additional papers were presented by Associate Professor Chun-Ling Lu (盧春玲) of Harvard Medical School, Assistant Professor Feng-Ming Chen (陳鳳明) of Hitotsubashi University, as well as Distinguished Professor Ling-Ling Yeh (葉玲玲) and Professor Yung-Ho Hsu of DILA. Their papers explored diverse themes including adolescence, aging, caregiving, faith, physical health, and economic security. Together, these papers collectively seek to identify key factors for sustainable happiness.





Original text in Chinese: Michelle Tseng (曾彗睊)
Photos: Chia-Chun Lee(李佳純)
Translation: Patricia Yang 
Editing: Keith Brown