TOP | Kobe PCRC 6th Antarctic Public Symposium / Achievements at Hiroshima, and Remaining Challenges for the Incheon ATCM

Kobe PCRC 6th Antarctic Public Symposium

Achievements at Hiroshima,
and Remaining Challenges for the Incheon ATCM

22 May (Friday) - 23 May (Saturday) 2026
Awaji Yumebutai, Japan

Overview

Kobe PCRC is proud to hold its 6th annual Antarctic public symposium; this time, right after the 48th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM) held in Hiroshima City. In a more relaxed atmosphere surrounded by spring floors and with a great ocean view of Seto-Naikai from a world-famous Awaji Yumebutai International Conference Center, designed by ANDO Tadao, this out-of-diplomacy setting will promote frank exchange of opinions amongst the ATCM/CEP delegates, academia, and civil societies both from Japan and abroad on the achievements of Hiroshima ATCM/CEP and the remaining challenges towards the 2027 ATCM in the Republic of Korea and beyond. The symposium will have 6 sessions, focusing on (1) Reports from the Hiroshima ATCM/CEP; (2) Antarctic legal and policy issues; (3) Antarctic science-policy interface; (4) Lunch time early-career scholars session; (5) Antarctic tourism; and (6) Antarctic environmental protection.

Date and Time

Opens at 15:30, 22 May (Friday) and closes at 17:00 on 23 May (Saturday)

Venue

Amphitheatre, 1st Floor, Awaji Yumebutai International Conference Center

Format

Open to public, with prior registration; in-person participation with live online streaming.
Simultaneous interpretation (English-Japanese); video-recorded for later YouTube uploads.

Organizer

Kobe University Polar Cooperation Research Centre (PCRC)
JSPS Core-to-Core Program on Antarctic Governanve Research

Co-Sponsors

Kobe University Rokkodai Foundation
JSPS KAKENHI Projects on Resilience of the ATS and International Polar Law

Program

Day1May 22 (Friday)

15:30	Welcome Coffee / Tea
16:00	Opening
16:15 - 17:45	Plenary Session: Main achievements at Hiroshima ATCM: Reports Nils Vanstappen, Co-Convenor of the CEP/SC-CAMLR Workshop Ceisha Poirot, Chair of the Committee for Environmental Protection (CEP) René Lefeber, Chair of the Special Working Group 3 Tourism Framework Hyoung Chul Shin, Korea Polar Research Institute, on Working Group 2 Operations & Science Indi Hodgson-Johnston, University of Tasmania, Australia, on Working Group 1 Legal & Institutions Chaired by Akiho Shibata, Kobe University, Japan
18:30 - 21:00	Conference Dinner Awaji Seafood Restaurant KITORA (see map)

Day2May 23 (Saturday)

9:00	Morning Coffee/Tea
9:30 - 10:50	Session 1: Antarctic Governance and legal and policy issues: What are the challenges? Patrick Flamm, Peace Research Institute Frankfurt, Germany Nengye Liu, Singapore Management University, Singapore Constance Johnson, University of Wollongong, Australia William Muntean, Center for Strategic and International Studies, USA Sanjay Chaturvedi, South Asian University, India Karen Scott, University of Canterbury, New Zealand Chaired by Tony Press, University of Tasmania, Australia
10:50 - 11:10	Coffee/Tea break
11:10 - 12:10	Session 2: Science, logistics, education and outreach: Science-policy interface effective? Phil Tracey, Australian Antarctic Division, Australia Ebru Caymaz, Anakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Türkiye Claire Christian, Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition (ASOC) Narelle van der Wel, World Metrological Organization (WMO) Chaired by Hyoung Chul Shin, Korea Polar Research Institute
12:10 - 13:30	Lunch (bento): You can pick up your bento and bring it inside the Amphitheatre.
12:20 - 13:20	Early Career Scholars Initiative (see flyer below)
13:30 - 14:50	Session 3: Antarctic Tourism: Closer to a Comprehensive Regulatory Framework? Machiel Lamers, Wageningen University, The Netherlands Phil Tracey, Previous ATCM working group co-chair responsible for the tourism agenda item Lisa Kelley, International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators (IAATO) Claire Christian, Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition (ASOC) Osamu Inagaki, Kobe University, Japan René Lefeber, Chair of the Special WG3/University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands Chaired by William Muntean, Center for Strategic and International Studies, USA
14:50 - 15:15	Coffee/Tea break
15:15 - 16:35	Session 4: Antarctic Environment/CAMLR-global regime interactions: Are we doing well? Sonja Dünnwald, Federal Ministry of Environment, Germany Catherine Iorns, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) / Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand Ville Kari, Tilburg University, The Netherlands Karen Scott, University of Canterbury, New Zealand Nils Vanstappen, Co-Convenor of the Joint CEP/SC-CAMLR Workshop Ceisha Poirot, Chair of the CEP Chaired by Bruno Arpi, University of Adelaide, Australia
16:40 - 17:00	Closing Session: From Awaji to Incheon, Kobe in between Hyoung Chul Shin, KOPRI Tony Press, UTAS Akiho Shibata, Kobe PCRC

17:45	Departure from the Yumebutai (for earlier flights)
18:00	Optional casual gathering dinner & drinks at Yumebutai or Optional Onsen/ light dinner overlooking Akashi Great Bridge (Matsuho no Sato)

May 24 (Sunday): Departure from Yumebutai

6:00	Earliest option to Kansai International Airport
8:15 -	By Express Bus to Kobe

Future plans

May 26 (Tuesday)

Kobe Workshop on Responding to the Call for Reform: The Present and Future of Antarctic Governance

Venue:　Simulation Room, 6th Floor, GSICS building, Kobe University
Schedule:　10:00 〜 17:00
Organizer:　The Guest Editors of The Polar Journal Special Issue
　Akiho Shibata (Kobe PCRC), Hyun Jung Kim (Yonsei Univ) & Bruno Arpi (Adelaide Univ)

[+] 　Click to see the Program

JSPS Core-to-Core Program / Early-Career Collaborative Initiative
Kobe Workshop on Responding to the Call for Reform: The Present and Future of Antarctic Governance

This workshop is an opportunity to mutually comment on the final drafts of manuscripts prepared for The Polar Journal Vol.17, No.1 Special Issue, as well as an open forum organized by Program's early career scholars for individual research presentations within and outside of the Program. This workshop is co-convened as Kobe University GSICS international law seminar, with GSICS graduate students.

Welcome 10:00	ice-breaking events (early career collaborative initiative)
Session 1 10:40 - 12:10	Papers from the Special Issue #1 Chair: TBD William Muntean: Second Renewal of the Antarctic Treaty: Needed and Achievable Karen Scott: Antarctic Exceptionalism versus Antarctic Connection and the Future of Antarctic Governance Sanjay Chaturvedi: Tempering Territoriality with Trusteeship: Antarctica Through the Lens of Vasudhaiv Kutumbkam Ebru Caymaz: Polar Science Diplomacy and Türkiye’s Engagement in Antarctic Governance
Lunch Time Session 12:10 - 13:15	Early career collaborative initiative Ridzanna Abdulgafur, Camille Boulmé, Fumika Iwama, Katie Marx, Jingchao Peng, Anaïs Rémont, Malco Volpe
Session 2 13:20 - 15:00	Papers from the Special Issue #2 Chair: TBD Anthony Press: The Antarctic Treaty, Dual Use Technologies, and the Challenges of Non-Militarisation Osamu Inagaki: Governance of Antarctic Air Tourism within the Antarctic Treaty System Bruno Arpi: Synergies and Challenges: The Interaction of the ATCM/CEP and CCAMLR in Antarctic Governance Miaomiao Yin: China's Role in Antractic Climate Change Governance under the Antarctic Treaty System Hyun Jung Kim: Korea and Environmental Liability Regime (Annex VI): Challenges to Ratification and Pathways Forward
Session 3 15:10 - 16:40	Individual research presentations Chair: TBD Catherine Iorns (Victoria University of Wellington) Ville Kari (Tilberg University) Antje Neumann (University of Akureyri)
Concluding Remarks 16:40-17:00	Bruno Arpi (Adelaide Univ), Hyun Jung Kim (Yonsei Univ), Akiho Shibata (Kobe PCRC)
18:00	Casual dinner

Access

*Access guide to Awaji Yumebutai International Conference Center available here.
*Click here for the express bus timetable from Shin-Kobe / Kobe Sannnomiya to Awaji Yumebutai.

Arrival options

Access Guide to Awaji Yumebutai

Departure option

Departure Guide from Awaji Yumebutai