On 9 December 2025, Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI), in collaboration with the Government of Québec and the Québec Research Network on Aging (RQRV), convened the Québec–Japan Dialogue on Ageing Webinar: Bridging Research and Policy Ecosystems in an online format.

The webinar brought together leading experts in ageing research and policy from Japan and Québec, who engaged in discussions on priority challenges related to population ageing in their respective regions, as well as potential avenues for bilateral cooperation.

This webinar was positioned as a first step towards establishing a sustained dialogue on ageing between Japan and Québec, with the aim of exploring opportunities for collaboration across research, policy, and practice. Simultaneous interpretation in French and Japanese was provided, and the event was held on an invitation-only basis.

[Program]

Session 1: Presentations — Understanding Priority Issues in Ageing Research and Policy

Speakers from Japan:

Hidenori Arai (President, National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology)
Shin Nomura (Director for Comprehensive Dementia Strategy Planning, Dementia Policy and Community Care Promotion Division, Health and Welfare Bureau for the Elderly, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare)

Speakers from Québec:

Sylvie Belleville (Director, Québec Research Network on Aging (RQRV))
Geneviève Landry (Assistant Deputy Minister responsible for Seniors, Ministry of Health and Social Services of Québec)

Session 2: Discussion — From Shared Challenges to Collaboration

In the second session, Favour Omileke, Program Specialist at the Health and Global Policy Institute, joined the discussion as a moderator. Through dialogue among speakers from both regions and an interactive question-and-answer session with participants, the discussion focused on shared challenges, opportunities for collaboration, and future directions for joint initiatives.

Speakers from Japan:

Kozo Tanaka (Director, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University)
Tomoko Wakui (Researcher, Welfare and Living Care Research Team, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute for Geriatrics and Gerontology)

Speakers from Québec:

Valérie Bourgeois-Guérin (Society and Culture Division, Quebec Research Network on Ageing (RQRV))
Caroline Quach-Thanh (National Director of Public Health and Assistant Deputy Minister for Prevention and Public Health, Ministry of Health and Social Services (MSSS))

[Event Overview]

• Date & Time: Monday, December 9, 2025, 9:00–11:00 JST
• Format: Online (Zoom Webinar)
• Language: Japanese / French
• Organizers: Government of Québec; Québec Research Network on Aging (RQRV); Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI)