6th International Disability Inclusion Symposium

Friday, December 12 - Saturday, December 13, 2025

Tokyo, Japan

Our 6th IDIS will be held in December 2025. IDIS is a symposium to bring together ASEAN countries and Pacific Region countries to share knowledge and progress towards disability inclusion. We will post more information in the upcoming months.

About Symposium

IDIS on Higher Education and Career is a symposium to bring together ASEAN countries and Pacific Region countries to share knowledge and progress towards disability inclusion. It is the first of its kind in this region to focus on higher education and career issues for individuals with disabilities. The symposium has been a collaboration of Platform of Higher Education and Disability project at RCAST, The University of Tokyo, AUN-DPPNet at University of Malaya and the Center on Disability Studies at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa.

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Speakers

Symposium Schedule

1 Dec, 2024

2 : 30 PM

Registration

3 : 00 PM - 3: 15 PM

Welcome - Pre Symposium

Opening and Welcome Speeches

Presenters Dr. Takeo Kondo & Dr. Kiriko Takahashi

3 : 15 PM - 3: 30 PM

Special Presentation

Presenter Alister Ong

3 : 30 PM - 5 : 00 PM

Student/Alumni Voices

Participants share their present situation & their development on leadership

5 : 00 PM - 6 : 00 PM

Networking Reception

2 Dec, 2024

8 : 30 AM - 9: 00 AM

Registration

9 : 00 AM - 9: 15 AM

Welcome - Day 1

Opening and Welcome Speeches

Presenter Dr. Takeo Kondo

9 : 15 AM - 10 : 15 AM

Opening Plenary

"Student Leadership / What Can Be Learned From Successful Transition to Employment"

Presenter Alister Ong

10 : 30 AM - 11 : 00 AM

Keynote #1

"Service Standards for Students with Disabilities in Higher Education"

Presenter Dr. Mastura Adam

11 : 00 AM - 12 : 20 PM

Country Talks

Japan, Cambodia, Indonesia, Pacific/U.S.

Presenters Dr. Yusaku Omodaka, Mr. Ali Daud, Karim Amrullah, Dr. Holly Manaseri/Dr. Manca Sustarsic

12 : 30 PM - 1 : 30 PM

Lunch

Lunch Break

1 : 30 PM - 2 : 00 PM

Keynote #2

"The Roles of Higher Education in Fostering Student Leadership Development to Align with Employer Expectations"

Presenter Mr. Firdaus Abu Hasan

2 : 10 PM - 2 : 50 PM

Student Panel

Successful Leadership Stories

Presenter Chau Minh Nguyen, Yuki Makino, Ashraff Rahman, Jenny Brown, Erik Bendickson

3 : 00 PM - 3 : 15 PM

Closing

Closing Discussion & Wrap-up

3 Dec, 2024

8 : 30 AM - 8: 40 AM

Welcome - Day 2

Housekeeping & Announcement

8 : 40 AM - 9: 10 AM

Keynote #3

Internship & Employer Training

Presenter Hye-Jin Park

9 : 30 AM - 10: 00 AM

Keynote #4

Transition to Career/Employment for Students with Disabilities

Presenter Prof. Dr. Myrtati

10 : 00 AM - 11 : 00 AM

Country Talks

Thailand, Philippines, Pacific Island

Presenters Kamolwan Kranthintong, Ben Gladwin Parocha, Eileen Babauta

11 : 00 AM - 11 : 15 AM

Closing

Closing Remarks

Keynote Speakers & Featured Panelists

Alister Ong

Diversity and Inclusion Champion

Mastura Adam

Senior Lecturer and Head, Architecture, Faculty of Built Environment, Universiti Malaya

Muhammad Firdaus Abu Hassan

Assistant Registrar, Counselling and Disability Empowerment Centre, Universiti Malaya

Hye-Jin Park

Associate Professor, CDS, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa

Myrtati Dyah Artaria

Professor, Anthropology, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Universitas Airlangga

Yusaku Omodaka

Associate Professor, Kyushu University

Ali Daud

President, Singapore Association of the Visually Handicapped (SAVH)

Muhammad Karim Amrullah

Lecturer, Civics and Law Education, Faculty of Social Science, Law, and Politics, Yogyakarta State University

Holly Manaseri

Associate Specialist, CDS, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa

Manca Sustarsic

Evaluation Specialist, CDS, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa

Nguyen Minh Chau

National Disability Inclusion Coordinator, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

Yuki Makino

DO-IT Scholar

Ashraff Rahman (Ash)

Founder, Humanity Heroes Foundation

Jenny Brown

NSF Scholar

Kamolwan Krathinthong
(Puk Pik)

Business Analyst

Ben Gladwin M. Parocha (Ben)

Administrative Office Aide, Persons with Disability Affairs Office in Quezon City(PDAOQC)

Eileen Babauta

Program Director, CNMI University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, Northern Marianas College

Mastura Adam

- Senior Lecturer and Head, Department of Architecture, Faculty of Built Environment, Universiti Malaya

Dr. Mastura Adam is a Graduate Architect under the Malaysian Board of Architects (Lembaga Arkitek Malaysia) and a member of the Malaysian Urban Design Association (Perekabandar). She has 29 years of experience as a lecturer in the Department of Architecture at the Faculty of Built Environment, Universiti Malaya. Her teaching subjects encompass Architectural Design Studio for both undergraduate (LAM Part 1 and RIBA part 1) and postgraduate (LAM Part 2 and RIBA part 2) levels, Urban Design, Architectural Graphic Communication, History in Architecture, Measured Drawings, Culture and Context, Comparative Studies, and Research Theory and Philosophy for postgraduate students. Dr. Mastura has conducted international collaborative research with the Nippon Foundation under the ASEAN University NetworkDisability and Public Policy (AUNDPPnet), focusing on inclusive learning environments. This research was further extended for the Malaysian Ministry of Higher Education. From 2018 to 2024, she has served in 7 consecutive years as a program leader with AUNDPPnet, training persons with disabilities (PWD) resource persons and access audit inspectors in the Accessibility and Universal Design Training Course.

This program has produced approximately 162 alumni among the PWDs from 10 ASEAN countries. She has published books, book chapters, and journal articles, and has been involved in consulting work related to architectural design, urban design, sustainable development, urban planning, universal design, and architectural education. Dr. Mastura has supervised numerous Ph.D. and Master by Research students in the fields of Architecture and Urban Planning, as well as Master in Architecture (LAM Part 2 and RIBA Part 2) candidates. In her professional recognition, Dr. Mastura has contributed to local authority initiatives, including the Urban Design and Walkability Study and Place Making Study. She was appointed as an Urban Design consultant by City Hall Kuala Lumpur from 2015 to 2016 and Kerajaan Negeri Pahang for Penanda Aras Premis Mesra OKU ke Australia in 2024. In acknowledgment of her contributions to urban design, she served as a board member for Perekabandar from 2020 to 2022, promoting good urban design for Malaysian cities and sharing her expertise in the Urban Design Master Class Series.

Website

https://umexpert.um.edu.my/mastura

Nguyen Minh Chau

- National Disability Inclusion Coordinator, UNDP (United Nations Development Programme)

Nguyen Minh Chau is a part-time consultant serving as the National Disability Inclusion Coordinator for UNDP. She has an extensive portfolio, including four disability inclusion research studies published by UNDP between 2021 and 2024. A survivor of sexual violence, she has become a prominent leader in combating stigma and discrimination against persons with disabilities in Vietnam. Chau is the first disability rights activist with disabilities to work for UNDP and one of the first MCs with disabilities to host programs on Vietnam National Television.

In 2018, she was ranked among the top two motivational speakers on the Vietnamese version of TED Talk, *Cat Canh*, which aired on National Vietnam Television and garnered millions of viewers on TV and 2.7 million views on Facebook. Since 2007, she has been actively involved in impact evaluation, disability inclusion analysis, child wellbeing, community development, and addressing discrimination. Chau has served as chief technical advisor and lead consultant for numerous projects and studies organized by UNDP, World Vision Vietnam, and organizations of persons with disabilities in Vietnam.

As a disability activist, she has excelled in engaging diverse stakeholders on various disability-related topics. Chau has conducted six major qualitative and quantitative research projects for national surveys and academic studies, promoting the participation and inclusion of persons with disabilities in public processes.

Standing at just 3 feet 11 inches tall, Chau is a powerful advocate for disability rights in Vietnam and internationally. Her dedication to inclusion and empowerment led her to pursue a Master’s in Public Policy at Vietnam Japan University, supported by the AUN-Disability and Public Policy Scholarship Program from 2023 to 2025. During this program, she honed her skills in using social media and public platforms to address challenges faced by persons with disabilities in Vietnam.

Widely recognized for her work, Chau is an inspirational public figure in Hanoi and beyond, motivating communities to take action and create meaningful change in disability rights.

Website

https://www.undp.org/vietnam

Conference Organizers

Takeo Kondo

IDIS 2024 Co-Chair
Professor, The University of Tokyo

Kiriko Takahashi

IDIS 2024 Co-Chair
Interim Director, CDS, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa

Yahaya Ahmad

IDIS 2024 Advisor
Associate Vice-Chancellor, Universiti Malaya
Director, AUN-DPPnet

Robert Stodden

IDIS 2024 Advisor
Founder, CDS,
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa

Peter Bernick

IDIS 2024 Planning Member
Associate Professor, Student Accessibility Office,
Nagasaki University

Chris Hammond

IDIS 2024 Planning Member
Project Associate Professor, Center for Global Communication Strategies,
The University of Tokyo

Yahaya Ahmad

- IDIS 2024 Advisor
Associate Vice-Chancellor (Corporate Strategy), Universiti Malaya & Director of AUN-DPPnet

Professor Dr. Yahaya Ahmad currently serves as the Associate Vice-Chancellor (Corporate Strategy) at the University of Malaya and as the Director of the ASEAN University Network-Disability and Public Policy (AUN-DPPnet). He began his academic career at Universiti Teknologi Mara (ITM) in 1989 before joining the University of Malaya in 1995 as one of the pioneering staff to establish the Department of Architecture and the Faculty of Built Environment at the University of Malaya.

He has held several key administrative roles at the university, including Head of Departments, Deputy Deans, and Dean of the Faculty of Built Environment, a position he held for over six years. Specializing in the conservation of historic buildings and the management of heritage sites, Professor Yahaya was seconded to the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Heritage Malaysia as Deputy Commissioner of Heritage (Timbalan Pesuruhjaya Warisan).

He is the first and only Malaysian to date elected by over 130 State Party representatives to serve as a Council Member of UNESCO's intergovernmental organization, The International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM/UNESCO), from 2007 to 2011. During this time, he led the team that prepared the re-nomination dossier for Melaka and George Town as UNESCO World Heritage Sites (2004-2007) and contributed to drafting Malaysia's National Heritage Act (2005).

His notable restoration and conservation projects include the reconstruction of Bastion Middlesburg, Melaka Fort (2007-2008), the restoration of Sungai Buloh Leprosy Hospital (2010-2011), Sultan Suleiman Mosque in Klang (2011), Sultan Alaeddin Mosque in Jugra, Selangor (2011), and Masjid Jamek Bandaraya KL, among others. He has also been a Conservation Technical Expert for ThinkCity under Khazanah Nasional since 2009, evaluating over 100 conservation grant applications.

Internationally, he has contributed as an expert for the Historic City of Ahmedabad's nomination dossier (India, 2011-2016), the Coral Stone Mosques of Maldives, and the Rumah Gadang Solok Selatan in Indonesia.

Professor Yahaya’s work has earned him several accolades, including Malaysia’s Research Star Award (2019) under the Citation Classic category, UM Excellent Award (ACUM) for Best Academic Administrator (2019) and Arts & Creativity (2013), Highly Commended Award by Structural Survey Emerald Publishing Limited (2017), and third place in the Ministry of Higher Education's Anugerah Pemikiran dan Rekabentuk Semula (2017).

Website

https://umexpert.um.edu.my/yahaya

Organizers & Partners

Symposium is now completed

Thank you for those who attended.

Contact Info

Address

4-6-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8904 JAPAN

Phone

+81(3)5452-5443

Email

idis@idis-symposium.org

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6th International Disability Inclusion Symposium

Friday, December 12 - Saturday, December 13, 2025

Tokyo, Japan

Our 6th IDIS will be held in December 2025. IDIS is a symposium to bring together ASEAN countries and Pacific Region countries to share knowledge and progress towards disability inclusion. We will post more information in the upcoming months.

About Symposium

0

0

0+

0+

Symposium Schedule

Registration

Welcome - Pre Symposium

Special Presentation

Student/Alumni Voices

Networking Reception

Registration

Welcome - Day 1

Opening Plenary

Keynote #1

Country Talks

Lunch

Keynote #2

Student Panel

Closing

Welcome - Day 2

Keynote #3

Keynote #4

Country Talks

Closing

Keynote Speakers & Featured Panelists

Alister Ong

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Mastura Adam

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Muhammad Firdaus Abu Hassan

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Hye-Jin Park

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Myrtati Dyah Artaria

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Yusaku Omodaka

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Ali Daud

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Muhammad Karim Amrullah

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Holly Manaseri

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Manca Sustarsic

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Nguyen Minh Chau

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Yuki Makino

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Ashraff Rahman (Ash)

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Jenny Brown

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Kamolwan Krathinthong (Puk Pik)

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Ben Gladwin M. Parocha (Ben)

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Eileen Babauta

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Conference Organizers

Takeo Kondo

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Kiriko Takahashi