Reflecting on the 30th Anniversary of EASTS
Recently, Sensei, Salsa-san, and I had the privilege of attending the Eastern Asia Society for Transportation Studies (EASTS) 30th Anniversary Commemorative Event held in Tokyo. This significant gathering brought together experts and professionals to reflect on EASTS’s three decades of achievements and to discuss the organization’s role in shaping the future of transportation across Asia. Here, I had the unique opportunity to meet and connect with esteemed figures in the field, including Professor Saksith from Chulalangkorn University, the current President of EASTS, Dr. Andhika from the University of Indonesia, and Mr. Tory, President of the Indonesian Transportation Society. Among the attendees, I also met Liu, a D3 student from the Institute of Science Tokyo, with whom I formed a promising friendship.
The program at the 30th Anniversary event was comprehensive, beginning with a joint seminar where transportation experts from Taiwan, the Philippines, and Japan presented on disaster resilience and the impact of transportation infrastructure on vulnerable populations. Later, a symposium addressed the role of EASTS in navigating the future of transportation, with a keynote by Prof. Bambang Susantono, Indonesia’s Special Envoy to the President. His lecture, titled “Nusantara: Building Indonesia’s Future Capital – Lessons and Challenges,” explored Indonesia’s ambitious capital development project. He’s also the former Vice President of the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The day ended with a lively panel discussion on how EASTS aims to lead Asia into a new era of mobility focused on sustainability, inclusiveness, and resilience.
The following day, Salsa-san and I had the honor of guiding Prof. Bambang Susantono and his secretary through the University of Tokyo. We visited the renowned Yasuda Auditorium, enjoyed lunch at Chuo Dining Hall and have meeting with Shinji Sensei from Institute for Future Initiatives before Prof. Bambang continued to his meeting with a Sumitomo board member.
As EASTS approaches another milestone, I feel a special excitement for the upcoming biennial meeting of EASTS, which will be hosted in my home country. I look forward to the chance to join my colleagues and friends again, contributing to the transformative conversations that will shape Asia’s transportation landscape.
[Aulia Rahman]
