Keynote Speakers
Yoshio Utsumi
Honorary Doctor of Laws
La bourgeoisie d'honneur
de Genève
Michael Jones
Chief Technology Advocate,
Google
Jeffrey Cole
Director of the Center for
the Digital Future
Research Professor,
USC Annenburg School for Communication
University of Southern California (USC)
Yoshio Utsumi
Honorary Doctor of Laws
La bourgeoisie d'honneur de Genève
Ex-Deputy Minister of Telecommunications of Japan (1998 ~ 1999)
Ex-Secretary General of International Telecommunication Union (ITU) (1999 ~ 2006)
President of Japan Telecommunications Engineering & Consulting Service (JTEC)
Visiting Professor at Waseda University
Adviser to Toyota InfoTechnology Center
Mr Yoshio Utsumi worked in the Japanese government for over thirty years and has a proven track record of expertise in telecommunications at senior policy levels gained both nationally and internationally.
After earning a Bachelor of Law degree from the University of Tokyo and a Master of Arts in Political Science from the University of Chicago, Mr Utsumi joined the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications (MPT) in Japan, where he held a number of senior policy-making level positions. In 1972, he was nominated professor of public administration at the MPT Postal College.
From 1986, he led Japan’s largest investment fund at MPT’s Postal Life Insurance Bureau until 1988, when he moved to broadcasting as the Head of the General Affairs Division of MPT’s Broadcasting Bureau. He later joined MPT’s Communications Policy Bureau, where he helped shape Japan’s domestic policies.
Mr Utsumi is credited with having introduced the competition and liberalization policy at a time when such ideas were not widely accepted. His initiative led to Japan’s first reform of its telecommunication market. He was also a major driving force in many of Japan’s most important projects to develop multimedia industries. In the postal sector, he undertook a major restructuring of Japan’s postal services, which he carried out skilfully and successfully with the cooperation of 200,000 staff at every level.
On the international scene, Mr Utsumi has played a very active role in many negotiations, and in particular, those leading to the historic WTO agreement on basic telecommunications.
Before being elected as Secretary-General of ITU in 1998, he was the Deputy Minister of Telecommunications in Japan. After his first 4 year term with ITU, he was re-elected for a second term as Secretary General in 2002.
Mr Utsumi led the successful organization of the two phases of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) resulting in the adoption of the Geneva Declaration of Principles, the Geneva Plan of Action, the Tunis Commitment and the Tunis Agenda for the Information Society which, together provide a common understanding and vision on the way to shape the emerging information society so that it be inclusive, people-centered and equitable. A combined total of more than 30,000 people, including around 100 Heads of State and Government, took part in the two phases of the Summit.
Mr Utsumi successfully refocused ITU as a policy-oriented organization by introducing new issues to ensure its continuing relevance, with landmark activities such as the New Initiatives Programme and the Global Symposium for Regulators. He also strengthened the role of ITU in the coordination of policy issues among Member States.
After leaving the ITU in 2006, he has been Advisor to Toyota InfoTechnology Center, the IT research arm of the Toyota Motor Company.
He was awarded and honorary Doctor of Laws Science degree from Waseda University in Tokyo, and also teaches as a visiting professor at Waseda University's Law school.
Mr Utsumi was born on 14 August 1942. He and his wife Masako, an architect, have a son and a daughter.
Michael Jones
Chief Technology Advocate, Google
Michael Jones is Google’s Chief Technology Advocate, charged with advancing the technology to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful. Michael travels the globe to meet and speak with governments, businesses, partners and customers in order to advance Google's mission and technology.
He previously was Chief Technologist of Google Maps, Earth, and Local Search - the teams responsible for providing location intelligence and information in global context to users worldwide.
Before its acquisition by Google, Michael was CTO of Keyhole Corporation, the company that developed the technology used today in Google Earth.
He was also CEO of Intrinsic Graphics, and earlier, was Director of Advanced Graphics at Silicon Graphics.
A prolific inventor and computer programmer since the 4th grade, he has developed scientific and interactive computer graphics software, held engineering and business executive roles, and is an avid reader, traveller and amateur photographer using a home-built 4 gigapixel camera made with parts from the U2/SR71.
Jeffrey Cole
Director of the Center for the Digital Future
Research Professor, USC Annenburg School for Communication
University of Southern California (USC)
Dr Jeffrey Cole has been at the forefront of media and communication technology policy issues in both the United States and internationally for the past 25 years.
In July 2004 Dr Cole joined the USC Annenberg School for Communication as Director of the newly formed Center for the Digital Future and as a Research Professor. Founded on the belief that the best policy arises from the best information, the Center is a research and policy institute committed to work that has a real and beneficial effect on people's lives, while seeking to maximize the positive potential of the mass media and our rapidly evolving communication technologies. Prior to joining USC, Dr Cole was a long-time member of the UCLA faculty and served as Director of the UCLA Center for Communication Policy, based in the Anderson Graduate School of Management.
At UCLA and now at USC Annenberg, Jeffrey Cole founded and directs the World Internet Project, a long-term longitudinal look at the effects of computer and Internet technology on all aspects of society, which is conducted in over 20 countries. At the announcement of the project in June 1999, Vice President Al Gore praised Jeffrey Cole as a "true visionary providing the public with information on how to understand the impact of media."
Dr Cole was Principal Investigator of the Network Television Violence Monitoring Project which in 1995, 1996 and 1997 issued annual reports to the television networks, Congress and the nation. Upon the release of the 1996 report, Cole held a joint press conference with President Bill Clinton, who referred to the Center for Communication Policy as "the premier educational institution setting trends in entertainment." Nationwide there was unanimous praise for the quality of the reports and their contribution to the television violence debate.
Cole has testified before US Congress on television issues and has spoken as a keynote and panel member at more than 200 conferences on communications issues. He has worked with both the Bill Clinton and George W Bush White House, on media and telecommunications issues, including detailed briefings on the Center's work. In 1994, 1995 and 1996 the Center co-authored with US News & World Report national surveys examining attitudes and values of decision-makers in the entertainment industry.
In 1994 the Center co-sponsored "The Superhighway Summit" in UCLA's Royce Hall with the leaders of most of the nation's major media companies.
Dr Cole has lectured extensively in Asia, Africa, Europe, South America, Australia and throughout the US. He regularly consults with top government officials and leaders of the telecommunications industries throughout the world on communications issues. He currently is a member of the ITU (International Telecommunication Union) Forum Programme Committee. He was a member of the Executive Committee of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS) from 1997 to 2001 and was the founding governor of the ATAS Interactive Media Peer Group.
Over the past 31 years, Dr Cole has taught to over 35,000 students, and in 1987 he received UCLA's Distinguished Teaching Award.
