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EAFIT University
Dr. Carlos Cadena
EAFIT University
Days of Deep Learning in Japan
As an Associate Professor at EAFIT University in Medellin (Colombia) researching community-based adaptation to climate change, what brought me to Japan was the opportunity to work with Professor Akiko Okabe at the University of Tokyo. I am interested in the intersections between community autonomy, urban resilience, and housing—ideas that strongly echo John C. Turner’s Housing by People, a book that has shaped my understanding of self-built environments and the power of communities to determine their own futures. Professor Okabe’s long-standing work in Perú, Mexico, and Venezuela, where she has collaborated directly with neighborhoods confronting precarious housing and climate vulnerabilities, provided a natural connection to the Latin American context I engage with in Colombia.
Yet, coming to Japan has transformed me in ways I could not have anticipated. I once viewed Japan mostly through the lens of a developed nation, but what I found is a country with a profound soul—one where people constantly go out of their way to help each other, where symbolism permeates everyday life, and where a collective quest for peace shapes the national identity.
Our MIF trip to Hiroshima was life-changing, revealing a society that has not only memorialized tragedy but turned it into an enduring ethical commitment to dignity, coexistence, and nonviolence. This deepened my admiration for Japan, especially when studying the legacy of Professor Shigeyoshi Matsumae, who embodied the spirit of a relentless fighter for global peace. His vision emphasized the need to strengthen the influence of science in political decision-making, and despite the temporal and geographic distance, I feel the same imperative today as a professor in Colombia: that scientific knowledge must inform public policy if we are to address climate change, inequality, and territorial challenges responsibly.
Japan has also shown me how academic ecosystems can effectively integrate scientific rigor, community wisdom, and long-term planning. In the coming years, I hope to continue fostering collaboration between EAFIT and the University of Tokyo through research, academic exchanges, and joint initiatives on climate adaptation, housing, and public policy. I will carry with me the lessons of Japan’s kindness, symbolism, discipline, and unwavering commitment to human dignity, which will shape my work with communities in Colombia and throughout the emerging world.
Gracias.
December 2025
Associate Professor, Policy and Development Department, EAFIT University
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