Health and Well-being Week
Empowered Minds: New Challenges in Mental Health in the 21st Century
Hungary
This programme examines the changing concept of health in the 21st century, focusing on the rise of mental health issues and new physical health threats in developed societies. It explores whether medical innovations can address these challenges or broader lifestyle changes are needed.
Recorded video available
Discussion
- Measures against infectious diseases
- Well-being
- Healthy life expectancy
| Transmission of simultaneous interpretation | Not provided |
|---|---|
| Language of interpretation | Japanese and English |
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Track Programme
- Time and
Date of
the event -
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2025.06.24[Tue]
18:30 ～ 20:30
(Venue Open 18:00)
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- Venue
- Theme Weeks Studio
Programme details
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*Subtitles may not show with multiple languages or overlapping audio.
As life expectancy rises, maintaining cognitive and mental health becomes a growing personal, family, and societal challenge.
Cognitive decline, chronic stress, and attention-related issues already affect a significant portion of the population all over the world, and the cost is high, both emotionally and economically.
Mental health is no longer just about illness and therapy. It’s about building daily resilience, fostering cognitive vitality, and enhancing interpersonal skills through continuous, proactive support.
The 2025 World Expo is the perfect venue to explore how innovative tools – including biofeedback, neurofeedback, virtual reality, and their integration – are being integrated into everyday life to support mental health at work and beyond. These solutions draw on both cutting-edge science and thousands of years of traditional practices.
Reports
【Reflection】
The session “Empowered Minds: New Challenges in Mental Health in the 21st Century”, co-organised by Hungary during Expo 2025, offered a deeply human and cross-cultural exploration of mental health in contemporary society. Professor Yoshinori Cho, Director of the National Institute of Mental Health (Japan), and Associate Professor Ágnes Jenei from the National University of Public Service (Hungary) engaged in a thoughtful dialogue that underscored both national and global dimensions of mental wellbeing.
Professor Cho addressed the shifting landscape of mental health in Japan, drawing attention to the impact of rapid social and demographic changes, particularly in an ageing society. He emphasised the growing mental health needs of younger populations in digitalised environments, as well as the long-standing stigma surrounding mental illness. His call for a transition from institutionalised models to more community-based, inclusive care was both urgent and forward-looking.
Associate Professor Jenei brought a personal and comparative lens, highlighting the challenges and cultural barriers faced in Hungary, particularly in reaching young people and addressing suicide prevention. Her remarks revealed a growing recognition of the importance of emotional openness in public discourse on mental health.
Together, both speakers stressed the need for “empowerment” in mental health – not only for those seeking care, but for families, educators, and communities. Empowerment was framed as the ability to speak openly, access resources without shame, and build systems where mental wellness is a shared responsibility. The panel highlighted that while local contexts differ, the core human concerns – loneliness, social pressure, identity, intergenerational trauma – are shared globally.
This programme stood out for its sincerity and balance between professional insight and human storytelling. It offered a hopeful, honest space that reflected Expo 2025’s broader vision: a future society grounded in care, connection, and co-creation. In doing so, it invited all participants to reflect not only on policy or systems, but on the emotional fabric of community life.
【Post EXPO Initiatives】
As a direct outcome of this session, both Japanese and Hungarian representatives expressed strong interest in strengthening collaborative mental health initiatives that continue beyond Expo 2025. The programme provided fertile ground for potential bilateral exchanges in training, policy design, and culturally-sensitive public engagement.
On the Japanese side, there is interest in incorporating Hungarian approaches to youth empowerment and community-based suicide prevention, particularly by involving universities and civil society in early intervention strategies. Professor Cho highlighted that Japan is moving toward less institutionalised care models, and such a shift would benefit from knowledge-sharing with European frameworks.
Hungary, in turn, seeks to develop emotionally supportive communication strategies that destigmatise mental health. Professor Jenei proposed further collaboration with Japanese experts to co-develop public awareness campaigns that are rooted in empathy and cultural nuance. Her presence at Expo 2025 has already sparked institutional discussions within her department regarding incorporating Japanese mental health case studies into academic curricula.
Both countries also noted the importance of involving younger generations in future mental health dialogue through digital storytelling, youth-led seminars, and cross-cultural exchange. There was an informal proposal to initiate a “Youth Voices in Mental Health” virtual symposium co-hosted by institutions from Japan and Hungary in 2026, allowing students to share experiences, research, and policy ideas.
In summary, this programme planted the seeds for a longer-term partnership focused on empowering people, dismantling stigma, and building resilient mental health ecosystems that transcend national boundaries. The dialogue initiated at Expo 2025 serves as a valuable catalyst for the formation of sustained, empathetic international cooperation.
Cast
Speakers
Yoshinori Cho
Director, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry (NCNP), Japan
Professor Yoshinori Cho was born in 1965, Osaka, Japan.
1991: M.D., Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo. Then joined the Department of Neuropsychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Teikyo University
1997: Ph.D. in Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
2008–2021: Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Teikyo University; Head of Psychiatry, Teikyo University Mizonokuchi Hospital
2021– : Visiting Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Teikyo University Mizonokuchi Hospital. Then Director, Rokubancho Mental Clinic; Vice President, Japan Depression Center
April 2024–present: Director, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry (NCNP), Japan
Specialization:
Clinical psychiatry and suicidology. Also has strong interests in social psychology and the study of religion.
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Ágnes Jenei
Associate Professor at the National University of Public Service, Department of Social Communication
Dr. Ágnes Jenei is an Associate Professor at the National University of Public Service, Department of Social Communication. Her work focuses on leadership development, soft skill enhancement, and educational innovation, with a special emphasis on the application of virtual reality, biofeedback, and neurofeedback technologies. She co-leads the NUPS XR Research Group together with Dr. Noémi Császár Nagy, which investigates the effectiveness of these disruptive tools across various sectors.
She is engaged in research and development within the XR Working Group of the Psychosomatic Outpatient Clinic. She collaborates closely with Gergely Kovács, lead XR researcher at the Defence Innovation Research Institute (VIKI), as well as with the neurotechnology startup Mindrove and the innovation platform Tech-In-the-City.
Her international projects involve partners from Italy (IDEGO), the UK (Bodyswaps, Virtual Speech), Portugal (ISCTE), and South Africa (DUT). Core values in her work include a global perspective, interdisciplinary thinking, and the creation and sharing of knowledge that is practical and applicable.
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Health and Well-being Week
Empowered Minds: New Challenges in Mental Health in the 21st Century
This programme examines the changing concept of health in the 21st century, focusing on the rise of mental health issues and new physical health threats in developed societies. It explores whether medical innovations can address these challenges or broader lifestyle changes are needed.
-
2025.06.24[Tue]
18:30～20:30
(Venue Open 18:00)
- Theme Weeks Studio
- * Programme times and content are subject to change. Any changes will be announced on this website and via the ticket booking system.
- * The schedule is subject to change depending on the organiser's circumstances.
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