[12/7 Yamanashi Prefectural University International Symposium (Full English)] iPresence CEO Takes the Stage / Academic Discussion on "Experience" Mediated by Technology | Yamanashi Prefectural University, Iida Campus
iPresence Inc. (Headquarters: Higashinada-ku, Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture; CEO: Christopher Chris Francis), a company that designs next-generation communication, will be speaking at the international symposium [SPARC] - On the academic treatment of diversifying "experiences" - to be held at Yamanashi Prefectural University on Sunday, December 7, 2025.
President Christophers will appear in a speaker session starting at 12:30 on the day and provide practical insights into telepresence robots.This symposium will be conducted entirely in English.
Lecture theme and the role of iPresence
This symposium will take up the theme of "experience" and will discuss how the development of media technologies such as AI, VR, and robots is updating our reality and raising questions about what it means to exist, against the backdrop of the current social situation.
As a company that provides telepresence robots to society, President Christophers will provide practical insights into new forms of communication brought about by robot technology and how the value of experience should be treated academically. This lecture will provide important hints for creating the society and selves of the future, not only for companies and researchers, but also for students engaged in education that emphasizes diverse experiences.
Event Outline
| Event name | [SPARC] International Symposium: On the Academic Treatment of Diversifying "Experiences" |
| Dates | 2025 / 12 / 7 (sun) |
| Time | Overall 9:00-17:30 |
| Venue | Yamanashi Prefectural University, Iida Campus B120 (11-1 Iida 5-chome, Kofu City, Yamanashi Prefecture) |
| Held format | Face-to-face only |
| Language | English |
| Qualification | Anyone on or off campus can participate |
| Entry fee | Free (pre-registration required) |
| Speakers/panelist: | ・12:30 PM Speaker: Chris Francis of Christopher's (CEO, iPresence Inc.) ・Philosophers and researchers from Japan and overseas (for details, CLICK HERE) |
| Sponsorship | Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) KAKENHI Grant Numbers 21KK0232 (Fund for the Promotion of Joint International Research (Fostering Joint International Research (A))) and 24K14272 (Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)) - Principal Investigator for both: Ryuji Yamazaki-Skov. |
| Registration | https://forms.gle/5q4jxqn2B8Nstbn69 |
| Lecture information | For more information about the lecture,Yamanashi Prefectural University announcement page . |
Speaker profile:
Christopher's Chris Francis/ President and CEO of iPresence Inc.
He moved to the UK at the age of 14 and spent three months volunteering in southern India supporting children with disabilities before going on to university. After graduating from the Department of Architecture at the University of Sheffield in the UK, he began his career as a designer/architect. After working as a sales manager at a major recruitment company and a foreign company, he founded iPresence LLC in 2014.
He was also selected as a semi-finalist in the global avatar robot development competition "ANA Avatar XPrize." With his diverse career and desire to contribute to society, he is pursuing new forms of communication by making full use of various technologies, including telepresence avatar robots.
(President and CEO of iPresence Inc.)
