The conference ”New STI Policies in a Changing World”, organised by the Delegation of the European Union to Japan and the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS), took place on 5 October 2019 at the Kyoto International Conference Center, Kyoto, Japan.
The GYA was prominently present at this bilateral EU-Japan forum. Yoko Shimpuku (Japan) and alumnus Mitsunobu Kano (Japan) delivered concise and important presentations about the GYA. Yoko introduced the GYA and the Young Academy of Japan, and suggested using the existing networks of young scientists for EU-Japan research collaborations. Yoko also mentioned the importance of grassroots funding for young scientists to grow their native curiosity and potential.
As a result, Yoko has been invited by the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry to ask about developing potential funding schemes for international collaborative research between the EU and Japan.
”New STI Policies in a Changing World” was one of three events held in Japan recently where the GYA has been actively involved. You can read more about the Tsukuba Conference, where Yoko and other GYA members penned the conference declaration here.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the signing of the Science and Technology Cooperation Agreement between the EU and Japan. Both Horizon Europe, the forthcoming EU Research and Innovation Framework Programme, and Japan’s 6th Science and Technology Basic Plan will start in 2021. This provides a good opportunity for European and Japanese policymakers, funders, academics and other STI stakeholders to think about how both sides could collaborate more closely and build further bridges between their funding programmes, to be prepared for the future and implement effective STI policies in a changing world.
More information on the conference is available here.