Dr. Michiharu Nakamura, President of Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), visited Korea and Singapore from May 12 to May 17, 2014.
In Korea, JST enetered into Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) and the two institutions agreed to expand scientific cooperation based on it. JST will maintain periodical presidential meetings with NRF and will promote concrete cooperation such as providing supports to bilateral joint researches, joint workshops, nurturing human resources in science and technology and so forth.
Dr. Nakamura visited Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), a leading university as well as a research institute in Korea. He observed a few laboratories on environmental and IT researches, and had an overall discussion with Dr. Sung-Mo Kang, President of KAIST. An interview was conducted by Daedeok Net, who disseminates science and technology information from Daejeon. Dr. Nakamura urged that Natural Science should go hand in hand with Humanities to provide safe and secure society as the important lesson was learned from Great Eastern Japan Earthquake※.
In Singapore, he visited National University of Singapore and its High School of Mathematics and Science, and Nanyang Technological University. He exchanged views with respective institutions to understand how Singapore is making efforts in human resource development as well as oversea activities. The National Research Foundation of Singapore (NRF) gives funding to Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE) where Dr. Nakamura experienced the state-of-the-art technologies in Singapore by trying an autonomous golf buggy and observed an electric taxi.
On the very last day, he participated at“Innovation, Science and Technology Cooperation between ASEAN-JAPAN Workshop”jointly organized by the STS Forum, Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) and A*STAR. As one of the session chairs, he actively discussed with experts from ASEAN how Japan and ASEAN can deepen their cooperation in science and technology.
JST will strengthen its tie with Korea and ASEAN. As Korea and ASEAN are expected to grow further, their importance for Japan as a scientific partner is leaping.
- ※ Interview report (Korean version only)
http://hellodd.com/news/article.html?no=48806
JST, an integrated organization of science and technology in Japan, establishes an infrastructure for the entire process from the creation of knowledge to the return to the society. For more information, visit http://www.jst.go.jp/EN/