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“Japan month” at HFSPO

Despite the ongoing travel restrictions, Prof. Kabat, accompanied by Deputy Secretary-General WATANABE Masami, was able to make his first trip as HFSPO Secretary-General to Japan from 29 November to 1 December.

The idea of the Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP) was conceived in Japan when former Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone initiated the launch of a long-term global research program to foster international cooperation for the benefit of humankind. Mr. Nakasone presented the idea of the Human Frontier Science Program at the G7 economic summit in Venice in 1987.  With the full support of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, the United States of America and the European Community the International Human Frontier Science Program Organization (HFSPO) was established in Strasbourg, France in the autumn of 1989 to implement the Program.  Since then Japan has been HFSP’s major supporter and contributor, and currently provides almost 40% of its budget. 

Prof. Kabat particularly appreciated meeting HFSPO President NAGATA Shigekazu and Board of Trustees member MISHIMA Yoshinao in person. He also visited government officials from the Cabinet Office and representatives of HFSPO’s Management Supporting Parties (MSPs) at the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED) to exchange ideas on the future plans of the Program.

HFSPO Trustee Prof. MISHIMA and Prof. KABAT

IKEDA Takakuni, Director General, Research Promotion Bureau, MEXT and Prof. KABAT

SAKAMOTO Shuichi, Deputy Director General, Research Promotion Bureau, MEXT and Prof. KABAT

KOYAMA Masaomi, Director, International Affairs Office, Industrial Science and Technology Policy and Environment Bureau, METI and Prof. KABAT

G7

Prof. Kabat met with the Japanese G7 Science “Sherpa” at the Japanese Government’s Cabinet Office on 30 November to discuss how HFSPO could be involved in the current G7 study for building a framework for international cooperation in emergencies. They will continue to exchange views in preparation for the G7 Summit in Japan in 2023.

ARUGA Osamu, Director for International Affairs, INOUE Yuichi, Deputy Secretary General (Secretariat for Science, Technology and Innovation Policy, Cabinet Office), Prof. KABAT, WATANABE (Deputy Secretary-General), KUMEKAWA Hirokazu (Deputy Secretary-General elect)

Science diplomacy

Just before leaving for Japan on 23 November, Pavel Kabat was honoured to receive a visit from His Excellency Ambassador MASAKI Yasushi of the Delegation of Japan to the European Union and His Excellency AKAMATSU Takeshi, Consul General of Japan, Strasbourg, who were able to advise him on scientific diplomacy in preparation for his trip to Japan.

His Excellency AKAMATSU, Prof. KABAT, His Excellency MASAKI and WATANABE

On 1 December Prof Kabat visited the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tokyo where he met with KAIFU Atsushi, Ambassador, Director-General, Disarmament, Non-Proliferation and Science Department, who is in charge of international scientific cooperation and MATSUMOTO Yoichiro, Science and Technology Advisor to the Minister for Foreign Affairs.

Prof. MATSUMOTO, Prof. KABAT and Director General KAIFU 

Following his trip to Japan, on 9 December, Prof. Kabat paid a courtesy call to His Excellency HORINOUCHI Hidehisa, Ambassador of Japan to the Netherlands, discussion centred on the possibility of the Netherlands becoming a Member of HFSPO in their own right.

His Excellency HORINOUCHI and  Prof. KABAT

Prof. SUNAMI Atsushi, President of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation and Executive Advisor to the President of the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS) received Pavel Kabat at the foundation in Tokyo on 1 December.  They discussed the importance of international scientific collaboration on a global scale and will look into organising a mini symposium during Prof. Kabat’s next visit to Japan.

Prof. KABAT and Dr. SUNAMI 

Young researchers in Japan

Prof. Kabat also met with members of the scientific community when he visited the University of Tokyo. He exchanged ideas with Prof. IWASAKI Wataru, Chair of the Young Academy of Japan at the Science Council of Japan, and was particularly interested to learn about the issues and challenges that young Japanese researchers face.

Prof. KABAT and Prof. IWASAKI

New collaborations

During his visit to Japan, Prof Kabat met with President HAMAGUCHI Michinari of the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), one of Japan's leading funding agencies, to explore the possibility of future cooperation. He also received representatives of the JST Paris office, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science’s (JSPS) Bonn office, and RIKEN Europe office in Strasbourg to discuss the possibility of collaboration in the near future. 

KOBAYASHI Osamu, Director, Department of International Affairs JST, KUMEKAWA, KANEKO Hiroyuki, Vice President JST, Prof. KABAT, Prof. HAMAGUCHI JST and WATANABE 

ODE Chie, Visiting Researcher, Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research ISI JST, Prof. KABAT,  SUGAWARA Masae, Director, JST Paris Office

MATSUO Yuta, Coordinator, Kyushu University Stockholm Liaison Office
YAMASHIRO Hanae, HORIKOSHI Hiroaki, SUTO Eriko (Deputy Director), and Dr. HAYASHI Masahiko (Director), JSPS Bonn Office
Prof. KABAT, WATANABE
TAKENOUCHI Yosuke, First Secretary, Embassy of Japan in France

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