STRENGTHENING JAPAN'S SCIENCE BASE: DEVELOPMENTS IN EDUCATION AND RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE
AKITO ARIMA
This talk will address two aspects of Japan's efforts to strengthen its research base and, in particular, its ability to produce basic science. These themes comprise reforms in education and broader policies to improve basic research undertaken by universities and national institutes.While Japan's school education system has become very successful at making student familiar with large amounts of information, it places a relatively low emphasis on rewarding self-motivation and creative thinking. Moreover, in common with a number of other countries, Japanese students tend to shy away from scientific and technological subjects. To counter this trend, the Japanese government is considering reforms in the school curriculum that will replace some of the rote learning with activities -- such as exposure to experimental work -- that are likely to excite students' natural curiosity and thereby stimulate a greater interest in science and technology. Other areas of concern for educational policy-makers include developments in university education that will foster creativity and the development of personnel necessary to enhance the country's research infrastructure.
Although Japan's per capita R&D expenditure leads the world, some 80 percent of this activity takes place in private companies, and public sector research remains less developed than in other leading industrial countries. Japan produces comparatively few doctorates and brighter students typically seek to secure a career with a prestigious company in preference to spending time at graduate school. There is a need to make graduate schools more attractive and increase Japan's commitment to basic research. Against this background, the passage of a Basic Law for Science and Technology, in November 1995, stands out as a major landmark in progress towards an improved research infrastructure. Furthermore, Japan is expanding its contribution to international progress in basic research. With these developments in mind, the presentation's second theme will review recent achievements and assess factors shaping Japan's approach to twenty-first century science and technology.