TWO TYPES OF CAREER PATHS FOR YOUNG SCIENTISTS IN JAPAN AND CREATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL MOLECULAR BIOLOGY NETWORK (IMBN) FOR ASIA AND THE PACIFIC RIM
KEN-ICHI ARAI
The career paths in Japan, i.e. the environment where young scientists develop their ability as major players in life science, must be improved through the cooperation of industry, academia, and government. For a long time, Japan maintained vertical, unidirectional and rigid system for education and research. The department supervised by a professor (Kouza) has been the dominant feature of the university and to become the full professor of the Kouza has been the goal of traditional career path for researchers in Japan. Building horizontal and open system different from Kouza has also been discussed to give young researchers independence and leadership. The need to operate two types of career paths, i.e. traditional and new paths is now widely recognized. It is important to effectively mobilize the resources given by Japanese government and industry to create such new research system. Open collaboration in a flexible environment between industry and academia will help to eliminate the Ògovernment-superior, private-inferiorÓ atmosphere which has been dominant in Japan. By opening up several pathways as valid choices for young scientists, Japan will be able to create an international stadium for frontier research attracting scientists of the Asia-Pacific region. Last year, scientists from more than 20 institutions of 10 countries, and by the help of EMBO, NIH and UNESCO/MCBN, established IMBN for Asia and the Pacific Rim. This proposal was also supported by APEC. Establishment of IMBN will help to create Life Science and Biotechnology Network of Asia and the Pacific Rim.