Tuesday, March 28, 2006

The venue of Prof. Stefensson EMBL

Title :「Science and Society Program in Europe and its related topics」
Lecturer : Prof. Dr. Haldór STEFENSSON, Science and Society Programme, EMBL
Date : 12:00 – 14:00, Monday, 10. April. 2006
Place : Room No. 964-965, 9th Floor, Mitsubishi-buldg. (2-5-2, Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, zip 100-0005)

Lecture contents :
In this talk I will present a number of outreach activities that have developed at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Heidelberg, Germany since the 1990s, its Science and Society Program in particular. The aim of the Science and Society initiative at EMBL is to promote a better and broader understanding of the growing social and cultural relevance of the life sciences. We organize a variety of activities and events where members of our scientific community, scholars from other disciplines as well as members of the public meet to engage in a dialogue.
The life sciences have an enormous potential for further development and practical applications. However, a popular consensus needs to be developed around questions of how to assess and deal with the diverse repercussions of that development. More than ever, there is a need for interdisciplinary dialogue to inspire synthetic insights and a common worldview. The new ways in which science is now being applied for the production of knowledge and economic wealth must be carefully adjusted to public interests and the value system in each society. It is the common responsibility of all, scientists as well as non-scientists, to engage in an ongoing process of carving out a shared understanding of science. Our outreach efforts at the EMBL, that I will present in more details in my talks, are motivated by such concerns.
In the recent policy trends on Science Technology and Society, interdisciplinary approach is more and more emphasized for targeting the socio-economical impact of research and development. Impact as innovation, social value assessment, regulatory behavior, creativity, and also values for Social Science and Humanities ; these are comprehensive quest for "Science and Society". We aim to discuss these points from the view of interdisciplinary coordination in research and development.

Profile of Lecturer :
Prof. Dr. Haldór STEFANSSON is a researcher of Anthropology since his Doctoral Study at University of Paris and Osaka University. He carried out several anthropological fieldworks in Iceland, Greenland, Japan, Taiwan and South Korea. From 1985 to 1998, he has been engaged in several Japanese Universities and Research Institute as a researcher and a professor. Since 1998 up to now, he is assigned to a Professor of Science and Society Program at European Molecular Biology Laboratory. Since then he manifests actively the interdisciplinary approach to molecular biology research and its outreach to the society.

Recent Publication :
Time and aging: mechanisms and meaningsHalldór Stefánsson, Guest Editor EMBO Reports Vol 6, July 2005 [doi:10.1038/sj.embor.7400430]
Infectious diseases and bioweapons: Science and the political economics of afflictionHalldór Stefánsson, Guest Editor EMBO Reports Vol 4, June 2003 [doi:10.1038/sj.embor.embor843]
Life Sciences in Transition: EMBL Essays on Science and SocietyHalldór Stefánsson Journal of Molecular Biology 319, Issue 4, 857-859 2002 [doi:10.1016/S0022-2836(02)00335-2]

Coordinator : Shingo Hamada hamada@nistep.go.jp
Science Technology Foresight Centre, NISTEP-MEXT
TEL:03-3581-0605  FAX:03-3503-3996

Thursday, March 23, 2006

The venue of Researcher in Science & Society EMBL

Date, Place, Division:
11/Apr.2006, NISTEP-MEXT, STFC

Requesting Person 1
NAME :Halldor STEFANSSON
INSTITUTION: EUROPEAN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY LABORATORY

ADDRESS: Meyerhofstrasse 1, Heidelberg, Germany D-69117
TEL: +49-6221-387-493
FAX:+49-6221-387-525
EMAIL:stefanss@embl.de

Accepting Person 2
NAME & INSTITUTION: HAMADA Shingo (Affiliated Fellow)
INSTITUTION: STFC -
NISTEP
ADDRESS: 2-5-1, Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, zip 100-0005 JAPAN
TEL: 81-(0)
3-3581-0605
FAX: 81-81-(0)3-3503-3996
EMAIL: hamada@nistep.go.jp

Participating Person 3

NAME & INSTITUTION:

Objective and theme :
The Art of Building Bridges: Outreach Activities at the EMBL' discussed in terms of Interdisciplinary coordination and research management - its outcome as Science Communication and relevance to the Science and Technology Policy

Documents to be consulted :
http://www.embl.org/aboutus/sciencesociety/publications.html

http://europa.eu.int/comm/research/social-sciences/index_en.html
Delphi Investigation Report, Foresight Research of Socio-Economical Impact

The summary description of the objective in half page :
In this talk I will present a number of outreach activities that have developed at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Heidelberg, Germany since the 1990s, its Science and Society Programme in particular. The aim of the Science and Society initiative at EMBL is to promote a better and broader understanding of the growing social and cultural relevance of the life sciences. We organize a variety of activities and events where members of our scientific community, scholars from other disciplines as well as members of the public meet to engage in a dialogue.

The life sciences have an enormous potential for further development and practical applications. However, a popular consensus needs to be developed around questions of how to assess and deal with the diverse repercussions of that development. More than ever, there is a need for interdisciplinary dialogue to inspire synthetic insights and a common worldview. The new ways in which science is now being applied for the production of knowledge and economic wealth must be carefully adjusted to public interests and the value system in each society. It is the common responsibility of all, scientists as well as non-scientists, to engage in an ongoing process of carving out a shared understanding of science. Our outreach efforts at the EMBL, that I will present in more details in my talks, are motivated by such concerns.

The part below is proposed as a dialog by person 2
In the recent policy research on STS activities, interdisciplinary approach is more and more emphasized for targeting the socio-economical impact of research and development. Impact as innovation, social value assessment, regulatory behavior, creativity, and also SSH values ; these are comprehensive quest for "Science and Society". We aim to discuss these points from the view of interdisciplinary coordination in research and development.

* STS (Science, Technology and Society) * SSH (Social Science and Humanities)
Texts in blue are added by Person 2.


The provisional dialog from NISTEP
- EMBL is one of the Large Facility of Science and Technology (EIRO) and Basic Research based on EU funds, is this more and more growing ?
- In EU, there are other large facility (big institution, like CERN, ESO, ESRF, ILL, ESDF), how do you find your position in this frame, and also in FP6 ?
- Recently EU DG Research & Innovation is launching the "Science & Society" program, how do you relate your activity to it ?
- In the recommendation of this program (S&S), interdisciplinary approach is emphasized, how to you estimate this approach in your practice ?
- Outside of EIRO, there is a social concern (principle of precaution, citizen involved research agenda, co-evolution of technology and society) to the technology innovation, how do your activity respond to this ?
- How do you (pre)evaluate the EU's policy for SSH implication in RTD (document **), according to you Lab ?
- How do you tell us the Germany's atmosphere of "Science and Society" compared to other countries ?

(**) European Research Advisory Board, The Social Sciences and the Humanities in the 7th Framework Program

Wednesday, March 22, 2006

Follow up of colloque MFJ

The report of the activities (1-2 pages, to be filled) :


Dr
. Urashima and Mme Yokoo have presented the 3rd Basic Frame Work (Slide Handout) and the reports (*) of Socio-Economical Impact Benchmark Test. The person 2, Shingo Hamada, has introduced the documents (**) and proposed the discussion.


(*) NISTEP REPORT No. 99 “Comprehensive Analysis of Science and Technology Benchmarking Foresight”.

(**) European Research Advisory Board, “The Social Sciences and the Humanities in the 7th Framework Program”

Being demanded to Prof. Rieu to fulfill his summary.

According to this explanation, the person 2 is focusing the argument points below.

- The concept of “Science and Society” seen in the report (*) is completely different of those seen in the report (**), and we ask how and why this difference appears.

- The data on the report (*) are of highly precision, is this high precision necessary in what scale and in which level of activities ? (Asian region, National region, EU-Japan ? )

- The precision of European Data (i.e. the social reality) is different, but in which way ? Is this coming from the innovation to society, or from the technology itself ?

- To develop the idea of European Program implementing the SSH in RTD, in the “Knowledge Society” proposed by Prof. Rieu, a few recommendation item from EURAB (*) should be satisfied, i.e. to make some parts of SSH effective to Technology Assessment, Citizen Participation Innovation, and Research Study on Foresight. How do you (EU programme) develop this point ?

- Suggesting that the extensive study on the report (*) is so effective to bridge the proposal of collaboration to NISTEP, hence the Japanese Watcher of European Science Technology (like JETRO or JST) are effectively integrated to observe these points in European countries ? and vice-verse ?

Tuesday, March 21, 2006

Follow up of colloque MFJ

Following up the colloque of MFJ (23.Fev.2006), I continue to have contact with Prof. Alain-Marc Rieu, concerning the Meeting Discussion on EU-Japan Policy of Science, Technology and Society. We set the meeting as below successfully.
In addition to this, we aim to develop the synthesis of this collaboration.

The Inverview Reseach & Investigation following the Colloque on Research Policy (MFJ)

Date, Place, Division:
22/Mar/2006, 15h-17h30, NISTEP-MEXT, STFC

Requesting Person 1
NAME: Alain-Marc RIEU
INSTITUTION: Professor, University of Lyon 3 Jean Moulin Senior Research Fellow, East Asian Studies Institute (CNRS), ENS (lsh)
ADDRESS: 15, Parvis R. Descartes, BP 7000, 69342 Lyon Cedex, France
TEL: (33) 04 3737 6470
FAX:
EMAIL:
amrieu@gmail.com

Accepting Person 2
NAME & INSTITUTION: HAMADA Shingo (Affiliated Fellow)
INSTITUTION:
STFC -NISTEP
ADDRESS: 2-5-1, Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, zip 100-0005 JAPAN
TEL: 81-(0)
3-3581-0605
FAX: 81-81-(0)3-3503-3996
EMAIL:
hamada@nistep.go.jp

Participating Person 3
NAME & INSTITUTION: OKUWADA Kumi, TACHIKAWA Makoto
INSTITUTION:
STFC -NISTEP

Objective and theme :
Science and Technology planning in Japan : methodology for conception, implementation and evaluation.

Documents to be consulted :
Documents concerning Japan’s three basic plans for Science and Technology, especially documents concerning the evaluation of the first two Plans and the formation of the third plan. The documents concerning the Interdisciplinary Coordination in Japan’s Basic Frame Work (2nd, 3rd)

The summary of the objective in half page :
- Need to know what kind of documents are available, in which language, how to have access to them, who are the specialists whom have participated to the conception of the 3rd plan.
-
Writing articles and a book, participating to conferences and teaching.
- Before visiting research, the Person 1 has
explained to the Person 2 the conditions to access documents and what kind of documents were available in English. Also discussed various topics concerning the conception of the 3rd basic plan and also various types of possible collaboration on these issues.
- Especially focus on the recent trend of political implication of “Science Technology and Society”, Comparative discussion of the role of Interdisciplinary Approach of EU (FP-ERA, NEST-SSH) and Japan (Basic Frame Work)
- The Person 1 propose a possible collaboration frame work of S&T Policy study by FP7.

The report of the activities (1-2 pages, to be filled) :

Conf 7th, 23th at MFJ

I had occusions to know the events bellow, Icoud participate in the conf of 23th, but not of 7th.
I tried to communicate with the talker of both, in which I continue successfully guide the discussion with Prof. Alain-Marc Rieu to invite him to the NISTEP.


Conf 7th, 23th at MFJ

7
-- 18 h
salle 601
Conférence
Construction européenne
« Le rôle de l'Europe, du Japon et de la Corée dans la bataille globale pour la gouvernance des OGM »
(en français, avec traduction)
Yves TIBERGHIEN (Harvard University)
- Résumé en français et en japonais

23
-- 18 h
salle 601
Conférence
Construction européenne
« Globalisation et politiques de recherche : le cas du Japon et des États-Unis depuis les années 1980. Conséquences pour l'Europe »
(en français, avec traduction)
Alain-Marc RIEU (Université Lyon 3 - Université de Tokyo)