29/1 Comm (Page 431)

commentary Maintaining science culture in Japan Two of Japan's government agencies are set to be merged in an attempt to raise the country's scientific standards. But unless a ‘bottom-up' approach to science is adopted, the culture of basic research may be damaged. But in this rapid expansion, funding for and autonomous. Space programmes are Minoru Oda university research was spread far too thinly, run by scientists and engineers, from pro- In a planned reorganiza- and there was a need for more focused invest- posal to implementation, including the8 tion of its science-related ment. So the National Research Institutes for design and production of satellites and government agencies, Joint University Use, including the Institute launch vehicles, and launch and flight opera- Japan is to merge the of Space and Astronautical Science and the tions. It provides opportunities for research Ministry of Education, National Laboratory for High Energy to the space-science community worldwide. Science, Sports and Cul- Physics, were established. Today’s 14 mem- NASDA, on the other hand, is an applica- ture (Monbusho) with ber bodies are important for the cultivation tions-oriented agency that implements the Science and Technol- and coordination of a variety of disciplines. Japan’s national space policy under the ‘top- ogy Agency (STA). It is hoped that this will The Ministry of Education has come to down’ guidance of the STA. Its objectives strengthen science in higher education and understand that basic science is a valuable cul- reflect domestic and international policy bring healthier practices and greater flexibil- tural asset. It has also started to listen to acade- objectives, such as establishing the infra- ity to the funding system of the education mics, adopting a ‘bottom-up’approach to structure of Japan’s space activity and partici- ministry. But there is a danger that the cul- policy formation. But other science-related pating in the Space Station Programme. The ture of basic research cultivated in Japanese government ministries and agencies, such as merger of ISAS and NASDA or the National academic institutions in the past century will the STA, adopt a ‘top-down’ approach. They Aerospace Laboratory might provide Japan’s be lost with the introduction of ‘top-down’ view science as the basis of technology (and so space programme with greater flexibility in science administration. industry) rather than as part of culture. That the scale and budget of its operations, but the The roots of this culture can be traced ‘science’ and ‘technology’ are separate con- academic pursuit of space research could be back to the Meiji restoration near the end of cepts based on different philosophies and overwhelmed by other forces with stronger the nineteenth century, when Japan’s first strategies is often overlooked by bureaucrats, and more immediate political appeal. university, modelled on European (particu- politicians and the public. Indeed, according to one US astrophysi- larly German) lines, was established in Tokyo The exception is RIKEN, now under the cist, the idea that the merger will make as the first of seven ‘Imperial’ universities. administration of the STA, which has Japanese space policy more efficient is too Although some Japanese scientists gained retained a spirit of autonomy and flexibility. naive. He points out that many US and Euro- international repute in those early days, the A potential benefit of the merger of the STA pean researchers envy Japan’s dual system overall academic level of the scientific com- and Monbusho is that RIKEN could be and praise the accomplishments of ISAS. But munity was far below that of the West: most adopted as a model for research organiza- they have been quick to emphasize the insti- scientists trained in Europe but retained the tions outside the universities, such as the tute’s limited budgets and facilities. For intellectual values of the old Edo Era culture. National Research Institutes for Joint Univer- example, on visiting the Halley Mission In the early twentieth century, Japan sity Use, as its founders intended 80 years ago. Control Center at ISAS in 1986, someone changed from being an agricultural society But there is also a danger that the ‘top- from the US space agency NASA remarked: to an industrial one. Its isolation from the down’ approach of the STA could destroy the “we were encouraged that planetary explo- West during the First World War led to the freedom and autonomy of research institutes ration may still be possible with such limited establishment in 1917 of the Institute of under Monbusho. Consider for example the and poor facilities”. Another recent visitor to Physical and Chemical Research (RIKEN). It Institute of Space and Astronautical Science ISAS commented that the world’s first space- was set up as a semi-private organization (ISAS) under Monbusho, and the National based satellite for Very Long Baseline Inter- with a donation from the Imperial family in Space Development Agency (NASDA) ferometry developed by the institute with a the belief that Japan’s survival depended on under the STA. Politicians and bureaucrats large deployable antenna was like “Marilyn the promotion of basic research in science might think it would make sense to merge Monroe wearing vagabond’s rags”. and technology in organizations run in par- these two space agencies when the STA and These statements highlight the modest allel with the Imperial universities. Monbusho merge. After all, what other support for basic science in Japan. Although After the Second World War, the centre of country maintains two space agencies? the government enacted the Basic Science and scientific research had become the United But here we see the contrast in their Technology Law in 1996 to promote science States rather than Europe, and Japanese management styles. ISAS, an offshoot of the and technology, only applications-oriented intellectuals were shocked to discover how University of Tokyo, is an academic research research fields have so far benefited. In fact the far they had been left behind. Under US organization devoted to astrophysics, space budgetary ceilings for the next fiscal year, influence during Japan’s occupation, the science and technology. It is small, but flexible which begins on 1 April, for institutes such as education system was extensively changed. ISAS and the National Astronomical Obser- The concept of the seven Imperial universi- vatory have been drastically lowered. ties, based on classical European academic It is hoped that the STA It is hoped that the merger of Monbusho ideals, was replaced with ‘democratic’ and with the STA, which is faring better finan- ‘average’ university education for the mass- will bring much-needed cially under the law, will bring much-needed es. Hundreds of new national and private new funds to basic new funds to basic science. But a flexible universities raised the standards of educa- ‘bottom-up’ approach will be essential. tion of ‘blue-collar’ workers and boosted science. But a flexible Minoru Oda, a former director general of ISAS Japanese industry. And in a backlash against ‘bottom-up’ approach and former president of RIKEN, is at the Tokyo the previous era of militaristic interference, University of Information Science, Yato-cho, Wakaba, academic freedom was also strengthened. will be essential Chiba-shi 265, Japan. NATURE | VOL 391 | 29 JANUARY 1998 Nature © Macmillan Publishers Ltd 1998 431.

Load more