www.asiabiotech.com General News Singapore Collaboration of the Two Giants— A*STAR and RIKEN *STAR and RIKEN have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) creating opportunities for collaboration between the two countries in the fields Aof biomedical science and biotechnology. RIKEN and A*STAR are planning to conduct research together mostly in the life sciences and biotechnology. The Singapore base for this research will be the Biopolis, Singapore. RIKEN will set up an office in the Biopolis by the end of 2005. Under the MoU, there will be exchange of researchers and staff; exchange of scientific and technological information, including delivering of lectures and holding joint seminars and symposia; exchange of scientific and technological research materials; joint research and development; and sharing of best practices in intellectual property management and technology transfer. Over the past few months, study teams from A*STAR have been visiting RIKEN to explore joint research areas and three key areas have been identified for possible collaboration: i) Cancer: Structural analysis and drug development related to cancer transcription factors. ii) Infectious diseases: Screening and rapid diagnosis for known and unknown environmental pathogens. iii) Neuroscience: Training of promising young neuroscientists from Singapore at RIKEN. “Singapore is a vital partner for Japan in tackling problems specific to Asia (the environment, diseases particular to the region, etc.). I believe that technologically and socially it has a variety of strong points in Asia. A*STAR has medical, chemical and engineering research institutes and the Biopolis plan. I believe that there are thus many areas of research on which RIKEN and A*STAR can collaborate. For now we are examining possible collaboration on research related to cancer, research on environmental pathogens and the development of diagnostic methods for them, and accommodating young researchers from Singapore at RIKEN and giving them training in neuroscience. I hope that RIKEN can make large contributions to the nurturing of the next generation of scientists in these fields in Asia. This will have great significance for the future. I believe we should take this opportunity to consider even more multi-faceted collaborations in the Asian region,” said Professor Ryoji Noyori, President of RIKEN. He also mentioned that Singapore and Japan’s divergent approaches to science will be complementary. He regards Singapore as a vital partner for Japan in tackling problems specific to Asia. APBN • Vol. 9 • No. 19 • 2005 1019 www.asiabiotech.com General News About RIKEN RIKEN (Rikagaku Kenkyuusho, which translates into "Institute of Physical and Chemical Research" although it now also conducts research in biology and other fields) is a network of public research institutes supported by the Japanese government. Founded in 1917, it is one of Japan's largest and oldest institutes for science and technology and has approximately 3000 scientists on seven campuses across Japan, the main one being in Wako, just outside Tokyo. RIKEN conducts research in all areas of science, including physics, chemistry, biology, medical science, engineering and computational science, and ranging from basic research to practical applications. Two RIKEN scientists, Hideki Yukawa and Shinichiro Tomonaga, won the Nobel Prize in Physics, in 1949 and 1965, respectively, and its current President, Ryoji Noyori, won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2001. About the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) is Singapore's lead agency for scientific R&D. Its mission is to foster world-class scientific research and talent for a vibrant knowledge-based Singapore. Headquartered in the state-of-the art biomedical research hub Biopolis, A*STAR has two research councils—the Biomedical Research Council and the Science and Engineering Research Council, through which it funds and oversees 12 public research institutes in specialized areas of research, such as bioprocessing, chemical synthesis, genomics & proteomics, molecular & cell biology, bioengineering & nanotechnology, computational biology, electronics, infocomms, chemicals and precision engineering, translational research and bioimaging. Nobel laureate Dr Sydney Brenner is Chairman of A*STAR’s Biomedical Research Council. 1020 APBN • Vol. 9 • No. 19 • 2005 www.asiabiotech.com General News Duke’s Perspective—The New Graduate Medical School in Singapore t is a tiny city-state, only about three and a half times the size of Washington D.C. It is halfway around the world from Duke University (12 hours difference in time Izones). It is where Asian students will soon be able to benefit from the unique curriculum of Duke University School of Medicine. The official signing of an agreement for Singapore and Duke University to collaborate to create the a Graduate Medical School (GMS) in that country took place in April 2005. Since then, several Duke faculty members have made the long trip over the Pacific to help organize this new venture. R. Sanders Williams, M.D., dean of Duke University School of Medicine, recently returned from a two week stay in Singapore. Dean Williams is glowing with enthusiasm. “I have to admit that when I first heard that Duke wanted to have a major project in Singapore, I was dubious,” said Dean William. “I wondered how in the world could we maintain a serious program halfway around the world when there are so many important things to do here.” “That was three years ago. But then I met some of the remarkable people involved. I visited and saw the inner workings of the society. I got to know the key players. I went from being highly skeptical to highly enthusiastic. I have become a true believer that this is in Duke’s best interest. The Singapore GMS will be the first medical school in Singapore based on the U.S. model of students studying medicine after completing a bachelor’s degree. The existing medical school in Singapore follows the British model where students begin studying medicine after specializing in the sciences in high school,” Dean Williams explained. “This partnership between Duke and Singapore is unique,” says Dean Williams. “It is not simply a partnership between two schools, Duke and the National University of Singapore, with which the GMS will be affiliated to. It has the direct backing of the government as part of a national strategy.” Singapore is determined to be an international leader in biotechnology. Five years ago, the government recognized that to meet this goal, Singapore needed more physicians who were trained as scientists, as well as more physicians. The recommendation was to do this by adopting the U.S. model of medical education. “If training physician-scientists is what you are after, the Duke curriculum, with its jewel of a third year dedicated to research, is ideal,” said Williams. Exciting as setting up a new school in Singapore may sound, Duke is doing this only after careful consideration of the benefits. APBN • Vol. 9 • No. 19 • 2005 1021 www.asiabiotech.com General News Global Presence “This partnership represents not only a platform to impact medical education in Asia, but an opportunity for Duke to expand its global presence in science and medicine,” says Victor J. Dzau, M.D., chancellor for Health Affairs at Duke University. That is important because it is increasingly clear that health and medicine are no longer constrained by national or continental boundaries. Intellectual Stimulation “I am confident that the GMS will provide opportunities for interaction among the best intellectual minds”, says Tony Tan, Ph.D., chairman of the National Research Foundation in Singapore and one of the government officials who serves on the GMS Governing Board. Opportunities to Advance Science “Singapore has made a vast commitment to becoming a leader in biomedical research. The opportunity to form collaborations in this environment will help us accelerate our efforts in the area of transnlational research, which is a strategic priority for Duke Medicine,” ays Dzau. Resources “The government of Singapore is investing over 300 million dollars in this project,” says Dean Williams. “Much of that will support research which will be done by Duke faculty affiliated with the GMS in Singapore. Other research will involve collaborations between the GMS and Duke. We won’t be shipping the dollars back from Singapore for this research, but we will expect to ship some of the credit, “ he continued. Recruitment Edge “There is no doubt in my mind that this will be a multiplier for our ability to recruit excellent faculty,” says Pascal Goldschmidt, M.D., chair of the Duke Department of Medicine. There are very few other schools that will be able to offer opportunities for faculty that specifically include a deployment to two countries. New Ideas “I have been very impressed with Singapore’s healthcare delivery system”, says Dean Williams. “It is very intelligently done, from how they design their clinical systems to how they flow patients through the hospitals. I think we can learn from them”. More Growth Opportunities As a consequence of our relations with Singapore, we have also started negotiations with other groups in China and elsewhere to expand upon this network of education and medical care, says Goldschmidt. Singapore is the beginning of the opportunity to bring Duke Medicine to an area of the world that will have a major impact during the 21st century. 1022 APBN • Vol. 9 • No. 19 • 2005 www.asiabiotech.com General News Dean Williams does not make light of the work that it will take to export the Duke experience to Singapore especially since he will bear much of the burden. He has agreed to be the interim dean for the school in Singapore. He will make the grueling 27-hour trip to Singapore three to four times over the next year to oversee the groundwork for the school. “Becoming dean was not a decision I took lightly,” he says.