Press Releases

1 On September 28th, with the participation of Mr. WASHIO Eiichiro, State Minister for Foreign Affairs, and Prof. MATSUMOTO Yoichiro, Science and Technology Advisor to the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, the 1st Meeting of the Advisory Board for the Promotion of Science and Technology Diplomacy was held.

At the beginning, Mr. WASHIO expressed gratitude to the members of the Advisory Board for their participation and cooperation, and emphasized that science and technology are key drivers not only for economic growth but also for national and international security and tackling global issues. Moreover, he stated that Japan would take the lead in the international society by promoting diplomacy utilizing scientific knowledge on various diplomatic occasions.

2 Prof. MATSUMOTO pointed out that the role of science and technology is becoming increasingly important, while the situation around us is changing every day in terms of the response for Covid-19, the digital revolution, and the SDGs among others, and that it is important to strengthen the foundation for Japan’s science, technology and research and integrate its scientific knowledge into diplomacy. Furthermore, he put forward his determination to promote Science and Technology Diplomacy more effectively and more strategically, by gathering information on and overlooking the STI-related national policies as well as respective activities of international cooperation by the relevant ministries and agencies, while utilizing the advice and implications provided by the Advisory Board.

3 Prof. MATSUMOTO reported his activities so far as the Science and Technology Advisor, including networking activities and exchanging views through FMSTAN (Foreign Ministries Science and Technology Advisors Network) and INGSA (International Network for Government Science Advice). Based on that, he shared his views and future prospects regarding how to improve the environment for strengthening the foundation for science, technology and research; how better Japan can proceed international collaborative projects; and how better Japan and the international community can strengthen science advisory system for policy-making as well as for tackling socio-economic issues highlighted by the Covid-19.

4 Reflecting upon the above-mentioned points, the members had an active discussion, and shared an understanding on the current situation and the challenges surrounding Science and Technology Diplomacy, while sharing the ideas and making suggestions for the future directions and possible actions from the viewpoint of further advancing Science and Technology Diplomacy.

• The Advisory Board for the Promotion of Science and Technology Diplomacy (PDF)