Realising the need for breaking barriers of language and sharing of knowledge in science and technology, Japan has made a good beginning in collaborative research with India in certain identified areas. The 80-year-old Japanese Society for Promotion of Science (JSPS) and the Indian JSPS Alumni Association (IJAA) have recently initiated R&D efforts in disaster management, diseases and clean energy.
Japan has begun tying up with south Asian countries like India in a big way through fellowships and scholarships. The two countries wish to see the results of this collaboration in another 4-5 years. Prof D Sakthi Kumar, deputy director of international affairs of Bio Nano Electronics Research Centre and a professor of Graduate School of Interdisciplinary New Science, told TOI that Japan realized that no country could survive alone in the era of globalization. It has launched many post-doctoral fellowships and projects.
Kumar was in city to participate in the two-day international conference on 'New age science and technology for sustainable development ' and the third annual conference of IJAA being hosted by the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (Neeri). "Until now, Japan had the limitation of language and was not ready to accept English. With globalization, however, it has opened its doors. Till now Indians preferred to study and work in USA. Students who did study in Japan would do their post-doctoral courses and then leave for USA. Now, with efforts of JSPS and IJAA things have begun to change," he said.
Sharing more details of areas of collaboration, Shinichi Higuchi, first secretary of science and technology in embassy of Japan in India, said that 'sustainable development' was one area of Indo-Japanese collaboration under which exchange of scientific knowledge in fields of disaster management, clean energy and diseases was a big priority. Section chief of international programme development JSPS, Ikuo Fukui said that the Japanese Science and Technology Agency and the Japanese International Cooperation Agency and the Science and Technology Partnership were some platforms promoting collaborations through both bottom-up and top-down approach through a five-year-plan. Over 400 such collaborations were already on, he added.
Scientists face many new challenges
Science and Technology (S&T) is facing many new challenges. The two-day conference of Neeri and JSPS is an effort in identifying these challenges and evolving ways to deal with them. Main challenges lie in the fields of water purification, solid waste management and development of eco-friendly products and transport of materials.
Neeri director Satish Wate during the inaugural session elaborated on these challenges. He stressed that India also needed focused programmes so that knowledge and energies of younger generation of students could be harnessed properly as the youngsters thought big and were resilient. He also pointed out the need for working towards developing materials that could be used to safely transport gases without pipelines, materials that could absorb toxicants, and mining of biomolecules from sea.
Vice-chancellor of Amravati University Prof Mohan Khedkar, in his inaugural speech, dealt with varied issues related to sustainable development like clean energy through orange revolution. Prof D Sakthi Kumar, chairman IJAA, made opening remarks. Rajesh Biniwale, principal scientist at Neeri and organizing secretary, gave an overview of the conference while Akihiko Satomi, head overseas division of Japan, elaborated on the role of JSPS. Shinichi Higuchi, first S&T secretary, listed the areas of collaborative research with India. Sadhana Rayalu, head of the Environmental Materials Division of Neeri, summarized the proceedings.
Sharing more details of areas of collaboration, Shinichi Higuchi, first secretary of science and technology in embassy of Japan in India, said that 'sustainable development' was one area of Indo-Japanese collaboration under which exchange of scientific knowledge in fields of disaster management, clean energy and diseases was a big priority. Section chief of international programme development JSPS, Ikuo Fukui said that the Japanese Science and Technology Agency and the Japanese International Cooperation Agency and the Science and Technology Partnership were some platforms promoting collaborations through both bottom-up and top-down approach through a five-year-plan. Over 400 such collaborations were already on, he added.
Scientists face many new challenges
Science and Technology (S&T) is facing many new challenges. The two-day conference of Neeri and JSPS is an effort in identifying these challenges and evolving ways to deal with them. Main challenges lie in the fields of water purification, solid waste management and development of eco-friendly products and transport of materials.
Neeri director Satish Wate during the inaugural session elaborated on these challenges. He stressed that India also needed focused programmes so that knowledge and energies of younger generation of students could be harnessed properly as the youngsters thought big and were resilient. He also pointed out the need for working towards developing materials that could be used to safely transport gases without pipelines, materials that could absorb toxicants, and mining of biomolecules from sea.
Vice-chancellor of Amravati University Prof Mohan Khedkar, in his inaugural speech, dealt with varied issues related to sustainable development like clean energy through orange revolution. Prof D Sakthi Kumar, chairman IJAA, made opening remarks. Rajesh Biniwale, principal scientist at Neeri and organizing secretary, gave an overview of the conference while Akihiko Satomi, head overseas division of Japan, elaborated on the role of JSPS. Shinichi Higuchi, first S&T secretary, listed the areas of collaborative research with India. Sadhana Rayalu, head of the Environmental Materials Division of Neeri, summarized the proceedings.
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