Outline
The Science for RE-designing Science, Technology and Innovation Policy (SciREX) program was laid out in 2011, with its HUB at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS), and Core Centers at the University of Tokyo, Hitotsubashi University, Osaka/Kyoto Universities, and Kyushu University. The main purpose of SciREX is to provide educational infrastructure and programs for the development of highly talented human resources who can contribute to policy-making in Japan. Since its inception, the program has been working to promote world class research and training. It provides training in evidence-based policymaking for individuals who will (a) lead research in new areas within the Science for the Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Policy domain; (b) connect that science to policy and research work; and (c) promote basic research in related fields.
One of the program’s key activities is our annual Summer Camp, where faculty members and students from a number of universities gather to: share the results of their universities’ exercises through SciREX programs; discuss the topic of the year; present the results of those discussions; and exchange information across a variety of academic fields. Participation in the Summer Camp will enable you to experience the processes through which stakeholders work to fashion STI policies aimed at solving concrete problems. In 2025, SciREX Summer Camp will be held IN PERSON, as detailed below.
Date
Friday September 5 — Sunday September 7, 2025
Pre-training session (day 1) and several pre-group meetings will be conducted online during July and August.
Venue
National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS), Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo
https://www.grips.ac.jp/en/about/access/
Fee
Free* (*For the STIG students, travel expenses will be covered by the program budget)
Languages
Japanese or English*
Guidance/final presentations: Simultaneous interpretation between Japanese and English will be provided.
Group Work: There will be Japanese language groups and English language groups for discussion of the topics. They will be divided in each.
*Applicants are asked to specify in their applications whether or not they are able to join discussions in English. That information will be used for composing the groups.
Participants
Students, professors and staff from GRIPS-GiST, UTokyo-STIG, Hitotsubashi University-IMPP, Osaka University/Kyoto University-STiPS, and Kyushu University-CSTIPS
Organizers
SciREX Office, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology（MEXT）/SciREX Core Centers, SciREX Center
Planning and Management
SciREX Summer Camp 2025 Planning Team
GRIPS SciREX Center
Registration / Deadline
https://forms.gle/D4ZZrBcQLpSatdCj9
Please indicate your preferred discussion topics, indicating your first, second and third choices. When we create the groups, we will consider your interests and the thoughts you indicate in the application form. You could, if you wish, fine-tune the topic title in the process of group activity. Please note that we may not always be able to accommodate applicant requests.
Personal information including e-mail addresses will be used only for the following purposes, and only from the time of your application until the end of the event:
– to enable SciREX Center to provide you with information about the event
– to enable us to create a Slack workspace for the event
2025 Summer Camp Main Topic
“Dialogue for a future in this divided age”
Global issues are growing increasingly serious, notably global warming, stable supply of food and energy in the face of a rapidly growing population, and countermeasures against new infectious diseases . To resolve such issues, cross-border cooperation and proper management and active, innovative use of science and technology are essential. However, promoting these actions is not easy. Society is increasingly divided, and there are various related challenges urgently in need of addressing through international cooperation.
The international order — developed since the end of the Cold War to overcome the differences among states — is in danger. Relations among hegemonic nations and democracies are increasingly under threat. The Global South, which has achieved considerable economic development, is having increasing influence. The countries of the Global South are diverse, and they have widely diverging interests and ideologies. With the emergence of the Trump administration in the United States, divisions between the United States and other countries, even democracies and regions, is becoming a reality.
Even within individual countries, polarization and multipolarity are progressing, with far right groups increasingly powerful in democratic nations. Increasingly sharp differences over nationalities, races, gender, political standpoints and religious beliefs, values and ethics are widespread. Even in Japan, once known as a country of 100 million middle class citizens, “Intergenerational chains of economic disparity” and “Structural reproduction of disparity” are attracting attention, especially in the fields of education, welfare and employment . Social divisions are widening domestically and tolerance is gradually diminishing.
Now is an important moment to discuss means of achieving a desirable future in the face of widening fragmentation, in the context of recognition of the diversity of society. If we are to achieve a desirable future, we will need critical thinking from diverse perspectives, with consideration of more stakeholders. Flexible thinking that goes beyond concrete conflicts and divisions is encouraged. We need to arrive at a common vision of an optimal future, and to chart a path to, and take measures toward, this goal.
A desirable future – an inclusive society of diverse people – lies beyond our aspiration and enthusiasm. How should science, technology and innovation play its role for achieving the future? We, 2025 Summer Camp planning team hope there will be an valuable opportunity for participants to have new experiences and colleagues for finding effective solutions together.
Discussion topics
［A］ Ethics in the age of AI and harmonious coexistence with AI: What AI technology policies are needed to satisfy peoples’ needs
In recent years, AI technology such as interactive generative AI and ChatGPT has evolved rapidly and is expected to replace human work extensively, dramatically improving the convenience and efficiency of work in a wide range of fields related to government, corporate activities, and people’s lives.
On the other hand, various risks such as the generation and spread of false and inappropriate information by AI are becoming apparent. There are also concerns that the use of AI will result in
people losing their jobs as AI takes on the work they have been doing. AI technology has great potential, but it also presents major social challenges regarding its appropriate use.
An AI-related bill has been enacted by parliament to establish a new law. To enable AI technology innovation, which has the potential to improve human quality of life, it is urgent to properly grasp the impact of AI technology innovations on people and society and to appropriately respond to the related ethical, legal and social issues (ELSI).
［B］ Human Resources Policy for Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) for Japan in a Time of Declining Population
Due in part to the declining birthrate, Japan’s total population has declined from a peak of 128.08 million in 2008 to 120.3 million in October 2024. In order to advance science, technology and innovation (STI) toward a society in which diverse happiness can be realized for all individuals, it is important to secure the requisite STI human resources. Promotion of STI urgently requires human resources active in the industrial sector and those with an entrepreneurial mindset. In addition, planning policies that provide a framework for promoting STI are also important, as are the human resources involved. Furthermore, there are high expectations of medical doctors as highly skilled STI human resources.
On the other hand, with decreasing total population and declining birthrate and aging population, it is difficult to provide the environment for securing human resources and encouraging active participation in society. It has been pointed out that in Japan, compared to other countries, the proportion of young faculty members among full-time university faculty is on the decline; the proportion of women aspiring to science and technology is small; and the proportion of female researchers among the total number of researchers is still small. Furthermore, there are indications that Japan is being left behind in international brain circulation, as seen in the decline in the number of Japanese students and young researchers aspiring to study and conduct research abroad.
［C］Design of policy for accelerating social implementation of health care
Practical implementation of academic healthcare research in society requires considerable time and expense. The key to innovation is rapid application of the results of academic research into new businesses, joint research with companies, patent licensing and university spin-offs. Another challenge related to the social implementation of medical research is the gap between patient needs and research: it is necessary to develop methods based on a deep understanding of the needs of patients and clinical sites, and to create a mechanism for bridging the gap between those needs and research findings.
［D］International policies on climate change
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is an international policy framework for climate change response. Its ultimate goal is to stabilize the atmospheric concentration of greenhouse gases at a level that does not impose a dangerous adverse effect on natural ecosystems or humankind. At the third Conference of the Parties to the Convention (COP3), held in Kyoto in 1997, the Kyoto Protocol was adopted, and concrete measures were taken. After some twists and turns, the Paris Agreement was adopted at COP21 held in Paris in 2015, and came into force in 2016. The Paris Agreement set a limit on the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels, and encouraged efforts to limit it to 1.5°C. Currently, under this agreement, all countries are required to submit and update their reduction targets every five years, and in addition, the Paris Agreement stipulates that the progress of global climate change measures be evaluated every five years (Global Stocktake).
Today, as divisions among nations grow and major powers become inward-looking, existing
climate change frameworks are facing major challenges, such as the withdrawal of some countries from agreements.
［E］Innovation and Universal Design: What is innovation “with no one left behind”?
One goal of the SDGs, which aim for sustainable development, is that there be “No one left behind.” Inclusive innovation, where perspectives and needs of diverse segments of society are considered, is attracting attention in that regard. Also, Japan is aiming to achieve a society in which each citizen, regardless of disability or age, is respected as an equal member of society, and all can demonstrate their abilities through participation in social activities and coexist while supporting one another. Universal design plays an important role in realizing such a coexistence society and inclusive innovation. Universal design is a aimed at the provision of products, services, buildings, and social infrastructure for everyone to use easily, regardless of differences in personality, age, gender, cultural background, and physical condition. Universal design is expected to play a major role in providing products and services for people who need care and people with disabilities.
It is necessary to promote innovation that incorporates universal design into products, services, and social infrastructure while also utilizing the latest scientific and technological achievements.
［F］Social Infrastructures for an Information Society Enabled by Quantum Technology
The use of quantum technology is expected to realize quantum computers that can quickly solve problems that would take a huge amount of time with conventional computers; achieve quantum cryptography theoretically impossible to decipher; and perform highly accurate and sensitive measurement and sensing.
The use of quantum technology is also expected to create new value in a wide range of industrial and social fields, such as information and communications, manufacturing, pharmaceutical science, and chemical industries, and to contribute to the realization of a safe and secure society.
Major countries are making efforts in research on and development of quantum technology and working on practical applications of that research and development.
In such a situation, the question is what approach should Japan adopt for quantum technology?
To create growth opportunities for Japan’s industries and resolve social issues, it is important to incorporate quantum technology into the entire socio-economic system and fuse it with conventional (classical) technological systems (hybridization).
Apart from research on and development of quantum technology (which should attract worldwide attention) issues for Japan include participation, collaboration, and co-creation in the quantum field for various industries; promotion of industry-academia-government collaboration; realization of an environment open to the industrial sector for use of quantum technology; and international collaboration between industry, academia, and government.
Timetable (tentative)
*We are planning to hold, before the event, some online sessions for beginners, and online meetings of each group.
*In the interim session, participants will make poster presentations in their groups and get feedback from stakeholders and students in the other groups as input for their preparation for the final presentations.
* In the consulting session, you can directly ask professionals, policymakers and stakeholders (persons from ministries, private consultant companies, think tanks) for useful information about policy-making.
Inquiry
SciREX Center of GRIPS (National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies)
scirex-summer@grips.ac.jp
Other
During the Summer Camp, the staff members may take photos for posting on SNS and websites, or for inclusion in brochures for public relations purposes. Also, this event may be covered by the press. Please inform the secretariat if you prefer not to be photographed.