From Davos-3

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A new session of "IdeasLab with・・・" started this year, so I adjusted my schedule to create time to join in this session with Yale University.

Four professors presented summary of issues, each for five minutes (Power Point could be used, so "visual" effect was important), after which followed group discussions on each theme so as to produce a number of conclusions.  Very nice style.  Davos meeting is creative in many ways.  At the Yale session, presenters were two professors on economics, my friend Dr. Daniel Esty（a member of Obama’s transition team, specialist of environment）, and especially Dr. Robert Shiller’s presentation about the history of collapse of housing bubbles was extremely interesting.  The last presenter was President Richard Levin who started with recent scientific topics in Yale.  Everybody was good, but Dr. Levin was especially impressive in・・・so to say "performance."  Indeed he is a cream of the crop. 

Dsc00547_presentation_1 Photo2: From right, Professor EZ Ponce de Leon of Yale University raising an issue, Professor Richard Pascale of Oxford University acting as Facilitator, Professor Robert Shiller and Daniel Esty of Yale.

Dsc00548_in_front_of_the_screenPhoto3: Professor Shiller at presentation.

Among the discussions that followed, I mainly participated in the group of Dr. Levin, which was very interesting.  Admitting the strength of American/European Universities and research careers that develop individual talents by systematically supporting constant competition away from home ground, the argument followed that this is exactly the point where Asia, especially Japan, is weak.  All participants quickly agreed on this point, and I also repeatedly point this problem out on many occasions.  Especially, at this timing when progress and global competitions are inevitable, one of our conclusions was to recognize the mission of higher education for developing talents and potentials of the younger generation.

Dsc00549_screen_with_photos Photos4～5：　Presentation by President Levin.

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In the evening of 30th, I accepted invitation to seated dinner hosted by UBS where David Cameron, Leader of Conservative Party, gave speech.  British politicians are extremely good at speeches. 

After dinner I left the place to participate in a meeting of Cambridge University starting from 10:30pm.  It was a small gathering, but opening address by Vice-Chancellor Allison Richard(I have explained why the head of Cambridge University has this unusual title in my blog in 2006) was charming, starting with comment on the 800th anniversary Cambridge is celebrating this year.  President Komiyama of Todai, President Susan Hockfield of MIT were also present.  The meeting continued till late at night as we enjoyed conversation.

Presidents Richard and Hockfield represent epoch-making changes in global age which I stress repeatedly in my blog.  Both of them were Provost of Yale University before being recruited to the presidency of Cambridge and MIT respectively.  Dr. Hockfield was successor to Dr. Richard at Yale, both personnel transfers having been managed by President Levin whom I touched upon earlier in this column(Dr. Levin told me personally several years ago that Provost is appointed by President.) .  I am amazed by Dr. Levin’s outstanding insight.

In any organization or institution- universities, companies, government offices, etc. -leaders must be likewise.  After all, ultimately, the essence is education.  It is all about bringing up talents.

The National Vision of Japan-at the new year meeting of Japan Science and Technology Agency

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Soon after returning back from Washington, on January 14th , I was at the new year meeting of JST (Japan Science and Technology Agency) where a large number of people from government, academia, and industry sectors related to science and technology gathered.  The venue was full to its capacity, as is always the case.

I was appointed to give the keynote lecture for this year, so I talked about my impression of the new administration of the United States as well as about my two lectures in December where I drew a picture of the national vision of Japan as I see it ( please refer to my posting of January 1st etc.).

20090114jst02dsc_04701Photo1: Myself lecturing

Content of my lecture is also summarized and posted on internet sites (in Japanese) by former journalists Mr. Koiwai and Mr. Deguchi, who were also present at the meeting.  Thanks to both of them for expanding my opinion.  I truly appreciate it.

From Washington－Part2: A new cooperation between scientists

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I spent almost all three days in Washington inside the US National Academies.  I even asked some people to come see me here for meetings.

On January 8, I checked into my hotel room and first got some rest.  Then in the afternoon I attended a press briefing on a new report from the National Research Council.  Stanford University president John Hennessy and former National Security Advisor Brent Scowcroft (Ref.1 ) are co-chairs of the study committee that produced the report.  Besides them, three others also appeared before reporters.  All are impressive people.  Study committees include not only Academy members but also experts necessary to deliberate specific topics.

I knew that Dr. John Gage and Dr. Norman Neureiter were also at the press conference as committee members.  But since I slipped out in the middle I was unable to see them.  But I was able to meet with Dr. John Gage the following day.

I saw him in the morning at a public lecture by Harvard professor Calestous Juma at the NAS.

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Photo1-3: Prof. Juma during lecture; a girl with laptop from Negroponte’s One Laptop per Child, Dr. John Gage, Prof. Juma and myself

For the first two days, I locked myself up in the National Academies and met many people one after another. 

I held meetings separately with the heads of the three organizations of the National Academies; Dr. Harvey Fineberg from the Institute of Medicine, Dr. Charles Vest from the National Academy of Engineering, and Dr. Ralph Cicerone from the Academy of Sciences.  We discussed plans for cooperation between scientists of Japan and the US under the new administration. Most of the time I went around with Dr. John Boright, executive director of international affairs.

I also held various discussions with major figures from the World Bank and the Atlantic Council of the United States including Mr. Fred Kempe.

Dsc00467 Photo4: With Dr. Vest

Dsc00469 Photo5: STS Forum conference, (from left) myself, Dr. Rita Colwell, Dr. Yuan Tseh Lee (Ref.1)

On January 10th, I spent the day in heated discussions at a committee for the STS Forum that will be organized by Koji Omi, a member of Japan’s parliament.  I look forward to seeing a lot of friends and acquaintances there too.

I think I had three very, very fruitful days to start the New Year.

A lot of the people that I mentioned in this column are those I have already introduced on this blog in the past.  Please try to search for the articles.

From Washington－Part1: High hopes for Obama and his “outstanding” cabinet choices

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I have spent New Year’s in Washington for the past three years.  But the atmosphere this year is completely different.  The wave of hope and expectations for the new president Barack Obama is growing even more in Washington as he has so far picked an extremely smart, top-notch team of cabinet members and advisors. 

He has assembled brilliant scientists to advise him on science policies.  Steve Chu, a Nobel prize-winning physicist and Director of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, was chosen to be Secretary of Energy.  Lawrence Summers who is currently the Charles W. Eliot University Professor at Harvard University was named to head the National Economic Council.  Obama’s Science Advisors include Harvard physicist John Holdren, Harold Varmus, a Nobel laureate who ran the NIH and is now President of Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, and MIT genome professor Eric Lander.  The former president of the ICSU Jane Lubchencho will head the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.  The team is made up of top academics who have actively been speaking out about climate change and other environmental issues.  They are all highly respected and trusted people within scientific circles.  It’s a very impressive roster. 

Confirmation congressional hearings will begin one after another this week.  I have heard that contacting the nominees is strictly forbidden as it could be viewed as government post hunting.   

With these appointments the direction of the Obama administration’s energy and environmental policies seems pretty clear.  Meanwhile, in Japan the only top-notch or great thing (?) seems to be technology.  Nothing gets done in politics, finance, industry, government, media, and academia because of continual wrangling with vested interests or those resisting change.  All you hear about are reasons why something can’t be done.  If this continues, I am very worried that we will be left behind from the rest of the world.  I am waiting for a new and different trend to emerge in Japan too.      

Over the last couple of days Obama has announced parts of his economic policies.  A feeling of pride seems to be spreading among the American people over having chosen a great leader at this difficult time and turning point in the world’s history (At least that’s the sense I get from talking to the people around me.) .  They are gradually starting to feel confident that they can overcome problems together even though it will take time to realize the goals.  The challenges are enormous, but I can sense the will of the nation or the American mind that is striving to be the leader of the world.   

I wish a new trend like this would emerge in Japan.  Do you feel it coming?  It is so frustrating. 

However, once the Obama administration is inaugurated it does have a mountain of problems to climb.  The US economic woes, the war on terror in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and the Gaza conflict etc.  Not only are they extremely complex problems, but they also demand urgency. 

Japan has its hands full with domestic problems. Maybe it is fortunate after all that it has less influence and faces lower expectations from the rest of the world?  I am not sure if that is really okay.

A new national vision

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On January 1st, I posted a column titled “National vision of Japan- in start of the New Year”.  There, I mentioned about my two lectures on December 8th and 11th, which touched upon a national vision which I would propose, from my own point of view, “to become an exporting country of food and clean energy by 2003”.

“The Nihon Butsuryu Shinbun (Japan Physical Distribution Newspaper)” January 1st edition, printed an abstract of my lecture on January 11th which appeared under the title of “Let’s become a net-exporting country of food and energy”.  (Since I haven’t read this draft prior to printing, I made some minor changes in particles and words.)

●“Introduction” Professor Kiyoshi Kurokawa at the National Graduate Institute of Policy Studies (GRIPS) gave a key note lecture on December 11th at “Eco products 2008” held in Tokyo (by the auspices of Japan Environmental Management Association of Industry, and Nikkei Newspaper).  He pointed out straightforwardly issues of Japan and energy problems to survive this global age.

■Monozukuri (item making) in Japan is vertical in structure from the beginning to the end.   The cell phone sales in the world is 3 million per day, and 40% of the share is taken by Nokia, followed by Motorola, Samsung (15% each), and Sony Ericsson of Japan (9%) finally appears at the 4th place.  But recently Sony is overtaken by LG of Korea, so the sales are not good at all even though Japan is standing as a Monozukuri country.  The good news however is that 65% of components are still made in Japan.  It’s because of the quality.  If we are to survive by making components, we must be like Intel.  Japan is patiently working to fill the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th contracts, but isn’t this because Japanese people do not know how to make stories, lack imagination, or world view?

●Countless useful technologies are at hand

■In energy problems also, the key is how to utilize the strength which Japan already have.  Water, forests, hot springs etc are natural resources that exist from the beginning.  Of course, we do have some weak points such as earthquakes… Why not use those natural resources as energy?  Take electricity for example ? is the current apportion of thermal power 65%, water power 10%, and atomic power 25% good enough?  Don’t we want to impress the world by coming up with some good idea?

■Atomic power might be good for the time being, but even in a huge country like America, they are having difficulty in getting the laws passed for disposal of the nuclear wastes.  People are so sensitive about those things.  Scientists say that with the technology today it is unthinkable that accidents will occur, but who can be so sure?  How about the possibility of terrorism?  (I added this.)  I would like to stress that Japan has so many technologies for not using nuclear power although we have ability to shift nuclear technologies to overseas.  For example, we already know that just 2% of the solar energy falling to the earth is enough to manage the energy needs of the whole world.

■I hear that some companies are fighting against the shift of current light to LED and other less power consuming devices, but I suspect that they are manufacturers who don’t produce LEDs and so on.  Similar problems exist also in aluminum sash industry, and I think Japan is the biggest consumer of aluminum sashes among the developed countries.  It is ridiculous to use aluminum for windows if you want to insulate heat because the material transmits heat so quickly.  Vinyl chloride or wood is much better.  Is it again just because of the opposition from the aluminum industry?  World is changing, so we’d better not make ourselves fall behind.

●“Let young people draw pictures for the future”

■I suggest that Japan set a goal to be a net-exporter of food and clean energy and this is possible, from my point of view, by 2030 if we really try.  Draft a 10 year plan, list missions for each 5 years and make a road map.  Have people evaluate the achievement constantly.  I don’t care who will work on the plans – government offices, think tanks, or whatever, but people over age 45 should stay out of this because it is a picture for the future. (people laugh)

■We have come to a year of turning point.  It is 150 years from the publication of “On the Origin of Species” by Darwin.  The most important message in this book is that in the long history of survival, it is not the strongest, not the wisest, but the one which has adapted most to the changes in environment of that age that has survived.  Today, environment has changed drastically.  Are we, the Japanese, going to keep on walking behind others?

Above are my points.  What do you think?

Ridiculous? Then, I suggest that you read the last 5 lines of my column of January 1st.

National vision of Japan – in start of the New Year

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Last year was such a disastrous year.  How would America tackle the economic crises with its new president, I wonder?

Climate change is the major issue now for every country, and Japan must think seriously about its energy policy also.  At the time of Prime Minister Fukuda administration, a special meeting for this issue was set up with president Okuda of Toyota as the chairperson to prepare a draft for the Toyako summit. Current administration is too occupied with other things, so it seems, that even works on Kyoto Protokol is halting.  I understand that they cannot help it, but we must not take a wrong way.  This is in a sense an opportunity for Japan.

Below are the handouts I’ve submitted to the meetings. URLs are given below.  Here, I expressed part of my views on energy policy towards a low carbon society.  What do you think? (The papers are in Japanese only.)

　・Handouts of the 2nd Meeting with Prime Minister (April 5th )
　・Handouts of the 3rd Meeting with Prime Minister (April 22nd )
　・Handouts of the Committee of Agriculture, Liberal Democratic Party (Chairperson, Koichi Kato)

Through those handouts, I hope you can see that the national vision of Japan as I think is “To become an exporting country of food and clean energy by 2030.”

Draft a 10-year plan, and the first and second 5-year plans to go with it.  Disregard the traditional system of policymaking, and write a cross-ministry/government first 5-year plan of “Mission, Strategic roadmap, Annual Objectives” with the participation and help of lots of people from academic, government, and industrial sectors.

By doing so, the Ministry of Finance would be able to set up more innovative budget plans and backup policies for the structural reforms.  Of course, it is important to inform people about the progress on regular basis, as well as to keep the process open and transparent.

Since this is a long-term future plan, the work is for people at age 45 or younger.  Of course, include non-Japanese as well as all sorts of hearings.

Those were my core message in my 50 minutes’ keynote lecture on December 8th (Mon.) on energy policy at a conference held under the auspices of the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy as well as a meeting on eco-products hosted by Nikkei on December 11th (Thurs.).  Both were attended by nearly 1,000 motivated people.

Do you say it is impossible by 2030?  Then, who could tell a year ago, that Obama would become a president?

This national vision is a matter of politics and will of people.

“Yes, We Can”, it is.

Now, what do you think will be of Japan and the world in the year 2009?

Emperor as a scientist

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Today, 23rd of December is a holiday for celebrating the 75th birthday of our Emperor, Akihito.

In my recent column, I’ve introduced you the extraordinary speech our Emperor has given at the Linnean Society of London in celebration of the 300th anniversary of the birth of Carl Von Linne and asked you to “read it by all means…”.

In the New Year special edition of Asahi Weekly magazine (Jan.2 and 9th editions combined) now on sale at bookstores, appears an interview of Dr. Toshitaka Hidaka, ethologist, and Mitsumasa Anno, artist, in which they comment on this Emperor’s address.

Those two giants of Japanese culture commented very much like I did about this wonderful speech of the Emperor.  I was so delighted that although my previous introduction of this speech to the public was by a sheer chance of being invited to Kobe symposium on preservation of bioresources, I had to ask all of you again to “read it by all means”.

From Rome

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left Bellagio early in the morning of November 1st. The road was jammed because of some strike, and took 3 hours to the airport in Milano. Arrived at Rome where the weather was beautiful, checked in to the hotel at the hilltop of Piazza di Spagna (Spanish square) at noon, did staff meeting over lunch. Then, to the ministry of foreign affairs of Italy. The building of the ministry was said to be originally planned for the headquarters of fascist party, but was not used because of the delay in construction.

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Photo 1, 2: At the meeting in the Ministry of foreign affairs of Italy, With Mr. Massolo, the Sherpa.

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A discussion for about one hour with Mr. Massolo, the Sherpa of next year’s G8 summit, and other government high officials.  The topics were outcomes and significance of “track 2” process in Japan, outcomes of discussions at Bellagio on “track 2”, expectations for Global Health at the coming G8 summit in Italy, etc. I am thankful to all who participated for spending such a long time on this discussion. There was a heavy rainfall in the late afternoon.

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Photos 3-7: Scenes from Vatican Museum

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Photos 8-11: St Peter’s Basilica, with Mr. Banno and Mr. Tanabe.

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It was also raining on Nov.2nd, the next day. In the morning, visited briefly to Vatican Museum (another URL of the Museum). The last time I was here was almost 10 years ago. I noticed that the entrance part was newly built but the collections on exhibition were wonderfully magnificent, as always. I could not help but ponder on many themes such as the complicated history of Europe, politics v.s. religions, wealth and commonalty, power of art, Raphael (another URL), Michelangelo, and so on.

There was little time left by the time I was at Sistine Chapel, but I recalled seeing part of the sketch of this at special exhibition of the works of Michelangelo at the British Museum two years ago. The scale of the work is just overwhelming even to imagine about it. Finally, in the end, I went to St. Peter’s Basilica, the largest in the world. It was also so astonishing. Next time when I have a chance, I would like to see those places more slowly.

Mr. Ando recently arrived to Italy as the newly appointed Ambassador. He was Assistant Chief Cabinet Secretary at the time I was Special Advisor to the Cabinet and is very well informed about Toyako G8 summit etc. So our conversation went very smoothly while we took late lunch of seafood, from my part talking about the objectives of this visit, and from his part news and information about Italy. Mr. Tobe, official of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, currently working at the embassy, and Mr. Banno, my staff, also joined in the lunch. I asked Mr. Ando for cooperation and guidance for the next follow up meeting scheduled in February in Rome again.

I took a night flight to Japan. Many difficult problems lie ahead in this global era, on one hand difference in politics in each country, on the other hand economy crises, climate change, food problems, and so on. How do we fill the gap between the difference in politics of nations and global issues? During this trip, I was made to contemplate on many things about politics in Japan and Italy.

In the United States, Hillary Clinton was nominated Secretary of State.

Global Entrepreneurship Week, NPO nurturing young entrepreneurs

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Kauffman foundation is a foundation devoted to Entrepreneurship.

From November 17 to 23, the foundation orgnaized  “Global Entrepreneurship Week” involving about 80 countries of the world to promote global understanding of entrepreneurial spirit and actions. Japan hosted two meetings, each in Tokyo and Kyoto, under the initiatives of Honda Foundation, GRIPS where I belong, Asia Productivity Organization, etc. By the way, Honda prize awarding ceremony was held a day before the Tokyo meeting. Official language was English for all meetings.

The meeting in Tokyo was opened with a lecture, followed by a project named “Elevator Pitch”.  Participants must “sell their idea(s) or project(s) to an angel investor in 30 seconds in an elevator which they happened to meet”. Three teams were selected from nearly 40 applications by screening of video presentations, and each presented as a team of three persons. The winners of the game were Asia Pacific University and Akita International University. Students from Akita were all females and no Japanese was included. Let me point out that those two universities are exceptionally internationalized compared to most of other universities in Japan.

To illustrate how "internationalized" they are, for example, 50% of 5000 Asia Pacific University undergraduates are from overseas and half of the courses are offered in English.

At Akita International University, T-score of students is over “80” at the time of admission, as I was told. It is a small university but with full liberal arts education. All students are required to reside in dormitory during their junior year, will study for one year at overseas universities during their enrollment, and 40% of the students in campus are international students because of this student exchange program. All courses are basically given in English with exceptions of elective language courses such as Japanese, French, etc.

In Kyoto, the venue was Ritsumeikan University. The lecturers here were also energetic and I enjoyed very much.

Photo: At Kyoto University. Kid entrepreneurs participated, too.

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Photo: At Kyoto University. Kid entrepreneurs participated, too.

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Next day, at Kyoto University clock tower in the midst of university festival, there were presentations and booth exhibition hosted by NPO Center for Entrepreneurship Education. It’s topic was businesses targeting on practical local ecology, and even primary school children were participating. Visit the Web site of the event (in Japanese but photos are nice) to catch the idea of its atmosphere. They were quite entertaining and also a good opportunity to understand the unique and interesting ideas those children and students have. I even thought that some of them already had potentials of flourshing just with a little help from existing corporations. Apparently, this kind of event provides a wonderful education and good experience for young people. I hope you will extend support for those activities.

Ms. Kikuko Harada, the leader of this NPO is doing a good job. Your support and personal or institutional donations are welcome here also. I urge you to visit its web site. The children looks nicely high spirited and motivated, don’t they?