Editorial

14:51 JST, March 12, 2025

The Science Council of Japan (SCJ) should increase the transparency of its activities as long as it maintains the status of an organization that represents Japanese scientists and national funds are invested in its operations. This can be called an appropriate goal for reform.

The government has submitted to the Diet a bill that focuses on changing the SCJ from its current status as a “special organization of the state” to a special corporate entity.

The role of the SCJ is to contribute to the development of science and industry by providing recommendations and policy proposals to the government. However, it is hard to say that the council has so far made timely proposals.

Instead, the SCJ has opposed research on military-related technologies and has also put the brakes on certain research........

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