Japan the General Assembly discussed how to amend the law to review the selection of members of the Academic Council, and issued a recommendation to the government that it should refrain from submitting it to the current Diet.
The Japan Academic Council has been discussed in the wake of then-Prime Minister Kan's refusal to appoint six candidate members, and the government is aiming to submit a bill to amend the law in the current Diet session.
At the general meeting held by the academic council on the 6th, government officials attended and explained the proposed amendment.
Regarding the members of the "Advisory Committee" who express their opinions on the selection of members, three people, including the chairman of the academic council and one expert of the government's "Council for Science, Technology and Innovation" chaired by the Prime Minister, discussed and reiterated that there would be no government intervention because the final appointment is made by the president of the academic council. There was a concern that the government's intentions would have an impact."
At the General Assembly meeting on the 17th, we held discussions again based on the contents of the previous day, and compiled two documents: a recommendation to the government and a statement to the people.
Among the recommendations, the recommendation to the government is that the government should temporarily refrain from submitting the revised bill to the current Diet session and establish an open forum for consultation to conduct a comprehensive and fundamental review of the entire academic system of the Japan, including the nature of the academic council.
Takaaki Kajita, president of the Science Council, said, "The government takes the recommendations seriously and hopes that the academic council will not go in the direction it is concerned about," and also made it clear that the government intends to hand over the written recommendations directly to the Prime Minister.
Japan Science Council Statement to the Public
At the General Assembly on the 18th, the Japan Science Council issued a statement to the people along with recommendations to the government.
"The government's decision to postpone the appointment was a decision that lacked transparency, the reasons for this decision were not given, and the minimum accountability was not met," the statement said, adding that the government was unilaterally notified of the revision of the law in December last year, and that there were problems with procedural legitimacy without sincere dialogue.
In addition, he noted that the proposed revision of the law "may impair the independence of the academic council," and that there are voices of concern shared by researchers in Japan and overseas.
In addition, there is a concern that the international reputation and trust of Japan will be damaged by the revision of the law, while the diverse views brought about by
academic independence from the power of the government and other institutions and the autonomous development will enrich the understanding of society and the world.
Citing the risk of causing a decline in research capabilities,
it should not be "the beginning of the end of Japan academia."
Chief Cabinet Secretary Matsuno: "Firmly accept the government's proposal and discuss it"
At a press conference on the afternoon of March 18, Chief Cabinet Secretary Matsuno stated, "The draft amendment to the Japan Academic Council Act has been carefully explained by the officials at the General Assembly of the Japan Academic Council held since yesterday and proceeded while fully listening to their opinions.
Regarding the timing of the submission of the revised bill, he stated, "We will continue to consider the possibility of submitting it to the current Diet session and submit it as soon as possible."