Concerning the organization of the Science Council of Japan, Japanese Nobel laureates and others have expressed their intention to revise the law, including the introduction of a system in which a third party is involved in the selection of members by the government. A person issued a statement saying, ``I am deeply concerned that the revision of the law may damage the independence of the Science Council,'' and called on the government to reconsider the revision of the law and hold more discussions with the Science Council. I was.
Regarding the Science Council of Japan, the government has introduced a system to involve a third party in selecting members in order to increase the transparency of the organization. I plan to submit.
Regarding this, eight people including Hiroshi Amano, who won the Nobel Prize in Physics, issued a statement on the 19th of this month requesting careful consideration for the revision of the law, and it was shown at the executive meeting of the Science Council of Japan held on the 22nd. .
In the statement, referring to the fact that then Prime Minister Suga did not appoint six member candidates, he pointed out, "I am very concerned that the relationship of trust between the government and the academic world has been greatly damaged."
On top of that, we will reconsider the government's revision of the law, saying, ``There is a risk of damaging the independence of the Science Council, which will lead to the fundamental and important problem of academic independence,'' and will hold discussions with the Science Council. I asked for more space.
In addition, the executive committee expressed strong concern that if the law revision was forced, it could be the "beginning of the end" for Japanese academics.
At a subsequent press conference, Chairman Takaaki Kajita said, "This is a major issue that could become a turning point in the history of Japanese science, and we would like to once again request the government to take our concerns into account and reconsider."
Who are the eight people who made the statement?
Eight people, including Nobel laureates ,
issued a statement calling for careful consideration of the government's revision of the law concerning the organization of the Science Council of Japan
.
Yoshinori Ohsumi, winner of the Medicine Prize;
Makoto Kobayashi, winner of the 2008 Prize in Physics;
Hideki Shirakawa, winner of the 2000 Prize in Chemistry;
Akira Suzuki, winner of the 2010 Prize
in Chemistry; Ryoji Noyori, who won
the Physiology or Medicine Prize in 2018, Tasuku Honjo, who won the Physiology or Medicine Prize in 2018, and Shigefumi Mori, who won the Fields Medal, which is called the Nobel Prize in mathematics, in 1990.
On the 14th of this month, five former presidents of the Science Council jointly issued a statement regarding the organization of the Science Council of Japan, urging Prime Minister Kishida to reconsider government reforms that accompany legal revisions. .