SCIREX OPEN FORUM

6TH SESSION

Changing Science, Technology and Innovation Policy
Ecosystem and Human Resources Development
From international perspective

February 5th , 2021
18:00-19:30
Venue: Online

Today’s speakers & program• Introduction (10 min)
• Presentations from speakers(20 minx2)• Discussion between speakers(20min)• Questions from the audience(15min)• Closing (5min)Short description on SciREX Center• SciREX is a government funded program that focuses on research and education for establishingevidence-based science policies.
• The Aim is to facilitate co-evolution between public policy and research on STI, “science for policy”• The program was established in JFY2011 and has been funded by the Ministry of Education, Culture,Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT).
• The SciREX Center coordinate all the SciREX activities among the 5 core centers (6 universities) and3 related public research centers.
• SciREX provides [TRAINING], conducts [RESEARCH], collects and analyzes data [OUTCOME &RESOURCES], and maintains and develops [NETWORKS]• The Center is located at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS).

Topic of this session

What sort of skills and capacities are needed for ‘Science for
Policy’ in changing context?
Current realities of ST&I policy making and implementation• Global challenges and local implementation• Fast technological change• Fast diffusion of technology• Large disparities in uptakes of technology• Transdisciplinary nature of science, technology and innovation• Involving diverse stakeholders (local, global government, community, citizen)• Increasing complexity

Goals of this session• Identify what sort of skills, capacities and functions are needed for policy
making and effective implementation in current context• Understand external experiences on capacity building for STI policy

Discussion points

What kind of capabilities are needed in STI policy to deal withtransformative realities?
How can we identify these capacities? (WHAT ARE THEY?)
How can the capabilities be built/to be complemented with andby whom? (HOW and WHO)

What sort of capacity building/training are effective and needed?
(HOW TO OPERATIONALIZE?)About the follow-up survey on SciREX activities⚫ Survey aim: As a part of overall review of the 10 years ofSciREX center activities⚫ Population: 525 (former and current students (245),professors, researchers & experts (169) , advisors (16) policy
makers (95 only from MEXT); There are some duplications.
⚫ Methods: Internet survey, in English and Japanese⚫ Response rate:45%⚫ Survey period: Nov 2nd, 2020-Nov. 30th, 2020
Detailed discussion- Next Open Forum on 12th, Feb

Knowledge, Capabilities, and Human Resources called for exercising “Science for Policy”:
Typical Answers
Many replied “expertise,” “ability to connect research and practice,” and ”basic capacities for policymaking” are essential.
Especially called for are those who can deal with various fields and people related to policymaking.
Capabilities

Details

Expertknowledge

64•••
•

Able to make policy analyses with own expertise even including non-expert fields
Highly specialized expertise, and able to overview the whole, and even able to view beyond expert fields
Knowledge about statistics and econometrics in implementing EBPM
Able to understand, to some extent, researchers’ analyses and proposals

3••••

Both knowledge of Theory (science) and Reality (practice)
Able to talk about evidence-based policymaking
Ability to coordinate policies to be applied to society
Able to connect literacies of expertise in science, technology and innovation fields

32••
•
•

Ability to wrap-up own thoughts in one page
Able to multifacetedly analyze the causes based on various theories
Had basic social science training
Ability to analyze the current status and establish policies (projects)••••

Able to communicate across various fields
Ability to understand expertise of each field and accept the approaches in other fields
Had training for having a birds-eye view beyond expert fields, businesses, and academic fields
Interested in society as a whole and able to find out social issues, willing to solve them, and prepared with
sufficient knowledge to do soAbilities to manage, wrap-up, and plan throughout projects
Able to involve various stakeholders, reach agreements, and show results
Ability to think on both political and scientific sides and draw results
Able to co-work with a variety of people and reach agreements

Link researchand practice
Basic capacities
and knowledge
for policy
Knowledge
across variousfields

27

Ability toinvolve variousstakeholders

18••••Act proactively

7• Tenacity to persuade policymaking and related people• Able to be flexible to listen to various opinions, select them, and act• Able to view research work as own matter or businessA Chart from the follow-up survey
Capabilities and Human Resources Needed to Advance “Science for policy”⚫ To advance “Science for policy”, students (former & current) selected more expert knowledge, while professors selected linking researchwith practice and policymakers selected linking research and practice as well as taking initiatives and being able to gain knowledgeacross various fields.
⚫ Images of capabilities and human resources vary depending on individuals.
100%

Ability to involve various stakeholders

90%

12.5%

9.7%

7.5%

22.6%

25.0%

Link research and practice 4.2%
80%
70%

Act proactively 4.2%
14.6%
Knowledge
across various fields

60%

2.2%

7.5%

14.0%
20.8%

50%

Basic capacity and knowledge on policy

17.5%
14.0%

40%

22.5%

30%
20%
10%

43.8%

37.6%

Expert knowledge

20.0%

0%

Graduatedstudents (48)
修了生(48件)

教員(93件)
Professors (93)

行政官(40件) (40)
Policymakers※”No answers” are not reflected on this chart.