## (c) Collaboration with Academia and Local Governments

The use of know-how accumulated by academia and local government in international cooperation can lead to the beneficial and effective implementation of ODA. In this matter, JICA executes various areas such as qualitative project improvement, development of human resources for aid, and vitalization of regional project deployment. Cooperation with academia and local governments has come to the fore in a variety of project areas, including expert dispatch, acceptance of trainees and exchange students, partnership programs, and assorted lectures.

See also Box 6 on page 138 on collaboration with local governments through JICA partnership programs.

Moreover, in recent years, universities and institutes have increasingly contracted for comprehensive implementation of technical cooperation projects. The aid community, on one hand, hopes to utilize the intellectual assets that individual universities have accumulated for vitalizing and improving the quality of projects as well as developing human resources for aid. For universities, on the other hand, collaboration may facilitate accessing to developing countries and gaining opportunities for practical experience. To this end, a comprehensive collaborative framework has been introduced with academia (comprising agreements and memoranda relating to cooperation and collaboration). Nine agreement memoranda have thus far been concluded with 13 institutions, with the objective of building organized cooperative relationships and increasing the synergy of projects. These institutions, which have already entered into this framework, include Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, and Hiroshima University. Projects in international cooperation can be increasingly executed with utilizing the knowledge possessed by universities further.

For advancing in the form of public participation, the advanced expertise and experience of bodies, such as Japanese universities and local governments, have incorporated with Japanese ODA loan projects. In 2007, as many as 23 research projects were contracted to academic institutions, including a study for measures for less privileged students in China as well as natural rubber industry in Cambodia. Collaboration with academia also helps in regards to other areas of research, ex-post evaluation of projects and the acceptance of exchange students and trainees from developing countries as part of human resource development projects. Furthermore, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Bureau of Waterworks demonstrated its experience and expertise at the design stage of the Water Supply and Sewerage Project in India as assisting the concerned Indian organizations.

Japan, as well, organized the “ODA Partnership Seminar” with the discovery of cooperation opportunities with Japanese organizations as one of its objectives. In 2007, 17 organizations from all over Japan visited Indonesia to participate in this seminar. The participants, even after returning, make lively discussion and exchange opinions among the involved groups regarding the possibility of continued cooperation and others.

Also, cooperation agreements have been concluded with 12 universities for reinforcing collaborative relationships in ODA performance. Japan aims at wide-ranging cooperation with academia and local governments for efficient and effective implementation of ODA projects.

See also Box 2 on page 78 on scientific cooperation for global issues utilizing the expertise of academia, etc.

## (d) Collaboration with Local Governments and NGOs of Developing Countries

Working together with the local governments in developing countries and international and local NGOs is also important. Japan supports economic and social development through Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects. This cooperation is highly admired even among developing countries as careful, detailed, and rapid support with direct benefit at the grassroots level. The collaboration can strengthen NGOs and local civil societies, in addition to benefiting from various situations in developing countries. In 2007, as inhabitants of the Qiyas Village, Fara'a, District, Ibb Governorate, a steep mountainous region in Yemen, suffered from an unhygienic water supply system that can cause spread of Malaria, Japan assisted the Fara'a Local Council in Ibb Governorate for implementing a water network improvement project. $ ^{[11]} $ Specifically, the assistance set up water pumps and laid water supply pipelines to improve its communal water supply. It also comprehensively enhanced the living conditions in the village such as education and healthcare.