of an attempt to encourage Japanese people from different sectors to take part in ODA programs. This project is a public-participation-type project supported by JICA. The project enables middle-aged people from the age of 40 to 69 who desire to use their wide range of technical skills and abundant experience for the development of developing countries with a volunteer spirit to participate in ODA activities. The project was commenced in fiscal year 1990. As of fiscal year 2003, 1,746 seniors had been dispatched to 53 countries in total as overseas volunteers.

Other systems to promote public participation include the annual International Cooperation Festival held in commemoration of International Cooperation Day (October 6), the ODA Town Meetings commenced from August 2001, and ODA Citizen Inspection commenced from fiscal year 1999. For further information on the current state of the Town Meetings, see Part II, Chapter 2, Section 6, 2-(4).

## (2) Human Resource Development and Development Research

In order to solve ever-diversifying development issues and provide assistance in cooperation with the international community, it is essential to develop human resources because assistance activities would not succeed without the help of people with expertise and deep knowledge about as well as wide experience in developing countries who can communicate well in foreign languages. For promotion of public participation and improvement in efficiency, it is important to find and nurture such development professionals.

In an effort to promote human resources development, FASID (Foundation for Advanced Studies on International Development) was established in 1990 as a part of the vision to create an international development university. FASID provides training for development professionals, dispatches researchers and other personnel overseas, and conducts studies and research. In April 2000, in collaboration with GRIPS (National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies), FASID started offering the International Development Program (Collaborative program) as a part of the master's course of GRIPS. In April 2002, FASID started offering the Program in the doctor's course of GRIPS. FASID also sends teachers to some universities to give lectures and teach classes on issues related development cooperation.

Studies and research on issues and themes concerning development and assistance are conducted by JICA as well in order to accurately understand the needs of developing countries and carefully observe the trends of the international community. JICA accepts external experts as researchers

A class of the international development program at GRIPS (Photo: FASID)

mostly from universities and research institutions. The subjects of studies and research conducted by JICA include (1) strategies for projects carried out in major recipient countries and regions and projects related to major sectors and issues, (2) know-how and methods for provision of assistance, and (3) individual issues that are important for the implementation of specific assistance programs. JBIC also accepts visiting researchers and conducts studies and research on issues concerning development assistance and development policies in collaboration with researchers at home and abroad in cooperation with the World Bank and other international organizations.

As part of such efforts as mentioned above, the government commenced offering services at the Human Resources Information Center for International Cooperation of JICA in October 2003. In order to make effective use of personnel engaging in international cooperation on a wide scale, the Center offers job information of JICA and other international cooperation organizations, accepts registration under JICA's International Cooperation Personnel Registration System, and provides information about training programs and seminars.

Furthermore, in order to make better use of intellectual resources possessed by Japanese universities and to promote collaboration among organizations engaging in assistance activities, the Support and Coordination Project for University Cooperation in International Development was established in July 2003 in the campus of GRIPS, and the development of the environment for participation of universities and other institutions in development cooperation activities has been promoted through compilation of databases and holding of training courses.

## (3) Development Education

Children who have received development education have greater interest in environmental problems and deeper