About Us

Message from JSPS's President

President
Yuichiro Anzai, Ph.D.

Succeeding Prof. Motoyuki Ono, I have been appointed to the post of president of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science. While holding in high esteem the achievements forged over the 80-year period since JSPS’s establishment in 1932 and valuing the support and trust of the Japanese people, I will strive to advance scientific research and foster new generations of talented young researchers.

The Great East Japan Earthquake that struck on 11 March was an unprecedented natural disaster that wreaked immense destruction on our nation. Extending my heartfelt condolences to the affected people, I pray for the speedy recovery and reconstruction of the devastated communities. At JSPS, we have received many messages of condolence and encouragement from counterparts and affiliates in a great many countries. They have been both heartening and uplifting to us. I would like to take this opportunity to extend our heartfelt appreciation to our colleagues for your warm friendship and caring words.

The mega-earthquake and tsunami demonstrated to us science’s significance and potential in tackling and taming the ferocity of nature. This goes not only for the natural sciences but also the humanities, social sciences, medicine and engineering. We have learned many valuable lessons from this experience, which will need to be applied in surging forward scientific research and human-resource development through the threshold of a new era. This will be our mandate.

Over the near future, Japan will continue to be confronted with many serious issues, not the least of which are an aging society exasperated by a low birth rate and a prolonged period of economic stagnation. From a wider perspective, international competition is becoming increasingly more intense as Asian and other nations become newly emerging forces within the global community. Concurrently, heightened expectation is being placed on Japan to help solve, with a long-term vision, the myriad of problems that affect large swaths of the human race. Amidst this milieu, it becomes all the more important for Japan to carry out scientific research and foster the next generations of researchers who will advance it by creating new genres of “knowledge” that can enrich the Japanese people’s lives while laying the foundations for achieving greater socio-economic development around the world.

As Japan’s core funding agency supporting scientific advancement, JSPS administers the Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research and other funding programs to underwrite scientific research initiatives. While working to cultivate budding researchers through the Research Fellowships for Young Scientists and other fellowship programs, JSPS places a high value on both researcher autonomy and research diversity. As a key member of the globe-spanning network of science organizations, JSPS also concentrates its effort on promoting international collaboration. Over recent years, JSPS has spearheaded initiatives to advance university reform in Japan, the latest being the “Leading Program in Doctoral Education” launched this fiscal year, while carrying out a broad-ranging program to engage young researchers in the frontiers of scientific progress.

We will strive to carry forward JSPS’s program in an even-more efficient and effective manner so as to meet the needs of researchers and students aspiring to careers in science across the spectrum of fields and also society’s multifaceted expectations for scientific advancement, while enhancing Japan’s contribution to global society. In these pursuits, we will employ a strength of “knowledge” needed to address the challenges of coming periods.

As we move this agenda forward, I ask for your greatly appreciated guidance, support and cooperation.

October 2011
Yuichiro Anzai, Ph.D.