May 25-28, 2008

Flexible International Exchanges: ASEAN COST+3: New Energy Forum for Sustainable Environment Held.

The Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) and Kyoto University jointly organized the “ASEAN　COST+3: New Energy Forum for Sustainable Environment (NEFSE),” held on 25-27 May, 2008 at Kyoto University (Kyoto, Japan).

In order to explore possibilities for joint research and development projects based on the ASEAN COST+3 scheme, NEFSE was proposed and approved as a joint project at the ASEAN COST+3 meeting held in Tokyo in November 2007 for the purpose of promoting collaboration among ASEAN COST+3 member countries in the fields of energy and environment.

The closed meeting on May 26 saw the participation of more than 30 representatives from ASEAN+3 member countries and the ASEAN secretariat office, with more than 50 researchers attending as observers.

In the first country report session, representatives gave presentations on the policy trends and challenges regarding research and human resource development in the fields of energy and environment in their respective countries. In the following session, reports were delivered on cooperative activities between Japan and Asian countries, especially those led by Kyoto University, in areas of research and human resource development. In the next sessions, the participants discussed the challenges and prospects for research cooperation and for collaborative human resource development among the member countries. In the summary session at the end of the meeting, Prof. Hiroshi Matsumoto, Executive Vise President of Kyoto University and chairman of NEFSE, recapitulated the discussion, after which Kyoto University proposed the establishment of a “New Energy Consortium for Sustainable Environment (NECSE),” comprising universities and research institutions in the ASEAN+3 member countries, for the purpose of promoting cooperation in research and human resource development in the fields of energy and environment. Based on the discussion, Kyoto University will modify and redistribute the proposal to the participants, who will continue to deliberate it as a vehicle for future cooperation.