On January 17, 2005, Mr. Hiromichi Endo, Head of the Asian Program Division, and one member of his division visited the National University of Singapore, JSPS’s counterpart agency in Singapore, to hold the 15th Joint Staff Meeting.

At the meeting, JSPS and NUS reviewed the state of scientist exchanges and joint seminars implemented between FY2002 and FY2004 under the New Scientific Exchange Program. The two organizations agreed to make further efforts to encourage researchers who are interested in conducting joint seminars with researchers from other countries.

Mr. Endo explained the two new programs called “Asian CORE Program” and “AA Science Platform Program”, which are scheduled to be launched in September 2005. These programs are designed to create prominent research hubs within the Asian region, while fostering the next generation of leading researchers.

After the meeting and the following day, JSPS delegation visited the below-mentioned faculties and institutions to observe their activities and explore the potential for further cooperation.

- Department of Japanese Studies, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, NUS
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology
- Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Initiative, Faculty of Science, NUS
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Nanyang Technological University
- Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Initiative, Faculty of Engineering, NUS
- Data Storage Institute
- Institute of Materials Research and Engineering
- Singapore Synchrotron Light Source, NUS

The Joint Staff Meeting with NUS is held every two years, alternating between the two countries. The next one is scheduled to be held in Japan in FY2006.