The Foundation was pleased to support an important event in the Australia Now program run by the Australian Embassy in Tokyo.   The Australian National University led two forums in Tokyo and Osaka in November 2018, focusing on science and technology diplomacy and public policy.

The University of Tokyo was co-lead for the Tokyo forum and Osaka University co-hosted the Osaka forum.  Rio Tinto Fellow, Professor Jenny Corbett, was a co-organizer for the programme. Rio Tinto Japan was a platinum sponsor of the Australia Now program and provided additional hospitality for the Forums.  

The forums brought together researchers, the public sector and the business community to provide updates on a range of global issues that require public policy responses and where scientific collaboration would provide better informed policy and innovative solutions. Those areas include, among other topics, energy policy, climate change and the environment, ageing and public health.

The forums were platforms for facilitating links between scientific research, business-university relationships and the development of strong evidence-based public policy. Research presentations described research results and demonstrated what makes successful research collaborations.  Panel discussions addressed some of the difficult issues in research collaboration and in ethical questions required for responsible research and technology. 

Early career researchers were particularly encouraged to attend and build their networks.  The Tokyo event generated a lot of twitter activity which can be seen at #SciDipTokyo