Home > Policy > White Paper, Notice, Announcement > White Paper > JAPANESE GOVERMENT POLICICIES IN EDUCATION, SCIENCE AND CULTURE 1994 > PART II Chapter 6 Section 7 1

Joint research between national universities and private enterprises, local public bodies, and other organizations is cooperative research on themes of common interest to the parties involved. For example, universities may accept researchers and research funds from private enterprises, thus enabling private-sector research to be carried out jointly with university researchers. In fiscal 1993 a total of 1,392 joint-research projects were carried out at 90 universities. The research covered a wide range of fields, including the development of materials and machinery ( Figure II.6.5 ).

Under the commissioned-research system, private enterprises and government ministries and agencies commission national universities to conduct research. The work is carried out by researchers in national universities as part of their official duties, and the cost is met by the party commissioning the research. In fiscal 1993 a total of 2,432 commissioned-research projects were undertaken at a cost of 6.91 billion yen ( Figure II.6.6 ).

Under the commissioned-researcher system, private-sector and other nonuniversity researchers and technicians receive graduate-level research guidance at national universities and interuniversity research institutes. The aim of this system is to improve researchers' skills and caliber. A total of 1,034 people were accepted under this system in fiscal 1993 ( Figure II.6.7 ).

Grants and endowments are funds received by national universities from private enterprises and other organizations for the purpose of subsidizing scientific research or educational costs. Such donations play an important role in promoting and revitalizing scientific research. Total donations in fiscal 1993 amounted to 50 billion yen ( Figure II.6.8 ).

Donors are eligible for favorable taxation measures. Corporate donors may write off the entire amount of such donations in their accounts as expenses, while individual donors may deduct donations from their gross income up to a certain limit.

Grants and endowments can also be used to enrich and revitalize educational and research activities in national universities and interuniversity research institutes through the endowment of chairs or research programs. As of August 1994 there were 48 endowed chairs and 11 endowed research departments.

The Ministry of Education, Science and Culture is actively promoting cooperation and coordination between universities and society through the establishment of centers for cooperative research in national universities. Such centers have been created at 38 national universities.

Centers for cooperative research are used as venues for joint research with the private sector and for commissioned research and other activities. They also contribute to the revitalization of local industry in a number of ways, including the provision of training for private-sector technicians and the provision of technical advice about private-sector research and development.

One of the categories included in the grants-in-aid for scientific research system is developmental scientific research. Since this category focuses on experimental and applied research with the potential for practical applications, private-sector and other nonuniversity researchers are encouraged to participate. Such researchers are participating in 400 of the 689 new research themes accepted under this system in fiscal 1994.

Figure II.6.5 National Universities' Joint Research with the Private and Public Sectors

Figure II.6.6 National Universities' Acceptance of Commissioned Research

Figure II.6.7 Acceptance of Commissioned Researchers

Figure II.6.8 Grants and Endowments Received by National Universities