PRESS RELEASES

The 4th Meeting of the ASEAN-Japan Cooperation Committee on Science and Technology

November 20, 2013

    On 11 November 2013, the 4th Meeting of the ASEAN-Japan Cooperation Committee on Science and Technology (COST) was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The Japanese delegation was headed by Mr. Atsushi Arakawa, Director for International Cooperation, International Science and Technology Affairs Division of Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), and other delegation members including representatives of Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) and Mission of Japan to ASEAN. From the ASEAN side, H.E. Dato’ Dr. Rosli Mohamed, Secretary General of Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation of Malaysia, was the Chair of COST, and other COST members and officials of the ASEAN Secretariat attended the meeting.

    In the meeting, the ASEAN side updated their recent S&T activities, and Japan explained the Comprehensive Strategy on Science, Technology and Innovation designed by current Japanese Government, followed by JST and JSPS’s explanation about current status of their projects. Japan also introduced a youth exchange program in the S&T field as new initiative implemented under JENESYS 2.0 and ASEAN side was much interested in the selection of participants of the program.

    In addition, COST+3 meeting which was a venue for dialogue between COST member and +3 countries (Japan, China and Republic of Korea) was held after the AJCCST meeting and participants exchanged views on various S&T activities between ASEAN and representative +3 countries.

    Science, Technology and Innovation is regarded as an important tool to establish ASEAN Economic Community and ASEAN side expects to strengthen further cooperation between ASEAN and Japan.