An organization involved in academic research should not be turned into a political football. It is necessary to clarify where the problem lies.
Of the 105 candidates recommended as new members by the Science Council of Japan, the government did not appoint six, including legal scholars. It is the first time for the government to refuse to appoint people recommended by the academic research organization.
The Science Council of Japan is a body that makes proposals related to the promotion of science, and the prime minister has jurisdiction over the council under the law regarding the Science Council of Japan. It consists of 210 scientists and others with outstanding research results and achievements. The term of membership is six years, and half of the members are replaced every three years.
The government in 1983 switched from an election system among scholars, to a process in which the prime minister appoints people based on recommendations from academic organizations.
At the time of the change, in response to an opposition party member who said "political intervention can be expected," then Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone stated in the Diet that "the government's appointment is merely a formality."
It is problematic that the government has not fully explained its latest decision regarding the council's membership. How will the government maintain consistency with that past statement in the Diet? Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga must carefully explain the basis and reasons for his judgment.
Those who were excluded from the appointments included scholars who opposed the security-related laws and the revised Law on Punishment of Organized Crimes and Control of Crime Proceeds. One of them called for scrapping the bill on the security-related laws, as a speaker recommended by opposition parties at the Diet.
The council has objected to the government's decision, saying the six were likely excluded because they criticized the policies of the Cabinet of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The government must not close the door to the expression of various opinions.
The council has asked the government to appoint them as recommended. Opposition parties plan to pursue the responsibility of the government, saying this is a "serious threat to academic freedom."
As the six were not deprived of opportunities for free study and research, the opposition parties' criticism is wide of the mark.
The council is said to have a great influence on the government's allocation of budgets for research and development. As the government spends 1 billion yen in state funds a year on the operation of the council, it is natural for the government to be involved in the council's activities and personnel affairs to a certain extent.
The nature of the council is also being called into question. Many say the process of selecting members and the administration of meetings are unclear. The council needs to make efforts to improve those points.
Reflecting on scientists' involvement in World War II, the Science Council of Japan was established in 1949 and maintains the position of "rejecting research for military purposes." In 2017, the council asked universities and other institutes not to use the research support system provided by the Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency.
In the current situation in which information technology has developed significantly, it is unreasonable to set a boundary between scientific research for civilian and military purposes. It is also necessary to change outdated ways of thinking.
-- The original Japanese article appeared in The Yomiuri Shimbun on Oct. 6, 2020.
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