The Science for RE-designing Science, Technology and Innovation Policy (SciREX) Program established by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) in 2011 designated the Science, Technology and Innovation program at the National Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS) as one of the six (5 centers) SciREX program member universities (GRIPS, University of Tokyo, Osaka-Kyoto Universities, Hitotsubashi University, and Kyushu University). It was named GiST, standing for GRIPS Innovation, Science and Technology program, and functions as the leader and coordinator of the 6 member universities.
This program trains students to have the capability of employing a scientific approach in the planning, drafting, implementing, evaluating, and revising science, technology and innovation (STI) policies. The program, in particular, fosters administrative officials, practitioners, researchers, and others to have advanced skills for policy analysis and practice, and to acquire multiple disciplines required for exercising these. The program also nurtures research competence in social science fields, teaching skills in higher education, and high-level command of foreign languages.
The program hosts prominent professors from inside and outside Japan who are experts in science and technology policy studies. To offer more practical research education, the program accommodates front-line science and technology policymaking practitioners as lecturers. Additionally, the program invites eminent researchers and practitioners from inside and outside Japan to frequently hold research workshops and seminars.
Supported by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), GiST program works in cooperation with the National Institute of Science and Technology Policy (NISTEP), the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), and the Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI) under cooperative agreements. GiST is expanding its joint activities with the rest of the 6 SciREX member universities, namely the University of Tokyo, Hitotsubashi University, Osaka University & Kyoto Universities, and Kyushu University; and further with overseas universities and research institutions.
Under globalization, severe competition in international markets, and societal changes in the 21st century, science, technology and innovation (STI) is facing high expectations not only for creating new industries, but also for improving quality of life and solving environmental, societal, and economic issues. The same level of expectation is given to the STI policies that determine the direction of STI. Such circumstances have led the countries around the world to share the knowledge in drafting, designing, and implementing STI policies. Law, political science, and sociology researchers are developing a diverse theories and analytical methods for practical policy issues, and accumulating data analyses results. However, these are not necessarily put into good use in actual policy practice, and issues in policy practice is not sufficiently shared with these researchers. Under such circumstances, a strong need has arisen to cultivate human resources who will be responsible for establishing effective STI policies and corporate strategies, by exchanging mutual feedbacks and communication between practitioners and researchers.
