The Advisory Council 2001 met on November 16, 2001 at NIAES to obtain
outside opinions and recommendations on the management of NIAES. The members
of the council are external experts, including a professor, a consumer representative
and the directors of other national institutions (see Appendix).
Members were informed on 1) the general activities of NIAES in 2000 and 2)
the research outline of the new NIAES as an Independent Administrative Institution.
They were given tours of the four facilities in NIAES: 1) Analysis Facility
for Hazardous Chemicals in the Environment, 2) Soil Museum, 3) Facility for
Controlling Greenhouse Gas Emissions, and 4) Isolation Field for Transgenic
Plants.
The opinions expressed by the members were as follows:
1) News and other public announcements are technical, and the efforts to convey
research results and inventory to the general audience are insufficient.
2) There is a need to monitor public response to research results made available
to the public with regards to the utilization and acceptance of such information.
3) There is a need for open exchange with environmental NGOs and the general
public.
4) The nation is mired in uncertainly over food and environmental safety. NIAES
will win the support of the public when it provides them with basic and useful
data.
5) It is commendable that NIAES responded swiftly to the issues of Bt corn,
as was reported in Advisory Committee 2000. Such preparedness is crucial and
needs to be maintained.
6) There is a need to establish a system capable of incorporating new research
and client demands.
7) There is a need for networking with universities and other independent administrative
institutions for effective research and budgeting, and enhanced competition.
8) Research Program 2001 dealt with global environmental issues from an international
standpoint, but was lacking in Japan-specific input.
9) Developing countries' reaction to the Kyoto Protocols was strong, and they
advocate that: 1) CO2 emission from combustion systems should be compared to
pre-industrial revolution levels, and 2) CO2 absorption must be considered along
with the dynamic phase to estimate CO2 sink. More exchange is needed with these
developing countries.
10) The effect of CO2 reduction by the forest is debated in international conferences.
It is necessary to adjust within the administration (Ministry of Agriculture,
Forestry and Fishery, Ministry of the Environment, etc.) to establish the standpoint
of our country on this issue. It must also be arranged and established among
the Association of Environmental Research Institutes.
11) Currently the standard of evaluation is the number of research publication
and patents. It is as important to measure quality of their contents.
12) The standard which evaluates the individual research institute should vary
according to the purpose and function of each research institute. The suggestions
and contributions to the national policy, administration and international organizations
should be highly evaluated because the research goals carried out by NIAES are
mainly based on administration needs.
13) Institutions tend to expand excessively, and constant efforts are necessary
to maintain institutional integrity.
