9:40 AM - 9:55 AM
[U06-03] Contributions from the Science Council of Japan to international cooperation in the field of Earth and planetary science
Keywords:Science Council of Japan, international cooperation, IUGG
Since its establishment in 1949, the Science Council of Japan (SCJ) has made a variety of contributions to international academic cooperation in every field of natural and social sciences as an official member of the International Science Council (ICSU: currently InterAcademy Council). The budget for international commitment has been stable in spite of continuous decline of the entire budget of SCJ. Recognizing that international cooperation is essential for research activities in the field of Earth and planetary science, ICSU has promoted the International Geophysical Year (IGY: 1957-58) and the 4th International Polar Year (IPY: 2007-08), while offering its membership to 12 international unions/associations in our field, including the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG). Under this international framework, the Japanese government has been offering financial support to those unions/associations through SCJ, in which 12 branch committees are organized under the Earth and Planetary Science Committee to appoint some members as delegates to executive meetings of those unions/associations and promote related domestic activities. In addition, SCJ co-hosts a general assembly of an international union/association held in Japan under the approval of the SCJ International Affairs Committee, as exemplified by the 2017 IAG-IASPEI Joint Scientific Assembly in Kobe. This presentation offers an overview of specific contributions from SCJ to international cooperation in the field of Earth and planetary science.