Discussion for Academic Freedom

Universities in Japan are considering how far the distance between academic community and military study should be. After Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency of Ministry of Defense introduced new policy called Security Technology Study Promotion System in 2015, which would subsidize for military studies, researchers have been discussing correctness of study for military purposes. A committee in Science Council of Japan released interim report of their arguments earlier this month.

One of the major talking points in their discussion was about academic freedom, which Constitution of Japan guaranteed. Academic community has been improved with openness and independence of studies. One big question in the committee was whether the outcome of studies subsidized by the government could be opened. Although ATLA would support openness of every study, President of Kyoto University, Juichi Yamagiwa, appealed that the decision of disclosure should be made by each researcher, based on a notion that studies related to national defense could not always be disclosed.

As the government kept on reducing budget for academic studies, independence had seriously been concerned. Professor Emeritus of Nagoya University, Satoru Ikeuchi, indicated that a number of researchers hoped to maintain their studies under difficult financial condition. On the other hand, Professor Emeritus of Kyushu University, Toshimitsu Komatsu, encouraged military study, recognizing academic contribution to national self-defense as an obligation of citizen.

Another major talking point was distinction between military and civilian technologies. There is a study, for example, of power-assisting bodysuit, ordinary used for rehabilitation from illness, for military personnel in battlefield. Technology of cardiogram for fetus can be applied to detecting signal from submarine or launched missile. Most members of the committee realized that military study could not be distinguished from study for civilian purpose. While one argued that goodness and malice over security technology in cyber space could not be distinguished, another required protecting system for every scientific technology that would always be taken advantage of.

The interim report required guarantee for independence of academy, which had historically been regulated by the government. Subsidy for military study was recognized to be causing intervention by government officials. The committee also hoped every university to establish checking system for appropriateness of studies possibly related to military purpose. Academic freedom in Japan is in jeopardy to the extent that researchers have to discuss their basis for studying.