How to establish a center of excellence in Japan : Lessons from the United Kingdom

(1)日本和英国科技政策的主要目标背道而驰。作为世界科学超级大国之一，英国的主要目标是将科学活动应用于工业生产，以增强其经济实力。相反，日本的主要目标是让科学活动更具创造性。因此，最好是从联合王国的历史中吸取教训，因为联合王国的科学一直保持着最好的地位，而不是从她最近的政策问题中吸取教训。(2)联合王国实行双重资源分配制度，包括一般的大学资金分配和通过研究理事会进行的特定资源分配。后者似乎有效地促进了各学科之间的竞争。取得丰硕成果的一群研究人员可以获得更多的资源，成为卓越中心。(3)经常被描述为“隐形大学”的网络是日本卓越中心的理想模式。(4)Kakeni(文部科学省科学研究助学金)是日本主要的选择性研究基金之一，匿名推荐人根据该基金选择最好的申请。然而，在Kakeni系统中，研究人员往往在自己的学科范围内竞争。我们建议Kakeni应该扩大一只对不同学科之间竞争开放的基金。在这种情况下，优先领域科学研究补助金(Jutenkenkyu)应扩大并使其职能更加明确，成为学科间竞争的基金。

(1) The major objectives of science and technology policies in Japan and the United Kingdom show rather opposite directions. As one of the scientific super power in the world, the major objectives in the United kingdom is to apply the scientific activity into industrial production so as to strengthen her economy. On the contrary, the major aim in Japan is to make the scientific activity more creative. Thus, it is better to learn lessons from the history of the United Kingdom whose science has kept best status rather than from her recent policy issues.(2) There is a dual resource allocation system in the United Kingdom, which consists of a general university fund distribution and specified resource allocations through Research Councils. The latter seems to work out effectively to promote competition among disciplines. A group of researchers who has had fruitful results earns more resources to become a center of excellence.(3) A network often described as "invisible college" is a desirable model for a center of excellence in Japan.(4) Kakenhi (Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research by Ministry of Education, Science and Culture) is one of a major selective research fund in Japan, under which anonymous referees choose best applications to be funded. In Kakenhi system, however, researchers tend to compete within the limits of their own disciplines. We recommend that Kakenhi should expand a fund open to competition between disciplines. In this context, Jutenkenkyu (Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Priority Areas) should expand and make its function clearer to be a fund for competition between disciplines.