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

(1)日本和英国的科技政策的主要目标显示出相当相反的方向。英国作为世界科技强国之一，其主要目标是将科技活动应用于工业生产，以增强经济实力。相反，日本的主要目标是使科学活动更具创造性。因此，与其从英国最近的政策问题中吸取教训，不如从英国的历史中吸取教训，因为英国的科学一直保持着最好的地位。(2)英国实行双重资源分配制度，包括大学的一般拨款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学科之间的竞争。一批有成果的研究人员获得更多的资源，成为卓越的中心。(3)在日本，一个经常被称为“无形大学”的网络是一个理想的卓越中心模式。(4)Kakenhi（教育科学文化省科学研究补助金）是日本主要的选择性研究基金之一，由匿名评审员选择最佳申请获得资助。然而，在Kakenhi系统中，研究人员倾向于在自己的学科范围内竞争。我们建议Kakenhi应该扩大一个对学科之间的竞争开放的基金。在这种情况下，Jutenkenkyu（优先领域科学研究补助金）应该扩大并明确其功能，成为学科之间竞争的基金。

(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.