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Andelmanの日本印象記

Andelmanの日本印象記

以下の英文は、学振外国人招へい研究者として平成14年9月20日から10月19日まで来日した、テルアビブ大学のAndelman教授が、学振に提出したResearch Reportの一部を本人の了解を得て抜粋したものです。日本のソフトマター研究の現状や問題点、日本の英語教育、大学環境などについて述べられているので、我々日本人には参考になると思います。

Impression on State of Science in Japan in My Field

The Japanese community working on soft condensed matter physics --- my field of research --- is quite impressive in its diversity and quality. Traditionally, statistical physics was a very developed field in Japan mainly due to prominent physicists such as Kubo, Kawasaki and Mori. Recently, Prof. Kawasaki was awarded the Boltzmann Medal in recognition to his unique achievements. This is the highest international award given to scientists working in Statistical Physics. Currently, in Japan like elsewhere, there is a trend for condensed matter physicists to work on more applied and more biologically oriented systems. I was rather impressed by the number of relatively young Japanese scientists in this field. I think that in a few years they will start to have a big impact on the scientific research and development in Japan and worldwide.

I would like to note the importance of having strong ties between Academia and the Japanese chemical and medical (pharmaceutical, cosmetics) industries, because the latter are very advanced in Japan. In addition, I think that support of young and brilliant experimental scientists is crucial. In our field, it is the novel experimental results which inspire and push forward our understanding of interesting physics. Since the number of experimental scientists in soft matter is not large in Japan, I think that experimental scientists should be given a higher priority.

One final comment is that it is important to have more inter-university and inter-discipline connections. In the European Union, formation of networks is highly encouraged and I think that Japanese scientists can benefit from such enhanced connections and networks. This will require special funding by Japanese national agencies.

Comments on Scientific Exchange Programs

In my opinion it will be of great importance if Japan as a country will host more international conferences and international research programs. This opinion is shared by most Japanese researchers I talked with during my visit. I strongly endorse those additional ways which stimulate new possibilities of international communication between different scientists.

Of no less importance is the participation of Japanese scientists (especially the more junior ones) in scientific activities outside Japan. This can be either participation in conferences or short and long term visits to other labs outside Japan. Ideally, each researcher might spend a few months and even a year or two in a lab outside Japan.

I visited recently the scientific communities in the Republic of Korea and Republic of China (Taiwan). I found that in these two countries there are advanced and dynamical scientific communities. Ties with the Japanese scientists could have a great benefit to all three countries. Science is the international language of human culture and progress. It can be of benefit to heal past experiences and create opportunities for collaboration between Japan and its two neighbors. This may be the case for the People Republic of China. I just am less familiar with the scientific community there.

General Impression on Japan

This is my sixth visit to Japan. The first was a two-month visit in 1991 (as a Yamada Fellow), while the others were shorter visits to attend conferences and work with collaborators.

As compared with 11 years ago I have noticed some changes in the Japanese society in general, and in the scientific community in particular. It seems to me that the younger generation is more open towards the external non-Japanese world. Their knowledge of the English language is increasing. Consequently, they have less language and cultural barriers with foreigners. However, English still poses a big problem of communication. While talking with several university students, I was told that in the Japanese high-schools the emphasis is still on written English rather than spoken English. Moreover, many of the English teachers do not have good abilities of speaking English. I think there is no excuse to such a mediocre performance. It will require a substantial effort on the National Japanese level but spoken English skills should be on the top list of any high-school in Japan!

What still surprises me (as it did 11 year ago) is the physical appearance of some of the universities as compared to industrial labs. Even in the most prestigious national universities like Kyoto and Tokyo universities the physical state of some of the buildings is sometime poor. Unlike labs in the industry, labs at the universities are sometimes not so well equipped and well maintained. Even in times when the economy is not doing so well, I wonder if this is not a question of national priority. It may very well depend on factors which I do not fully understand. But this was my impression. As a foreign visitor, I found a puzzling contrast between the highly developed sense of esthetics in Japan, manifesting itself in so many areas of daily life, arts, design of products, private houses and even subway stations, with the shape and state of many of the university buildings, amount of rubbish accumulating in the corridors, lack of proper maintenance, tight working space, etc.

Another point is the level of support of graduate students. I understand that recently the JSPS started a fellowship program to support graduate students. I think that this should be highly encouraged as graduate students, and in particular, Ph.D students form the hardcore of any successful university research. In particular, this is the case in the experimental sciences. I hope that in the future a larger percent of the graduate students can be supported as research assistants. This will attract the best and most qualified young students into university graduate programs.

David Andelman