Important issues regarding the role of science, research, innovation and technology in shaping a sustainable future were discussed at the Annual Meeting of the STS Forum held in Japan, by General Director of the Research and Innovation Foundation (RIF), Theodoros Loukaides. Loukaides, who was representing the Deputy Minister of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy, participated in a round table discussion with Ministers of Science and Technology from various countries, a RIF press release says. International mobility of scientists and the importance of Open Science in solving global challenges, such as climate change and the spread of infectious diseases, as well as the need to intensify international cooperation in these areas were the topics discussed, it adds. He also participated in a meeting with officials from other research and innovation funding organisations from around the world, where the role of these organisations in enhancing knowledge and promoting the mobility of scientific human resources and skill development as well as R and D skills in the new generation were discussed. The goal, as noted, is to contribute in a catalytic way to the development, dissemination and making the most of specialised and valuable knowledge in emerging fields that have the potential to support the response to global challenges. During his visit, Loukaides had separate meetings with the Deputy Director General of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan, Takashi Kiyoura, the executive member of the country’s Science, Technology and Innovation Council, Takahiro Ueyama and Japan Science and Technology Agency President and Science and Technology Councilor of Japan, Kazuhito Hashimoto. The focus of the discussions was the further deepening and expansion of cooperation between Cyprus and Japan in matters of science, research, innovation and technology. Before leaving Japan, Loukaides visited Kyoto University and the Venture Incubation Centre, which provides multidimensional support to new innovative ventures that utilise the university’s scientific knowledge.
Source: Cyprus News Agency