JpGU-AGU Joint Meeting 2017

convener:Shuhei Okubo(Earthquake Research Institute, The University of Tokyo), Hodaka Kawahata(Atmosphere Ocean Research Institute, the University of Tokyo), Ryoichi Fujii(Nagoya University), Eiichi Tajika(Department of Earth and Planetary Science, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo), Chairperson:Ryoichi Fujii(Nagoya University), Chairperson:Eiichi Tajika(Department of Earth and Planetary Science, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo)

Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency (ATLA), Ministry of Defense has started funding basic research projects proposed by scientists in the civil sectors (i.e., universities, national research and development agencies, and private companies) with the aim of developing future equipment of Self Defense Force (SDF). The funding system raised a serious concern among the academic community that it may conflict with the code of " Refusing research with the aim of war" issued by the Science Council of Japan (SCJ) in 1950 and 1967.

SCJ has set up a committee dedicated to this issue and it is expected to announce a statement by September 2017. Our science community is also deeply involved in this issue as some of the research projects approved by ATLA are related to earth and planetary science. It is really a good time to discuss how earth and planetary science should deal with research that might possibly be used for military (including defense) activities.

In this session, we will invite lectures on the historical background of SCJ statements in 1950/1967 followed by the in-depth analysis of ATLA funding system. We will further move on to discussing how the academic community and researcher themselves will be affected by the ATLA system.