Kahaner Report: Internat Institute for Advanced Studies, Kansai Japan

[David Farber <farber () central cis upenn edu>]

From:
 Dr. David K. Kahaner
 US Office of Naval Research Asia
 (From outside US):  23-17, 7-chome, Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106 Japan
 (From within  US):  Unit 45002, APO AP 96337-0007
  Tel: +81 3 3401-8924, Fax: +81 3 3403-9670
  Email: kahaner () cs titech ac jp
Re: Internat Institute for Advanced Studies, Kansai Japan
05/20/94 (MM/DD/YY)
This file is named "iias.94"


ABSTRACT. Overview of the International Institute for Advanced Studies
(IIAS), located in the Kansai Science area of Japan.


My first impression of the International Institute for Advanced Studies,
which is located in the Kansai Science area of Japan, directly adjacent
to the ATR Laboratories, was that its inspiration came from Princeton's
Institute for Advanced Studies, or perhaps a handful of other
prestigious institutions worldwide. Organizationally, IIAS is a
foundation with a Board of Trustees, which is chartered to provide
financial support and facilities for avant-garde research in a very
broad range of scientific and other fields in order to provide direction
for the betterment of mankind. In other words, topics of relevance to
the future of the human race, and somehow transcending the traditional
fields of natural science, social science, and the humanities. Dr Michio
Okamoto, ex President of Kyoto University, is Chairman of the Board, and
Dr Minoru Oda is IIAS Director (formerly Director of RIKEN).


The creators of IIAS hope that it will become the central research
facility of the Kansai Science City. Financial support for IIAS amounts
to a capital endowment of 5.2B Yen, about US$50M, and annual operating
expenses are about 300M Yen, about US$3M. Funding is from Japanese
business, philanthropists, as well as subsidies from national and
prefecture governments and other organizations. IIAS is primarily
privately funded from more than 150 companies.


Because the IIAS is supporting fundamental research of a theoretical
nature, there will be no immediate commercial payoffs.  Thus, although
the private sector has paid the bills so far, it is reasonable and
perhaps inevitable for the government to step in and help fund the
institute.


As mentioned above operating funds for IIAS came primarily from the seed
money raised primarily from the Kansai financial world.  Construction of
the institute's facilities were to have been covered by the sale of
shares in Omron Corp. bequeathed to the institute by the late Kazuma
Tateishi, founder of Omron.  But the Tokyo stock market crash devalued
those shares and produced a short fall in funds.


In September 1993, the institute became eligible for scientific research
subsidies from the Ministry of Education, opening an avenue for
institute researchers to receive state research funds.  However, thus
far donations to the institute have fallen short of projections, and the
institute has applied to the government for direct subsidies. It is safe
to predict, however, that any financial problems will be solved.


A brand new facility on 4 Hectares allows more than 30 labs as well as
associated facilities.  There is also a residential block, just opened
with eight single apartments, six family apartments, a directors
residence, and a tea house.


IIAS was founded in 1984 and operated out of temporary office space in
Kyoto, but activities officially began with construction of their
complex, which began in 1993, and now called the Scholars' Village.  My
host at IIAS was


    Professor Takeyuki Hida
    Professor of Mathemtics, Meijo University
    Shiogamaguchi, Tenpaku-ku, Nagoya 468 Japan
     Tel: +81 52 801-6713 (private)
     Email: F43925G () NUCC CC NAGOYA-U AC JP


Prof Hida is an advisor to IIAS, but has no official position there.
Consequently, all correspondence concerning IIAS should be directed to
the following address.


    Secretary, International Institute for Advanced Studies
    9-3 Kizugawadai, Kizu-cho, Soraku-gun, Kyoto 619-02 Japan
     Tel: +81 7747 3 4001; Fax: +81 7747 3 4005


Hida emphasized that IIAS is not designed to be an experimental
facility. Rather its main objectives are to be a place for free and
far-reaching creative thinking, and for open supradisciplinary research.
Specifically,


 * To establish new systems of knowledge and concepts of basic research
that go beyond existing systems and concepts


 * To respond with flexibility to scientific developments and to changes
in the direction of world society.


 * To determine what forms partnerships between industry and science
should take and to collaborate with industry in the realization of those
partnerships.


There are a variety of very general research types including the following.


Thematic Research: Basic research projects of limited duration related
to mid- and long-term investigations in broad areas. An
organizer-coordinator oversees the selection, and projects last 3 years.


The first thematic research project began fall 1993 on the topic of
Theoretical Life Science. A planning committee has selected several
major topics for study.


    1. Higher and organized functions of the brain -- Brain and Mind
    2. Continuity and variation in life -- Genes and Evolution
    3. Appearance of biological diversity and its preservation
       (Natural science aspects are to be emphasized; however, humanities
        and social science aspects will be explored as well)
       -- Biological Approaches
       -- Immunological Approaches


Another research project planned is a study of the science of safety, a
field that encompasses everything from machine and factory safety to
international safety standards.


Basic Research: Broad, long-term projects (approximately five years) in
areas that are fundamental to natural and social sciences, such as
mathematics and philosophy.  These will complement and support the
thematic research.  Again a coordinator will oversee the projects, with
direct responsibility going to a small number of long-term core
researchers.  One such project will support the mathematical
investigation of "fluctuations," a phenomenon found throughout nature.
An understanding of fluctuations is expected to have a major impact on
such diverse fields as cosmology, biology and sociology.


Independent Research: Basically, invited scholars from around the world
who will work at the Village for specific periods and interact with
others in residence.


Commissioned Research: This will occur at universities and other
research facilities when experimentation is needed to verify hypotheses
and theories, or when concrete results are expected.


Crown Research: Projects funded by industry and other private sources.


Other activities such as symposium, workshops, study groups, training
courses, public lectures, publications, etc., as well as special
projects when necessary.


Western researchers should note that most of the invited scientists are
supported by IIAS for one-year research stays including air fare, a
monthly stipend and living quarters for the duration of their stay.
Scholars invited for shorter periods can receive air far and quarters in
the Scholars' Village. For information, contact the IIAS secretary at
the address above.


In addition to foreign scholars, the institute is inviting such Japanese
academic elites as Susumu Tonegawa, now at the Massachusetts Institute
of Technology; Leo Esaki, president of Tsukuba University; and Kenichi
Fukui, director of the Institute for Fundamental Chemistry, to serve as
scientific advisers.


Many IIAS plans are stated very broadly and often quite philosophically.
One description that might be useful was provided in an interview
between Dr Okamoto (former IIAS Director), Dr J.Kanamori (Osaka U
President), and Dr Y.  Nishijima (former Kyoto U President) on the
topic, "What are Advanced Studies in the Modern World". This is
reprinted at the conclusion of this report.


Another way of understanding IIAS is to look at the specific activities
that have been undertaken. In the early days this was primarily
conferences and symposia, and these are listed below.


1986:   Language and Artificial Intelligence
        Gene Expression
1988:   Biology of Aging -- Mortality and Immortality
        Fluctuation and Relaxation in Condensed Phase -- Disorded
          Systems, Fractals and Biological Materials
1989:   Music and Information Science
1990:   Evolution of Life
        A Quest for a More Stable World Economic System
        Neuroethological Basis of Acoustic Behavior
1991:   Misunderstandings and Creativity -- Problems of Translation in
          19-century Japan
        Body Plan and its Diversity
        Translatability of Culture
        Science and Technology of Mesoscopic Structures
1992    Mathematical Approach to Fluctuations in Astronomy, Physics and
          Biology
        Translatability of Culture II
        The Frontier of Nuclear Spectroscopy
        Towards Understanding Biological Diversity
        The State of Happiness


Just this week IIAS has held a workshop on Mathematical Approach to
Fluctuations -- Complexity and Nonlinearity, with participants from
Japan, Russia, and Germany. I list the tentative program below to give
readers a sense of the themes.


     Mathematical methods of data processing.
      Y.Shikata, Nagoya U
     Time variation of x-rays from x-ray stars.
      S.Miyamoto, Osaka U
     Characteristics of the x-ray data and analysis methods.
      T.Dotani, Inst of Space and Astronautical Science, Kanagawa
     White noise approach to parabolic SPDE's.
      J.Potthoff, U Mannheim, Germany
     A turbulent model of accretion disk.
      M.Hoshino, Inst of Space and Astronautical Science, Kanagawa
     Quantum simulation of unstable systems by means of kerneled Lngevin
            equation.
      I.Ohba, Waseda U, Tokyo
     Stochastic quantization alternative Aj.
      K.Saito, Meijo U, Nagoya
     Stochastic variational calculus in white noise analysis
      Si Si, Konan Women's Junior College, Aichi Japan
     Generalized densities of measures in white noise analysis.
      A.Kirillov, Moscow Inst of Power Engineering, Russia
     Analysis of chaos of the fluctuations in biological systems.
      I.Tsuda, Hokkaido U, Sapporo Japan
     Gaussian innovation and canonical representation.
      M.Hitsuda, Kumamoto U, Kumamoto Japan
     Non-gaussian and non-linear approach to time series analysis.
      T.Higuchi, Institute of Statistical Mathematics, Tokyo
     Generation of x-ray variability in accreting objects.
      S.Mineshige, Kyoto U
     On random numbers and ergotic theory.
      I.Kubo, Hiroshima U
     Fluctuation properties of the nuclear response function
        (or Generalized coherent state and the semiquantal propagation kernel).
      T.Suzuki, Osaka U
     Temporal behavior of non linear systems and the activity of the rapid
        burster.
      Y.Tawara, Nagoya U
     Topics on prediction.
      T.Hida, Meijo U, Aichi Japan


IIAS publishes almost all of its material either directly in English or
in Japanese with attached English translations. IIAS News, which appears
to be published twice a year, is entirely in English. Copies of this can
be purchased from IIAS at the address given earlier.


COMMENT:
It makes sense to defer judging IIAS; the ideas sound very promising,
but as it is early in IIAS' life most of the activity has come from
outside researchers who are brought together at workshops, etc. We need
to wait several years to see if the IIAS Scholars' Village really
becomes a nucleus for advanced thinking in this highly pragmatic
country. It is interesting to me however, that as the US becomes more
inclined toward applications and industrial relevance, many aspects of
Japanese R&D seem to be moving in the opposite direction.


-------
What are Advanced Studies in the Modern World?


Discussion between Dr Junjiro Kanamori (President of Osaka U), Dr
Yasunori Nishijima (former President of Kyoto U), and Dr Michio Okamoto
(former Director of IIAS).


 Universities have certain limitations in pursuing advanced studies
because their primary objective is to provide basic higher education. On
the other hand, IIAS is limited in conducting certain kinds of research
as it does not have any experimental facilities. Consequently, how can
these two different types of institutions collaborate while
complementing each other's needs? On the occasion of Dr. Junjiro
Kanamori's inauguration as President of Osaka University, Dr. Michio
Okamoto invited him and Dr. Yasunori Nishijima, President of Kyoto
University, to explain the philosophy of IIAS and to ask for their
suggestions and expectations on IIAS activities. The following is a
summary of a discussion among the presidents of the two leading
universities in Kansai (Western Japan), and Dr. Okamoto, Director of
IIAS and a former president of Kyoto University, about recent trends in
academia and the future hopes and concerns of IIAS.


 Is the next phase in academia to integrate forms of scholarship?


 Dr. Okamoto was the president of Kyoto University during a time when it
was unable to support any academic activities due to the chaotic
conditions created by a student uprising. Having experienced such a