The first meeting of the Advisory Panel on the Ideal Academic Council of Japan was held, and discussions began on the review of the form and functions of the organization.
The focus will be on whether the academic council should remain as a national institution or transform it into an independent private corporation.
The panel of experts, consisting of 12 members, including presidents of national universities, held its first meeting on the 29th.
Minister of State for Economic Revitalization Goto, who is in charge of the Academic Council, said, "I would like the Council to hold frank discussions so that it can continue to be even more understood and trusted by the public."
At the meeting, we confirmed that we will listen to the opinions of the meeting side and compile recommendations on the direction of the review of the form and functions of the organization.
Regarding the academic council, the government had planned to submit a bill to the previous ordinary session of the Diet to establish a mechanism for third parties to be involved in the selection of members while retaining it as a national institution in order to increase transparency, but the council objected to it because it would "undermine its independence."
Against this background, some in the government and the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) have suggested that the conference should be separated from national institutions and made into a private corporation.
For this reason, discussions are expected to proceed at the panel of experts focusing on whether to keep the academic council as a national institution or to change it to an independent private corporation.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Matsuno: "Careful discussions while engaging in dialogue with the Japan Science Council"
Chief Cabinet Secretary Matsuno stated at a press conference after the Cabinet meeting, "I hope that the Council will carefully discuss the required functions and the ideal organizational form while engaging in dialogue with the Academic Council Japan and I am aware that discussions will be held at the Advisory Panel based on this policy, which states that the proposal to make it a corporation independent of the national government will be held on top of it."