The agreement sets down plans to establish a platform for identifying candidate compounds for drug discovery research using structural biology and imaging techniques. It also calls on the institutions to exchange research personnel, and will involve a future transfer of RIKEN nuclear magnetic resonance imaging facilities to Zhejiang University and the establishment of a laboratory for joint research.
The day before the signing of this agreement, on October 23, a two-day joint symposium for young researchers was held at Shanghai Jiao Tong University on the topic of nano materials and technology. The symposium provided a venue for young researchers from RIKEN and the university to present and actively discuss their research. Shigenori Fujikawa, who acted as symposium coordinator on behalf of RIKEN, reported that the event “changed everyone’s perception of China. We were amazed by the transformation China has undergone.”
Indeed, RIKEN has been working for some time toward strengthening its collaborative ties with Chinese research institutions. In 2006, RIKEN sent a representative to begin preparations for opening a RIKEN office in Beijing, and every year since then RIKEN President Noyori has given special lectures at Peking University and other major Chinese universities. In addition to the collaborative agreements already in place, a number of Chinese graduate students and researchers have come to work at RIKEN and to attend workshops.
These endeavors coincide with the Japanese government’s initiatives toward the creation of an East Asian Community, and there is a general consensus on both sides that Japan and China must cooperate and strengthen their relationship. In China, the promotion of major research projects with Japan is clearly seen by the government as symbolic of the cooperative ties between the two countries. The Chinese government likewise hopes for more personnel exchanges including top-level scientists, and is eager to establish collaborative research laboratories. RIKEN is actively working now to draft concrete measures with the aim of realizing these objectives.
