Governance of Science and Technology:
Towards the Theory of Societal-oriented Knowledge

    "Governance of Science and Technology: Towards the Theory of Societal-oriented Knowledge" is the which is funded and supported by Japan Science and Technology Corporation (JST) "2001 Publicly Soliciting Research Program Selected Research Themes" by Ministry of Science and Education .

Governance of Science and Technology: Towards the Theory of Societal-oriented Knowledge

Director： Yuko FUJIGAKI

     In Japanese knowledge based society, there observed several conflicts between science and society. There are strong needs towards public problem solving and decision making under uncertainty, in which even scientists cannot provide the absolute answers. Governance of science and technology means the establishment of sound knowledge base for supporting such decision making in public sphere, a common place in which members of society meet to discuss matters of mutual interests. Although such kind of problem solving in public sphere had been handled as a single, unique case in each field, this study aims to construct knowledge base in which we can share the "common frame" across the fields and cases to encourage comprehensive "stakeholder" debates and to enhance the productive dialogue between scientific community, citizens, policy-makers, and industrialists.
     The research plan includes research integration, mobilization of social studies and humanities as well as policy studies, and transdisciplinary collaboration in science studies. Research procedure includes theoretical analysis for classification of case studies as well as accumulation of important concepts for societal-oriented knowledge, for editing the handbook on "governance of science and technology" for the establishment of knowledge base. The expected results of this study can be utilized for re-examination on the research evaluation system considering knowledge production for public as well as for refining education system on science, technology and society.

⇒[2001 Publicly Soliciting Research Program Selected Research Themes] (Japanese only)