Readout of U.S.-Japan Joint High Level Committee Meeting
Today, May 16, 2023, Assistant to the President for Science and Technology and Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) Arati Prabhakar led a U.S. delegation to Tokyo, as the Government of Japan convened the 15th meeting of the Joint High Level Committee (JHLC) on science and technology to further strengthen collaboration between our scientific communities.
Director Prabhakar co-chaired the JHLC alongside co-leads for Japan: Minister of State for Science and Technology Policy, Intellectual Property Strategy, Space Policy, and Economic Security TAKAICHI Sanae; and Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology NAGAOKA Keiko. Director Prabhakar highlighted a shared commitment to our mutual democratic values and principles, which will enable us to collaborate together to achieve our shared aspirations.
JHLC topics focused on key science and technology policy and research priorities, including: artificial intelligence and quantum information science; current and next generation technologies to address climate change, including fusion; Cancer Moonshot; and biotechnology and biomanufacturing. The U.S. delegation was comprised of leaders and experts from OSTP, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the National Science Foundation (NSF), the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), and the U.S. Department of State. The participating Japanese institutions included the Cabinet Office (CAO), Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), Ministry of Education Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), and Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI).
The JHLC was convened pursuant to the Agreement between the government of Japan and the government of the United States of America on Cooperation in Research and Development in Science and Technology signed in 1988 as amended and extended.
As President Biden and Prime Minister Kishida recognized during their January meeting, the United States and Japan have deepened cooperation on critical and emerging technologies that are crucial for national security. Strong partnership in science and technology cooperation – including vibrant people-to-people exchange – is critical to advancing both countries’ economic aims and reflects both countries’ pivotal roles as global leaders.
The 15th JHLC reaffirmed both countries’ commitment to continue close partnership and coordination on science and technology.
In association with the JHLC, members of the U.S. delegation participated in a May 15 workshop on the Advanced International Collaborative Research Program (AdCORP), a pilot program under the Adopting Sustainable Partnerships for an Innovative Research Ecosystem (ASPIRE) initiative, hosted by the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST). On May 16, members of the U.S. delegation were joined by a U.S. Department of State Science Envoy and the Executive Director of the Quantum Economic Development Consortium (QED-C) on a visit to Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST).
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