Japan Press Weekly

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2014 July 30 - August 12 [POLITICS]

Researchers oppose joint development of weapons by state & universities

A group of Japanese researchers held a press conference on July 31 in the education ministry building, issuing a statement demanding that the state stop involving universities and research institutions in developing weapons.

Ikeuchi Satoru, a professor emeritus at Nagoya University, pointed out that after the second administration of Prime Minister Abe Shinzo started at the end of 2012, the number of joint military research projects by the defense ministry and universities increased to four in 2013, and five in 2014, from an average of one a year until 2012.

“In line with the Abe government’s militaristic policy, the ministry is openly pushing ahead with the joint research projects,” he said.

Akai Junji, a professor emeritus at Niigata University, condemned the administration, saying, “While reducing research budgets for national universities, the state is trying to attract them by dangling the carrot of such collaborative weapons research programs.”

The initiators expressed their resolve to arouse public opinion on this matter by launching a signature campaign to support the statement.

Past related articles:
> Gov’t pushes Univ. of Tokyo to support weapons research and development [July 8, 2014]
> State presents new policy to promote ‘merchants of death’ [June 20, 2014]