Overview

Both the United States and Japan have long taken pride in their robust scientific research communities’ contributions to economic growth and human welfare. But the slowing pace and rising costs of research, along with strong competition from China and India, have challenged both governments to rethink their approaches to science and technology policy and set agendas that encourage innovation towards solving demanding social problems.

The Abe Fellows Global Forum will bring together experts to discuss how the United States and Japan are responding to these challenges, as well as the rapidly rising innovation hubs in China, India, and Singapore. Panelists will consider institutional factors that encourage or discourage innovation; the impact of big data and AI on innovation policies and strategies; cultures of innovation in Japan, the US and other Asian countries; conflicts between the interests of companies, national populations, and global welfare; and challenges for the future of scientific innovation.

Over the last 25 years, the Abe Fellowship Program has supported a number of fellows whose research projects address the issues and mechanisms of innovation. For this event, a selection of these expert fellows from the fields of economics, political science, political economy, engineering and public policy, and organizational sociology will engage with the opportunities and challenges of innovation in a global age.

Reception to follow the event.

A new initiative of the Abe Fellowship Program, the Abe Fellows Global Forum (Abe Global) is designed to bring Abe Fellow research and expertise on pressing issues of global concern to broader audiences. Abe Global will host several events each year in partnership with academic and civic organizations throughout the United States. The Abe Fellowship Program is a partnership between the Social Science Research Council and the Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership.