Agency for Innovative Development under the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation of the Republic of Uzbekistan

With the aim of strengthening cooperation with Japan, advancing science and scientific activities, studying leading international experience, and promoting knowledge exchange, a delegation headed by Sh. Rajabbayev, Director of the Agency for Innovative Development, is undertaking an official visit to Japan from June 9 to 14 of this year.

Within the framework of the visit, a meeting was held with Mr. Shigeo Morimoto, Vice President of the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST). During the meeting, the sides discussed the further enhancement of bilateral cooperation, Japan’s policies in the field of science and innovation development, as well as various programs implemented by JST to support scientific research.

As a result of the meeting, an agreement was reached to strengthen collaboration with JST, in particular by promoting joint initiatives between Uzbek and Japanese researchers and scientific institutions through international funding programs such as SCICORP, ASPIRE, Sakura, and SATREPS.

For reference, JST is a national research agency operating under the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan (MEXT) and the Council for Science, Technology and Innovation (CSTI). Established in 2003, the agency’s core functions include the development of scientific infrastructure, funding of research activities, dissemination of scientific results through JST-supported programs, and the advancement of innovation (e.g., through programs such as J-STAGE, SATREPS, Sakura, and others). JST operates with an annual budget of 1.6 billion USD and maintains representative offices in several key international regions, including Paris, Beijing, Singapore, and Washington.