Kansai University bans military research subsidies’ use

Kansai University’s president said the institution will ban its researchers from applying for Defense Ministry funds for projects that could then be used for military technologies, reports The Japan Times.

The Defense Ministry’s subsidy programme, which started in fiscal 2015, has drawn criticism from some academics who are concerned about involvement in military research, with the public Hiroshima University having already established a ban. The Science Council of Japan, a representative organisation of Japanese scientists, has been debating the subsidy programme through a panel.

“Although freedom of research is an important principle, it is necessary to show our university’s stance,” said Keiji Shibai, president of Kansai University, a private university in Osaka Prefecture. The university decided at an internal meeting recently to stick to its ethical standard that calls for researchers to avoid activities that run counter to peace and the welfare of humans.
Full report on the Japan Times site