CACTUS holds its first ScienceTalks symposium

Cactus Communications (the parent company of Editage) held its first ScienceTalks symposium at Kurame Hall, Tokyo Kogyo University, on October 19, 2013. Primarily intended as a platform to help researchers connect with each other and exchange views and ideas about issues concerning research in Japan, ScienceTalks enabled researchers to hold an informed dialogue on issues relevant to research.

The symposium was attended by 80 researchers and was moderated by Mr. Kazuyoshi Oyamada (National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies, Japan) and Mr. Makoto Yuasa (CEO of Cactus communications, Japan, and Vice President of the ScienceTalks executive committee). Editage invited six guest speakers to share their perspectives with the ScienceTalks participants; they were:

• Mr. Miyagawa Tsuyosi (Professor, Fujita Health University)
• Mr. Nagayasu Toyoda (Vice‐Chancellor, Suzuka University of Medical Science)
• Mr. Isao Taniguchi (Vice‐Chancellor, Kumamoto University)
• Mr. Atsuo Iiyoshi (Vice‐Chancellor, Chubu university)
• Mr. Masato Kanda (Section Chief, International Development Policy, Ministry of Finance)
• Mr. Yutaka Hishiyama (Deputy manager, Health and Medical strategy, Cabinet Secretariat)

More about ScienceTalks
ScienceTalks is CACTUS’ initiative to build an interactive platform that will enable authors and researchers to connect and exchange ideas with each other. The concept took shape following feedback from Editage clients who expressed their anxiety with regard to conducting and publishing their research. Several Editage clients spoke about the situation in Japan, emphasizing the decrease in research funding, the mounting pressure on researchers in Japan, and the consequent imminent impact on the quality of research in Japan.

What ScienceTalks aims to achieve
By bringing researchers together, ScienceTalks aims to enable researchers to voice their concerns about existing research trends and practices. The range of topics that can be discussed at the ScienceTalks forum is wide and includes researcher funding, government policy, current trends, future expectations, sharing of ideas, etc. What further differentiates ScienceTalks is the fact that each speaker has the freedom to address an issue based on his or her own perspective.

Following the overwhelming and positive response to ScienceTalks 2013, CACTUS is now planning the second symposium for 2014.