PROGRAM : BREAKOUT SESSION
Asia-Pacific Networks: Promoting Excellence in Research
1. Web Technology & Infrastructure for Networking
The Asia-Pacific region is becoming a leading, and in some cases dominant, player in several areas of research. Yet awareness of this work and the degree of interaction between researchers in the region remain limited. This is partly due to language reasons, but also because of inadequate organizational and technological infrastructures. This session will discuss how information technologies can be used to enhance awareness of the best research in the region and to improve connections between the Asia-Pacific and the global scientific enterprise. There will also be a broader discussion about how to encourage and enhance interactions at the individual, institutional, national, regional and global levels through initiatives by individual scientists, institutions and governments.
Co-chairs:
- Timo Hannay, Katsuhiko Umehara
Panelists:
- Atsushi Sunami, Ian Foster, Hiroaki Kitano, Masao Ito, Mathukumalli Vidyasagar, Lee Dirks
2. Stem cells
With many fundamental and clinical programs carrying out cutting-edge studies of stem-cell biology and applications, the Asia-Pacific region is poised to play a major role in this field of science. Yet the degree of interaction and networking between groups remains limited. This session will discuss how to build greater awareness of the research groups and researchers in the region, how to enhance interaction and exchange of information among them and will aim to come forward with some concrete suggestions on how to create a regional network or networks for stem-cell research that is also connected to global research as a whole. Among the topics to be discussed will be the state of research and funding in countries across the region, issues arising from clinical trials of stem-cell therapies and the need for harmonization of guidelines and protocols to ensure compatibility with global standards.
Co-chairs:
- Doug Sipp, Monya Baker
Panelists:
- Alan Trounson, Dorairajan Balasubramanian, Dong-Wook Kim, Shin-Ichi Nishikawa, Xiangzhong (Jerry) Yang, John Yu, Surapol Issaragrisil
3. Molecular biology and biotechnology
The session on molecular biology and biotechnology will discuss and debate ideas for enhancing greater interaction and networking among life scientists in the Asia-Pacific region. One important topic to be addressed is how we can use the web to draw more global attention to the best research institutions and best researchers, particularly young researchers, in the region. Other topics to be covered will be the Asia-Pacific International Molecular Biology Network (A-IMBN), the possibility of creating a network of Asia-Pacific biological databases that seamlessly allows large-scale genotypic and molecular biology datasets to be integrated with phenotypic data from regional populations, and the problems with and barriers to networking among life scientists across the region.
Co-chairs:
- Nick Campbell, John Mattick
Panelists:
- Jeongbin Yim, Dangsheng Li, Jingwu Zang, Tasuku Honjo, Zhangliang Chen, Edison Liu,
4. Nanotechnology
Several countries in the Asia-Pacific region are major players in nanotechnology, and the region as a whole accounts for almost half of the world's output of papers in the field, but there is relatively little interaction between researchers from different countries. Moreover, global awareness of the best research from the region is not as high as it should be. The goal of the workshop on nanotechnology will be to develop practical proposals for strengthening collaboration and co-operation between researchers and institutes working on nanotechnology in the Asia-Pacific region, and for raising awareness of the best research.
Co-chairs:
- Peter Rodgers, Adarsh Sandhu
Panelists:
- Hiroyuki Sakaki, Jackie Ying, Jo-Won Lee, Sishen Xie
