The Development and Limits of Inter-University Research Institutes as a New Model for the Postwar Japanese Research System in the 1950s

Abstract

In the 1950s, postwar Japanese scientists argued for the establishment of new research institutes that would pursue a democratic management of science. Their discussions led to the establishment of national inter-university research institutes (IURIs) for joint research activities, such as the Research Institute for Fundamental Physics (RIFP) at Kyoto University and the Institute for Nuclear Research (INS) at the University of Tokyo. IURIs served as important joint research centers in various fields in postwar Japan. In the management system of IURIs, despite belonging to the national universities, the scientists made up an organ reflecting the opinions of scientists across the country. In the initial stages, the IURI model seemed to work well as an ideal approach to the democratic management of science. However, in the case of INS, the system resulted in a conflict between scientists and the university, and the IURI system led to several serious organizational problems. The establishment of INS also faced difficult problems over nuclear research after the Bikini Incident in 1954.