Since 1983 TWAS has been highly effective in supporting South-South science collaborations and programmes and has developed a network that covers a large part of the science community in the developing world. TWAS is now turning to the North for additional collaboration and support, recognizing that developing countries' needs are global needs. Likewise, many countries in the North, and Japan in particular, have begun to recognize that the involvement of scientists from the developing world is essential for addressing many of the critical issues that the world now faces – including those relating to energy and food insecurity, the spread of infectious diseases, the loss of biodiversity, desertification and dwindling supplies of safe drinking water.

Likewise, countries in the North wanting to cooperate with countries in the South in the most effective and sustainable way are turning to institutions like TWAS that have a proven track record in collaborating with developing countries to build scientific capacity both locally and regionally. 

It is this synergy of vision and mission that prompted last week's visit to Japan. Koji Omi, Chairman of the STS Forum, arranged a series of meetings in Tokyo with representatives from various scientific institutions, agencies and government bodies. These included a meeting with Honourable Hirofumi Hirano, the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) (see picture) and Sadako Ogata, President of the Japanese International Development Agency (JICA). Murenzi also met with: Machiru Nakamura, President of the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST); Yurichuro Anzai, President of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS); Govindan Parayil, Vice-Rector of the United Nations University (UNU); and Takashi Onishi, President of the Science Council of Japan (SCJ). 

This was also an excellent occasion for Murenzi to meet with TWAS Associate Fellow, Kiyoshi Kurokawa, who is currently Professor at the National Graduate Institute of Policy Studies (GRIPS) in Tokyo.

On his return to Trieste, Murenzi noted that: "It was a very successful trip and we look forward to following up on a number of points discussed that have the potential to develop into TWAS programmatic activities with the support of Japan."