In May 2015, “Research & Development for a Sustainable Circulation Management-type Production System for Tropical Aquatic Resources,” by Professor Tatsuki Toda of Soka University’s Faculty of Science and Engineering, was adopted by the Science and Technology Research Partnership for Sustainable Development (SATREPS), which collaborates with international society to jointly engage in solving issues including those pertaining to the environment, energy, and natural disasters. This joint research project is being supported by the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) until academic year 2019, and universities and research institutions both within and outside of Japan will engage in the joint research.

To embark on this joint research, a signing ceremony for the agreement took place on February 29 (Monday) at Universiti Putra Malaysia. This was attended by Soka University’s Professor Toda, a research representative, as well as President Yoshihisa Baba, Senior Trustee and Executive Director for Administration Yoshihide Akiya, and others. From Malaysia, faculties from Universiti Putra Malaysia, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, and Universiti Selangor attended. There were also many other representatives in attendance, including the Councilor of the Embassy of Japan in Malaysia, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), and top officials from the Malaysian government.

This study, which is to be conducted in Malaysia, which is located in tropical regions with high levels of biological diversity, aims to establish the outdoor mass cultivation capabilities of microalgae that can produce high-value-added substances, and researches and develops new cultivation skills using useful algae found locally, as well as natural substances that have growth‐stimulatory effects.

Note: The Science and Technology Research Partnership for Sustainable Development (SATREPS) is an enterprise formed in cooperation by the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), with support from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It aims to solve global-scale issues and to gain new knowledge that leads to the improvement of the standard of science & technology based on the needs of developing nations. Through international joint research, it also strives to improve the independent research & development capabilities of developing nations and to establish a sustainable activity base that facilitates problem-solving.