How To Acquire Japanese Scientific And Technical Information

This document provides detailed information about monitoring Japanese technological developments, acquiring Japanese scientific and technical information, and putting Japanese information to use.

The perspectives of technologists, economists, and policymakers are brought together in this volume. It includes chapters dealing with approaches to assessment of technology leadership in the United States and Japan, an evaluation of future impacts of eroding U.S. technological preeminence, an analysis of the changing nature of technology-based global competition, and a discussion of policy options for the United States.

The result of a conference jointly sponsored by the Asia Program of the Wilson Center and the MIT-Japan Science and Technology Program, these papers suggest that America must better understand its major high-tech competitor, Japan, if it wishes to balance our bilateral relationship. The challenge of overcoming America's technical illiteracy about Japanese science and technology requires awareness of the importance of training scientists and engineers in the Japanese language, increased funding for applied Japanese language studies, and a commitment by U.S. corporations to employ Americans that acquire foreign language and area expertise. Co-published with the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.