From October 6 to 8, Vice President KANO Mitsunobu (Council Member of the Science Council of Japan, Program Officer at JST) and Associate Professor MONDEN Yuki (Associate Member of the Science Council of Japan, Member of the Young Academy of Japan) from the Faculty of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology at Okayama University attended the 21st Science and Technology in Society (STS) Forum held at the Kyoto International Conference Center.

The international conference saw participation from approximately 1,400 individuals from over 80 countries. Participants included academic professionals, industry representatives, and government officials, creating a diverse environment for active discussions on international challenges related to science and technology, ongoing initiatives, future developments, and issues that need to be addressed.

At the start of the conference, Prime Minister ISHIBA Shigeru delivered a greeting. This was followed by sessions focused on significant global issues such as AI, climate change, food security, environmental challenges, cybersecurity, and global health.

Additionally, on the day before the STS Forum, a "Young Leaders Program" was held at the same venue, providing an opportunity for young researchers from various countries to engage with Nobel Prize laureates. This year, eight Nobel Prize winners participated and held lively group discussions with young researchers.

Through the program, Associate Professor Monden commented, “I was able to connect with young researchers from diverse fields around the world, forming an international network.”