A grant from GBSF facilitated the work of three researchers from the University of Leicester who, in partnership with Nara Women’s University, examined differences in curriculum and education approaches at all levels between the UK and Japan. SO far the project has been revelatory and has been extended to include a conference and production of a video to further disseminate the team’s results and benefit policy makers and practitioners in both countries.

Tom Ellis and Chris Lewis of the University of Plymouth’s Institute of Criminal Justice Studies visited Japan with GBSF help to further links with Ryukoku University and develop plans for future workshops and comparative research into Criminal Justice systems, crime trends, policing and sentencing. With links to policy makers in both countries, this project is expected to produce some influential results.

"This conference promoted greater understanding of Japanese-British relations. Much of the conference's success was due to the fact that top decision makers from each country were able to conduct an open debate on critical bilateral, regional and international issues, whilst maintaining rigorous academic standards throughout.

By bringing together a large team of senior Japanese officials and academics with their British counterparts, the joint RUSI-NIDS conference also established close personal contacts between key people in our two countries.

Alan Bunkum, Head of Fine Art at Loughborough University, has charted the social context of the design of Japanese toy robots since the 1950’s. The unique Japanese combination of miniaturisation, mass consumerism, industrial design and creativity appeals to artists and technicians alike. His book ‘Techo Fantasies: Toy Robots from Japan’ was published by Schiffer Books in 2005 and he is now further engaged as a consultant with a Japanese robotics group.

’Exploiting Patent Rights and a New Climate for Innovation in Japan’ was commissioned and sponsored by GBSF and published by the Intellectual Property Institute in 2003. The enormous success of this book with lawyers, entrepreneurs and policy makers encouraged us to support two related publications, ‘Valuing Intellectual Property in Japan, Britain and the USA’, published by Routledge Curzon in 2004, followed by ‘Risk Management’ in 2005.