Trilateral Seminar on Science, Society and the Internet
December 14-16, 2003
Honolulu, Hawaii
A Trilateral Seminar on Science, Society and the Internet was held December 14-16, 2002, at the East-West Center at the campus of the University of Hawaii in Honolulu. There was participation by a Japanese delegation along with delegations from the U.S. and China. The Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) joined the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) and the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) in supporting this seminar.
This Internet-related seminar brought together distinguished scientists from the United States, Japan, and China, as well as other policy makers and experts from the three countries concerned with and knowledgeable about the impacts of the Internet on both science and society. Many of the issues discussed at the seminar involved balances and tradeoffs: for example, between the desirability of open communication among scientists and the imperatives to maintain national and international security and protect personal and institutional privacy. The overall objective of the seminar was to identify and illuminate the most critical issues associated with the impacts of the Internet on science and society rather than to seek definitive solutions to significant national and international issues that arise. Success in attaining this objective can be judged through viewing the Executive Summary (see link, above).