On May 21, the Research Institute for Democracy, Society, and Emerging Technology (DSET) and the Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology (RCAST) at the University of Tokyo signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at the University of Tokyo. The two institutions also co-hosted the Japan–Taiwan Economic Security Dialogue, further advancing bilateral cooperation between Taiwan and Japan in the areas of economic security and supply chain resilience for critical technologies.
RCAST is one of the University of Tokyo’s leading research institutions. Since its establishment in 1987, it has been committed to addressing emerging challenges arising from academic progress and social change. The center has made outstanding contributions in fields such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence, and emerging energy technologies.
The MOU was signed by Professor Masakazu Sugiyama, Director of RCAST, and Dr. Wen-Ling Tu, President of DSET, marking a significant milestone in the deepening of institutional cooperation between the two sides.
Director Sugiyama emphasized that the dual-use nature of emerging technologies—whether in semiconductors, clean technologies, or artificial intelligence—requires rigorous academic inquiry to ensure their peaceful application. The partnership between RCAST and DSET presents an important opportunity to further such essential discussions.
President Tu noted that since its founding in 2023, DSET has engaged in close collaboration with RCAST through a series of mutual visits and academic exchanges, laying the groundwork for joint efforts to strengthen supply chain resilience. Both Taiwan and Japan have faced similar threats to research security in the course of developing advanced technologies, and this new partnership is expected to further enhance bilateral cooperation in security and technological innovation.
Following the signing ceremony, DSET and RCAST co-hosted three sessions of the Japan–Taiwan Economic Security Dialogue at the University of Tokyo.
The first session, titled “Japan–Taiwan Coordination in the Era of Trump 2.0,” featured DSET President Dr. Wen-Ling Tu and Vice President Dr. Hsien-Ming Lien as speakers.
The second session, “Comparative Perspectives on Research Security,” featured a speech by DSET Chief Executive Officer Dr. Jeremy Chih-Cheng Chang.
The third session, “Submarine Cables and Economic Resilience,” was represented by Dr. Tsaiying Lu, Director of DSET’s Energy Resilience and Sustainability Program, who engaged in dialogue with other experts including Athena Tong, a former Visiting Scholar at DSET and currently a Visiting Researcher at RCAST.
Both DSET and RCAST expressed their commitment to building on the MOU as a foundation for deeper and sustained collaboration. They aim to jointly advance research and policy exchanges in economic security and supply chain resilience, proactively address the challenges of global technological competition and geopolitical uncertainty, and contribute meaningfully to peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond.
