Addendum to a report by Alasdair McKay to the :
Chairman, Science and Technology Agency
c/o T. Kikuchi, Director, JISTEC, 6F, Port One Building,
1-7-6 Minatomachi, Tsuchiura, Ibaraki 300.
(The Chair of the Science and Technology Agency is normally held
by the Prime Minister of Japan.)
January 94
Dear Sir,
.
Addendum to my Report on S.T.A. Fellowship (Feb. 91)
.
I am a past recipient of an S.T.A. award. During its
tenure (1990 to 1991) I spent a most pleasant year in Japan along
with my family. My research at the Geological Survey of Japan,
in aspects of seabed investigation of importance for
environmental and oceanic engineering purposes, was pleasant
and productive for me and, I think, also for my colleagues in the
Marine Geology Division there. I reported the work both in
Japanese and European publications. Following my return to Canada
I received an invitation from the Shirshov Institute of
Oceanology in Moscow to present a further paper on my work at
a conference in Russia. The invitation had been addressed to me
at the Geological Survey of Japan and I was happy to travel to
that meeting, partly on behalf of the GSJ.
.
When I left Japan, I wrote a brief report to your agency about the very good
experience which my family and I had had in your country. It is with regret
that I find that I must send you, as an addendum to that report
less pleasant news. On my return to Canada,
I found that there seemed to be very little interest, within the Nova Scotian
provincial government agency, in which I had worked for many years, about
continuing to foster links with Japan. I was particularly concerned that I
could not even stimulate any interest within my agency about attendance at a
symposium on international cooperation in research with representatives of
NEDO and AIST in Toronto (Sept. 1991). This was disappointing to me, but was a
small problem compared with my sudden lay-off from my supposedly permanent
employment with the Nova Scotia government in early 1992, on the grounds that,
through reorganization,
my position no longer existed, and that no other
openings were available.
.
My layoff was probably carried out in a manner which managed to
avoid a legal breach of the contract made by the Nova Scotia government (on
the matter of undertaking to keep my position open for me on my return from
Japan) as required by your agency, but the contract was undoubtedly breached
in spirit.
.
I do not wish to discourage the STA award scheme, which I think is of great
benefit. The bitterness which it has caused me and my family is in no way
connected with any actions taken by your agency or by anyone else in Japan,
nor is it associated with any negligence on the part of the National Science
and Engineering Research Council which administers the S.T.A. award scheme in
Canada. At the invitation of the Canadian Department of
External Affairs, and with their financial assistance, I was
able to return briefly to Tsukuba in December, 1992. I was well
received there by my former colleagues and was able, with their
help, to explore avenues for possible future collaboration
between Japan and Canada in the Real World Computing project as
well as in environmental geophysics.
.
It is with sadness that I send you this addendum to my original
report, but I feel that it is necessary for me to do so in order
to help you to avoid similar situations in the future. I do not
wish to suggest that such problems are likely to arise in all
parts of Canada, but it may be prudent for you to be circumspect
in your future dealings with the Nova Scotia Government and its
agencies. Please do not think that there is no interest in Nova
Scotia about friendship and cooperation with Japan: Halifax City
Council have a good relationship with Hakodate, and there is
academic interchange with Hokkaido, Sendai and Tokyo (and
probably many others of which I am unaware). There are
many private-sector links: the Rotary Club is currently setting
up an exchange study visit with Miyagi-ken. I have delayed for
quite a long time in sending this to you, in the hopes that
actions might be taken in Nova Scotia which would remove the need
for me to send it. However, even now, after a change in the
provincial government, there is no sign that the authorities have
any regrets about the matter.
.
Yours faithfully,
.
Alasdair McKay
.
cc.
Director General, Agency of Industry, Science and Technology, MITI
Director General, Geological Survey of Japan, Tsukuba.
Mr. Y. Oketani, Director, Internatl. Cooperation Centre, NEDO, Tokyo.
Dr. T. Moritani, Director, Geology Section, Sumitomo Corp., Tokyo.
Dr. S. Nakao, Director, Marine Geology, GSJ, Tsukuba.
Mr. S. Wilson, Embassy of Canada, Tokyo.
The Hon. Dr. J. Savage, Premier, Province of Nova Scotia.
Mr. R. MacDonald, M.P., Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.
Dr. R. Haworth, Director General, Geological Survey of Canada.
Dr. Kavanagh, NSERC., Ottawa.
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