Workshop on “Building Regional Space Policy Cooperation in Asia” (APRSAF 2016 side event)
| Date: | Wednesday, November 16 2016 |
|---|---|
| Venue: | Kanlaon Room, Century Park Hotel Manila |
| Theme: | Building Regional Space Policy Cooperation in Asia |
| Organized by: | Security Studies Unit, Policy Alternatives Research Institute, the University of Tokyo |
| Cooperated by: | National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), India |
The University of Tokyo Policy Alternatives Research Institute was delighted to host an international workshop on “Building Regional Space Policy Cooperation in Asia” as a side event of APRSAF annual meeting in Manila, Philippine. This workshop was also organized in cooperation with National Institute of Advance Studies (NIAS) in India.
Space activities in the Asia Pacific region have been increasingly developing and diversifying in recent years. Many nations have sought to acquire indigenous space capabilities for a wide variety of reasons. Space has also become a part of daily life for a majority of citizens in the Asia Pacific region. Today an increasing number of nations are using a variety of space applications. Commercial space activities can also be seen in this region. Space science and planetary exploration are also a major source of curiosity and aspiration for Asian people. In this context, there are so many potential opportunities for expanding regional space cooperation in the future. Against this backdrop, this workshop aimed to promote mutual understanding for space activities and policy perspectives among Asian nations in order to facilitate space activities and regional cooperation in Asia.
Professor Hideaki Shiroyama from the University of Tokyo, Japan, opened the workshop and explained the background and purposes of this workshop. Since 2013, the University of Tokyo has organized international workshops in the framework of APRSAF in order to promote space policy research and discussion among experts in this region. He emphasized that such efforts have contributed to expanding a community and network of space policy researchers in this region. This workshop in Manila also aimed to bring regional space policy experts together and to promote shared understandings of space activities and policy perspectives each other.
Dr. Rogel Mari Sese from National Space Development Program, Philippine, introduced recent development in space activities in his country. Philippine space program demonstrated major progress in recent years. The Philippine’s first satellite, DIWATA-1, was successfully launched in March 2016. The satellite was developed in cooperation between Department of Science and Technology in Philippine (DOST) and several universities in Japan. DIWATA-1 was also successfully deployed into low-earth orbit from Japanese Experimental Module, know as “KIBO,” in April 2016. Dr. Sese also mentioned that Philippine is now in the process of establishing Philippine space agency. Philippine has also been involved in regional space cooperation, mainly through the framework of APRSAF and Sentinel Asia. In 2016, Philippine hosted APRSAF annual meeting in Manila for the first time.
Dr. Yuichiro Nagai from the University of Tokyo, Japan, discussed Japan’s policy perspectives regarding regional space cooperation in Asia. Since the enactment of Basic Space Law in 2008, space diplomacy and international cooperation in Asia have been recognized as one of the important elements in Japan’s space policy. Japan has also long played a central role in promoting regional space cooperation in Asia, especially through the framework of APRSAF. On the other hand, Dr. Nagai pointed out that APRSAF has focused less on space policy coordination among the nations. In this regard, he emphasized that this workshop focusing on space policy discussion at the academic level is a unique opportunity within the framework of APRSAF and that it is important to promote such regional space policy discussion by expanding a network of regional space policy researchers.
Dr. Mukund Rao from National Institute of Advanced Studies in India provided historical overview of Indian space program over the past decades and anticipated that national demand for space will increase in next 20 years. In this context, Dr. Rao emphasized that India needs to develop national space policy and a new governance structure for future space programs in India. In particular, he highlighted that India needs to create effective national space eco-system in cooperation among space agency, industry, and academia.
Dr. Tunku Intan Mainura of Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia, discussed space policy in Malaysia. She started her presentation by explaining the three pillars of Malaysian space programs: space science and technology program, astronaut program, and space education program. Malaysian space agency, ANGKASA, is also now in the process of developing Malaysian space policy to set out the vision and goals of national space programs. It is national aspiration to become a developed country by 2020 and she highlighted that space activities is considered as a driving force for the progress of the nation.
Mr. TAN Cheng Hai from Singapore Space and Technology Association (SSTA) offered a brief overview of recent developments in Singapore’s space activities. Singapore’s space activity is now in transition from technological development phase to commercialization phase. Today space industry comes into the development of advanced remote sensing satellite, as well as it applications. In December 2015, TeLEOS-1 developed by ST Electronics was launched into orbit. In Singapore, several universities have also made efforts to develop and launch small satellites. Nanyang Technological University designed and built VELOX satellites and National University of Singapore launched two small satellites in 2015. There is presently no specific space law and policy in Singapore, but his organization, SSTA, is willing to play an active role in supporting the development of national space policy.
Based on presentations from each speaker, the participants discussed future regional space cooperation in the Asia Pacific region. All the participants shared common understandings that many countries in this region, including emerging spacefaring nations, have actively developed space capabilities and come to use them for a variety of purposes, and that there are a lot of potential opportunities for regional collaboration in the future by supplementing space capabilities with each other. In particular, Japan and India would likely be able to jointly play a key role in leading regional space cooperation by supporting emerging countries. The participants also discussed that space policy interaction is one of the very important potential areas for future collaboration in the Asia Pacific region, because many nations in this region are now in the process of establishing space policy and law. In this regard, the participants shared the view that space policy research cooperation at the academic level would be very useful as a starting point for such a space policy interactions and mutual understanding among the nations.