KEK Status Change
 
More than one year and a half past since the transition of KEK from being a part of government into an independent cooperate body on April 1, 2004. This reform was done under newlylegislated national university corporation law that rules all national universities (total 89) and all inter-university research institutes (18 institutes) in Japan. This is the most drastic reform of Japanese national university system since its establishment in Meiji era (about 130 years ago).
 
In Europe and in USA, universities, including national and state universities, are generally given a corporate status. In Japan, national universities and inter-university research institutes (IURI) such as KEK had been a part of the government so they did not have independent status. In response to the social and economical change towards globalization, government decided to change them into cooperate bodies to have independence and autonomous administration. That is the background of the present incorporation.
 
IURIs have been the infrastructure for researchers for national, public and private universities throughout Japan. IURIs have been the base stations to carry out international research collaborations which would be difficult for a university alone to carry out. IURIs have been successful driving force for research frontiers. Former KEK (National Laboratory for High Energy Physics) was established in 1971 as being the first of such organization. Following to the establishment of KEK, similar organizations in various fields (astrophysics, literature, history, etc.) were established under the same concept. Japanese universities and IURIs worked hand in hand producing quite impressive research results. That was the reason why both national universities and IURIs are covered under the same law.
 
In the new scheme, university or research organization is to have their own autonomous management. Fundamental operational grant that includes personnel expense is provided by the Japanese government, and its expenditure is left to the decision of each corporation. Concerning personnel affairs, there is no limit to the salary that can be offered when inviting an outstanding researcher to take up a post, because the salary limit set by the law for public servants will not be applied any more. Now, it has become possible for a non-Japanese person to take a position of university president or a director general of a research organization. In fact, inviting an application for the next KEK director general candidate (starting April 2006) was globally advertised.
 
Although vast autonomy is given to each corporation, follow up reviews to see how well each corporation is attaining their promised milestones. The review will be done at 6-year intervals, and the operation grant may be readjusted according to the result of the review. In order to assure that the corporate operation will be clearly visible to the public and will contribute to the society in a meaningful way, a management council is required to be in the organization. Over half of the council members must be from outside the organization, to reflect the opinion from outside.
 
The organizational change made it possible to offer better services to visiting researchers since KEK is free from certain binding regulations for general public servants. We can now accept credit card payment, for example. We now have more flexibility in maintaining and improving on-site accommodation. While we get more freedom in the use of the budget which should be a definite improvement, there are other side of this. The original intention in making this transition was to reduce government spending by making many governmental organizations into independent corporations, which they call a "smaller government". This intention is reflected into this transition scenario. The grant for each corporation will be reduced by 1% each year, including the grant for salaries.
 
We are forced to work harder to get any other sources of income such as patent licensing and make use of anything we have, including renting some of our facilities for use by outside people. However, as an inter-university research organization, KEK will stay with the policy that academic use of its facility is free of charge including uses by researchers from foreign academic organizations. We will take advantage of this new status to make improvements in our research activities.

Professor Atsushi Koma is the director of the Institute for Particle and Nuclear Study, as well as the chairperson of the task force for the KEK transition to the new Corporation Status from a Government Lab. He is also the head of International Affairs and Public Relations.