About Japan Bio Community
Japan Bio Community (JBC) is a non-profit organization [IRC 501(c) (6)] that provides a network for Japanese professionals who work in the US biotechnology, biopharmaceutical and healthcare industries. JBC holds regular monthly meetings in the Silicon Valley and provides the latest information on a wide variety of topics in the areas of bioscience, bio-business and the high-tech industry. These forums are well attended by local professionals and researchers from prestigious universities such as Stanford, UC Berkeley and UCSF, as well as those from East Coast and Japan.
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JBC promotes the advancement of science and business by organizing and hosting regular monthly meetings with invited speakers on a wide variety of scientific and business topics within the biotechnology industry. These meetings are usually held at Morrison & Foerster LLP (755 Page Mill Road, Palo Alto, CA 94304-1018) and are open to the general public. Topics from the past meetings include: state-of-art technologies and science in the biopharmaceutical industry, social and legal practices in the US, agricultural and environmental issues. Meetings addressing practical topics such as “how to prepare resume” and “effective interviews” have also been organized for the benefit of students and young researchers in search of jobs in bioscience and related field.
While there have been tremendous interactions between US and Japan in science and commerce, many Japanese are still unfamiliar with the US biotechnology industry and culture and vice versa. JBC helps to bridge the differences and expand mutual understandings between the two cultures by hosting an annual meeting to a wide ranging captive audience. During BIO2004 (International Meeting for the Biotechnology Industry, held at Hotel Nikko in San Francisco June 2004), JBC hosted a meeting titled “US & Japan Biotech World: Different? Similar?” in conjunction with Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO). Invited panelists provided insight into differences and similarities between working in the American and Japanese healthcare-related companies. The meeting was a great success with over 250 attendees from both US and Japan.
Management Team
President: Chika Hashimoto
Treasurer: Tsutomu Akama
Secretary: Hiroko Tanaka
