International cooperation in transportation research among East Asian countries: Experience of the Eastern Asia society for transportation studies (EASTS)

- This paper describes two core programs for connecting researchers in East Asia.
- We analyze how to create opportunities for international research collaboration.
- Essential criteria for potential candidates are continuity and internationality.
- Paperwork management and inclusion of young domestic societies should be resolved.
- We should continue to distribute research results and seek sustainable funding.

Many transportation issues not limited by country, region, or city, instead being shared globally. However, as policies, plans, and regulations related to transportation drastically differ between countries, due in part to their vastly different histories of development, the specific solutions to these problems also differ between cities. Despite these differences, people in every country share the common hope that their transportation problems can be solved, and governments, agencies, and organizations are each undertaking efforts to improve the mobility of their citizens. International cooperation allows much to be learned from both differences and commonalities, and is therefore an important factor in solving transportation problems. This paper address the contribution of the Eastern Asia Society for Transportation Studies (EASTS) to international cooperative research, with a focus on the International Research Group (IRG) and International Cooperation Research Activity (ICRA), which are core programs for connecting researchers in East Asia. With ten years of achievements in the two programs, the EASTS can provide an opportunity for Asian experts and researchers to exchange experiences, views, and ideas on the critical issues related to transportation problems in the region. In many cases of successful international cooperation, there are numerous efforts within secretariats over a lengthy implementation period: program developments, efforts to have face-to-face communication, establishment of online journals, and seeking sustainable funding sources.