SINGAPORE, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- Japan's Waseda University opened the Waseda Bioscience Research Institute in Singapore (WAIBOS) on Monday.

    The WABIOS marks the first time that Waseda University is setting up research operations overseas independently.

    WABIOS will focus its research in the areas of bio-imaging, bioengineering, biophysics and nano-biotechnology. It will also further develop the neuroscience, focused research findings derived from the Waseda-Olympus Bioscience Research Institute, a joint initiative between Waseda University and Olympus Corporation from 2004 to 2009, according to a statement by Singapore's Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR).

    WABIOS has committed 2 million Singapore dollars (1.4 million U.S. dollars) for its research activities here and will start with a few researchers from both Japan and Singapore.

    President of Waseda University Katsuhiko Shirai and Chairman of A*STAR Lim Chuan Poh also signed on Monday a Memorandum of Intent (MOI) here at the opening of WABIOS.

    The agreement aims to facilitate research collaborations between scientists from the two organizations through joint symposia and workshops as well as enable graduate students from Waseda University to spend up to 2 years at A*STAR research institutes during the course of their PhD studies under A*STAR's Research Attachment Program.