From 16 to 29 October, the Department of Environmental Engineering of the Graduate School of Engineering (GSE) held an "Education Program for Human Resources with Global Views in Environmental Science and Technology" for early-career researchers and graduate students from Tsinghua University (THU), China, and the University of Malaya (UM). The Program was aimed at fostering a common understanding of global environmental issues, and comprised of activities such as fieldtrips to environmental facilities, cultural exchange, and a student-run workshop. It was organized in collaboration with the Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies (GSGES), with support from Kyoto University (KU) provided under the Wild & Wise Collaborative Learning Program.
The first half of the Program took place in the Kanto region, where the participants visited a waste-disposal facility and a water-purification plant, as well as the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), observing Japan's latest environmental technologies in action.
Afterwards, the THU and UM students took part in cultural exchange and research training at Kyoto, as well as analytical training at private companies.
The group was joined by KU students on 26 October in a tour of two environmental facilities run by the city of Kyoto: Hokubu Clean Center, a waste-processing facility, and Toba Water Environment Conservation Center, a water-treatment plant. The participants, who together totaled about 50, learned from these visits about state-of-the-art environmental technologies and infrastructures.
The afternoon of the 27th was devoted to the "3nd International Workshop on Environmental Issues for Young Students and Researchers by Young Students and Researchers", organized by KU students and held in the C Cluster of Kyoto University's Katsura Campus. The students from China, Malaysia, and a large number of participants from Kyoto presented their research and engaged in active discussion.
The Workshop also included a special lecture by Dr Junko Nakai, environment and energy specialist at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Entitled “Development and the Environment”, the talk addressed some of the current global environmental issues and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), contributing to a greater common understanding of ongoing and forthcoming problems.
The entire event was planned and run by KU master's and doctoral students, who gained valuable professional development experiences.
3rd International Workshop on Environmental Issues for Young Students and Researchers by Young Students and Researchers
Lecture at the GSE Research Center for Environmental Quality Management
Experiencing Japan's traditional weaving
At the Kyoto Municipal Hokubu Clean Center
