From 30 October through 12 November, the Department of Environmental Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering (GSE), held an "Education Program for Human Resources with Global Perspectives in Environmental Science and Technology" for early-career researchers and doctoral and master's students from Tsinghua University (THU), China. The program aims to contribute to solving global environmental problems by fostering common understanding, and was comprised of field trips to environmental facilities, cultural exchange activities, and a student-run workshop.
The first half of the program took place in the Kanto region, where the participants visited waste- and wastewater-treatment, and water-purification facilities, as well as the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, observing Japan's latest environmental technologies in action.
In the second half of the program, the THU delegation took part in cultural exchange and analytical training at Kyoto University.
On 10 November, the group was joined by Kyoto U students to tour a waste-to-bio-ethanol production plant in Kyoto, and a home appliance recycling facility in Hirakata, Osaka. Many of the tour participants, who numbered about 40, expressed surprise at what they saw, seeming to gain a renewed appreciation of the importance of recycling.
The afternoon of the following day was devoted to the "2nd International Workshop on Environmental Issues for Young Students and Researchers by Young Students and Researchers", organized by Kyoto U students and held in Room 311 of the C1 Building in the C Cluster of the Katsura Campus. The participants, who included a large number of KU undergraduate and graduate students, presented their research and engaged in active discussion, leading to a greater common understanding of ongoing and forthcoming global environmental problems.
The entire program was planned and run by KU master's and doctoral students, who also gained valuable professional development experience as a result.
At the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology
Yuzen dyeing as a cultural exchange activity
At a bio-ethanol plant in Kyoto
At a home appliance recycling plant in Hirakata
A THU student (right) paying a courtesy visit to GSE Dean Takayuki Kitamura
Student workshop presentation
