On 5-6 July, the 27th KAIST-KU-NTU-NUS (KKNN) Symposium on Environmental Engineering — organized by the Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies (GSGES), in cooperation with the Graduate School of Engineering's Department of Environmental Engineering — took place at the Kyoto University Clock Tower Centennial Hall.
The KKNN Symposium annually provides a forum for four leading research institutions in Asia to exchange the latest information on environmental engineering. The participating institutions are Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Kyoto University (KU), National Taiwan University (NTU), and National University of Singapore (NUS). The symposium also serves as an opportunity for students to gain international presentation experiences and to network with each other. Some of the past student presenters are now leaders in their respective fields.
Each event is hosted by one of the four members, with this year's symposium held at Kyoto. A total of 111 attended, including 12 to 15 from each overseas institution.
The 27th KKNN Symposium opened with a speech by GSGES Professor Shigeo Fujii, followed by 20 oral presentations across four sessions, and 33 hybrid presentations — each comprised of a short oral presentation and a poster display — across two sessions. The speakers presented the latest research on water issues, global warming, water and wastewater treatment, and waste management. Each talk sparked a lively discussion.
The first day concluded with a reception, held at the café restaurant Camphora with a congratulatory address from Professor Masao Kitano, Kyoto University's executive vice-president for education, information infrastructure, and evaluation. Participants enjoyed the dinner and the opportunity to exchange research ideas and to get to know each other.
The second day program consisted of oral presentations in the morning and a facility tour in the afternoon, with the latter focusing on introducing the University's advanced environmental quality-analysis and treatment technologies.
A gala dinner was held thereafter, featuring a review of the two-day symposium, followed by an award ceremony for the best oral and poster presentations. As the event came to a close, participants promised each other to meet again next year in Taiwan, where the 28th KKNN Symposium is set to take place.
Active discussion in front of a poster
Reception at Camphora
27th KKNN Symposium participants (5 July)
