Kyoto University International Symposium 2023
Kyoto University International Symposium 2023 on Education and Research in Global Environmental Studies in Asia “Rural Culture and Conservation -Implications for Global Environmental Studies in the Anthropocene” was held at Hue University of Agriculture and Forestry in Hue, Vietnam as the main venue with Zoom broadcast. This was the first time the conference was held overseas since 2020 when it was under the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 301 participants, including researchers, students, and private sector representatives from 52 organizations in 13 countries, mainly from Asian countries, attended the symposium.
The symposium began with opening remarks by President Nagahiro Minato of Kyoto University, Dean Takeshi Katsumi of Kyoto University Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies, Vice President Do Thi Xuan Dung of Hue University, and Rector Tran Thanh Duc of Hue University of Agriculture and Forestry (partially online), followed by a keynote speech by former Rector Le Van An of Hue University of Agriculture and Forestry. He spoke about the conservation and transmission of rural culture of ethnic minorities, using the example of a community house construction project that utilizes traditional building techniques, which has been carried out in collaboration with GSGES, Kyoto University. Afterward, Professor Emeritus Shigeo Fujii of Kyoto University was awarded the title of Honorary Professor of Hue University and gave a commemorative speech. The audience celebrated his achievement, and bouquets were presented to Prof. Fujii from related university professors and his students.
In the afternoon, young researchers and students gave poster presentations (in three fields: 1) Environmental Technology (2 sessions), 2) Natural Resources (2 sessions), and 3) Global Ecology), followed by a question-and-answer session (5 sessions in total). The next session was divided into the same three fields. Next, young researchers with outstanding achievements in the three fields were invited to present their research in three sessions, where they engaged in lively discussions based on their latest research results. The symposium concluded with an award ceremony for the Best Poster Award, which was selected by the Selection Committee (Head of the Symposium Committee: Prof. Izuru Saizen, GSGES), and a closing address by Prof. Makoto Usami, Vice Dean of GSGES. The symposium was a great opportunity for the on-site participants to experience the advantages of holding the symposium face-to-face, as they renewed old friendships and made new connections during tea breaks and other events.
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