SCE Dean, Prof. Worsak Kanok-Nukulchai (standing right), exchanging signed copies of agreement with Prof. Taketo Uomoto (standing left), ICUS/INCEDE Director. The agreement initiates the opening of the Regional Network Office for Urban Safety. At the occasion are (sitting from left to right), AIT Provost Prof. Mario Tabucanon, Prof. Yoshifumi Yasouka, Vice Director General of IIS/University of Tokyo, and AIT President Jean-Louis Armand.
AIT and University of Tokyo Open Regional Network Office for Urban Safety
The Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) and the University of Tokyo have announced the establishment of the Regional Network Office for Urban Safety (RNUS). The office is based at AIT's School of Civil Engineering (SCE).
Prof. Jean-Louis Armand, AIT President, said that the partnership between AIT and the University of Tokyo is symbolic of both institutions' excellent reputation.
Remarking on the importance of the RNUS, Prof. Mario Tabucanon, AIT Provost, said that safety is of paramount importance anywhere in the world, especially in mega cities many of which are in Asia. No single institution can address the complex problems related to safety in mega cities, he stressed, citing the important role of the RNUS. Prof. Tabucanon was speaking at the opening ceremony for RNUS early this week (29 October 2002).
Through the RNUS, SCE and the International Center for Urban Safety Engineering will cooperate in promoting urban safety engineering utilizing advanced engineering technologies. The agreement is based on a contract signed by Prof. Worsak Kanok-Nukulchai, SCE Dean and Prof. Taketo Uomoto, ICUS/INCEDE Director, at the opening ceremony. RNUS will spearhead the integration of collaborative research projects with Thai researchers. A priority task is to construct an urban building and infrastructure database/inventory using remote sensing technology and ground surveys in Bangkok.
Speaking of the long-term cooperation between AIT and the University of Tokyo, Prof. Yoshifumi Yasuoka, Vice Director General of IIS/University of Tokyo, recalled, 'It was more than three years ago that AIT and the Institute of Industrial Science/University of Tokyo signed an agreement that paved the way for the establishment of ACRORS (Asian Center for Research on Remote Sensing). For a few years now, the MODIS receiving station at ACRORS has been sending daily informative data that are distributed to scientists all over the world. With the establishment of RNUS, the University of Tokyo looks forward to emerging research areas using advanced technologies that will expand knowledge in new ventures'.
The opening of the RNUS office followed an international symposium on 'New Technologies for Urban Safety of Mega Cities in Asia', which was jointly opened by Thai Minister of Transport, Mr. Suriya Jungrungroengkit, and Japan Cabinet Deputy Minister, Mr. Kenzou Yoneda, on October 28, 2002 at the Grand Pacific Hotel, Bangkok. The symposium highlighted advanced technologies, such as remote sensing, GIS, GPS and other computational tools that have been used to devise appropriate methodologies for the management and maintenance of urban buildings and infrastructures in mega cities.
Above: At the Technologies for Urban Safety in Mega Cities in Asia shows Japan Deputy Cabinet Minister Mr. Kenzou Yoneda (left) and Thai Transport Minister Mr. Suriya Jungrungroengkit.
Below: AIT President Jean-Louis Armand (right) beside Thai Transport Minister at the opening ceremony
