Seminars, Workshops and Conferences
23-24 September 2004: DANIDA-AIT Workshop on Human Resource Development in Integrated Land and Water Resource Management
Abstract
AIT in cooperation with the Danish International Development Assistance (Danida), is organizing
a workshop on Human Resource Development in Integrated Land and Water Resources Management.
The workshop -- to be held at AIT Conference Center -- aims to explore the skills and knowledge needs in the broader area of water and land management in the region.
The expected outputs of the workshop are:
- Better understanding of the development needs of the region particularly related to water and land management
- Development of direct linkages for AIT's involvement with Danida funded projects/programs in the region
- Development of joint collaborative activitives on capacity building in the region
Each participant is expected to present a summary of his/her program/project activities during the workshop. The presentations would include the need of capacity building in land & water management.
Interested persons may contact:
DANIDA-AIT Office
Asian Institute of Technology
P.O.Box-4, Klong Luang
Pathumthani 12120
Thailand
Tel: +662 524 5569
Fax: +662 524 5223
E-mail: danida@ait.ac.th
24 September 2004:
'Gross National Happiness: Message from Bhutan' international seminar will be held at AIT. The event will open at 9:00 a.m. at the Milton Bender Auditorium and workshops will be held at the AIT Conference Center. For further information please visit: https://oldweb.ait.ac.th/gnh2004
For further information, sponsorship and registration, please e-mail the organizing committee at: gnh@ait.ac.th
For further information on the Centre for Bhutan Studies: please visit: http://www.bhutanstudies.org.bt
28 September 2004: Special CSIM Seminar on Using knowledge to guide search: an interactive prototype will be conducted by Dr. Paul Janecek, Human Computer Interaction Group, Institute of Core Computing Science (IFF), School of Computer and Communication Sciences (I&C;), Swiss Federal Institute of Technology - Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
The seminar will be held at 10:00 a.m. in Room 209, CS Building
CSIM Students are expected to attend the presentation. Interested persons are welcome.
For more information on Dr. Paul Janecek, please visit:
http://hci.epfl.ch/members/paul/index.html
7 October 2004: 'The Dimensions of Diversity Humanity, Nature, and Sustainable Development' Seminar and Case Study: Agriculture, Food Security and Climate Change will be conducted by Dr. Mahendra M. Shah, Senior Scientist (Land use Change) and Coordinator United Nations Relations International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Laxenburg, Austria
The seminar will be held in Bender Auditorium, AIT Extension Building at 2 p.m. The seminar is open to all. Interested persons may call Miss Tasana Sa-id
at tel. 662-524 5488 or email: tasana@ait.ac.th.
Abstract
Humanity has reached a defining moment. Unless we learn to understand, respect and mobilize the wealth of diversity in nature and in the human world, a progressive and secured future will not be tenable. Diversity is of critical importance as it and its inter-connectedness endows humanity with collective potential and similarly in nature the web of interdependency, of ecosystems and species, creates the enabling environment for evolution of biodiversity and its survival resilience.
No one sets out to destroy diversity, but the cumulative consequences of conscious and unconscious human behavior, so often in the short-term interest of 'me' rather then 'us', cause disparities, the disenfranchisement of societies, the degradation of ecosystems, and loss of biodiversity. We have a responsibility to current and future generations to ensure sustainability in all its dimensions of societal, environmental and economic development.
In the 21st century, the transition towards sustainable development cannot be realized without building strategic and effective human capital. For this to become a reality, humans have to change course. The destination, named sustainable development, is the junction where human diversity and nature's diversity meet.
The food and agriculture sector is important not only as it accounts for more the half of the world's employment and livelihoods, but it is also the largest users of natural resources and the environment and it has the greatest impact on ecosystems and services. The seminar will include a presentation* an integrated global ecological-economic assessment of agricultural development, including food security, climate change etc.
*Based on WSSD 2002 Johannesburg report, Climate Change and Agricultural Vulnerability (see http://www.iiasa.ac.at/Research/LUC/JB-Report.pdf)
13-15 October 2004: Regional
Renewable Energy Technology Transfer Workshop will be held at the AIT Conference
Center. The event will be conducted by the RETs in Asia Programme, Energy FoS, SERD.
The workshop aims to transfer the designs of a few renewable energy devices developed by thirteen institutes from six Asian countries and AIT under a regional programme funded by Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) in order to promote commercialization of these devices.
The workshop is particularly targeted towards private entrepreneurs/companies, NGOs, and key
government officials responsible for promotion of renewable energy systems.
Interested persons may contact: Prof. S.C. Bhattacharya, Coordinator and Principal Investigator, RETs in
Asia Programme Energy FoS, School of Environment, Resources & Development. Tel: (+66) (2) 524
5403, 524 5440. Fax: 524 5439/ 516 2126. E-mail: retsas@ait.ac.th
22 October 2004: Workshop on Urban Safety for Sustainable Urbanization from Experiences of Japan will be held at the RCC Auditorium. The workshop organized by RNUS, SCE will be conducted by the following speakers: Prof. Taketo Uomoto will speak on Maintenance and management of urban infrastructure in Japan to decrease risk of injury to public; Prof. Reiko Amano will speak on Water Screen Fire Disaster Prevention System in Underground Space and Prof. Kimiro Meguro will speak on Universal Disaster Simulator towards earthquake disaster mitigation in Japanese cities
Abstract
Over half of the world's population is concentrated in urban areas covering just 4% of the world's surface. Mega cities in particular are characterized by a high population density and tremendous pressure on supporting infrastructure. It is estimated that by 2015, Asia will be host to more than 50% of the mega cities in the world. A phenomenal growth in the number of high-rise buildings and other infrastructure in these cities is clearly foreseen, though a balance is often not ensured with measures for their maintenance. Safety of infrastructure is foremost important for sustainable urbanization and
economic development in Asia.
In this workshop, three prominent academicians from the University of Tokyo, Japan will deliver talks on how urban safety issues are addressed in highly urbanized Japanese cities. Various issues related to durability of urban infrastructure with proper safety measures including measures against disasters like earthquake and fires with the conventional and new technologies will be addressed in the presentations.
About the Speakers
Prof. Taketo Uomoto is the Director and Professor of the International Center for Urban Safety Engineering (ICUS), the University of Tokyo. He has been working in the field of research and development of FRP reinforcement since 1980. His interest lies in developing new methods for improving durability of concrete. Most of his works are related to deterioration mechanism, and inspection and preventive methods against deterioration of concrete structures. His recent research is focused on development of a new system for high quality shotcrete for tunnel lining and establishment of Asian Model Code of Concrete Structure.
Prof. Reiko Amano is a Visiting Professor of ICUS, University of Tokyo and Deputy General Manager of the Kajima Corporation, Tokyo. She has been working for Kajima Corporation since 1980. Her specialization is in design of different types of bridges. She has been engaged in developments of various types of bridges using latest (Pre-stressed Concrete technology as a designer, a researcher and a construction manager. In 1986, one of her main works, Birdie Bridge, a stressed-ribbon type bridge using the composite material with concrete and FRP, received Tanaka Award from the Japan Society of Civil Engineers.
Prof. Kimiro Meguro is an Associate Professor of ICUS, the University of Tokyo. His major is urban safety and earthquake disaster mitigation engineering. After receiving Ph. D from the University of Tokyo, he joined INCEDE of the University of Tokyo in 1991. Based on many disaster site investigations, he has been developing a disaster reduction strategy by appropriately balancing the structural countermeasures and the non-structural countermeasures. He has been also doing grass-root type of activities for earthquake disaster reduction in developing countries. Dr. Meguro is very active in international activities. He has been serving for last several years as one of the Directors of the World Seismic Safety Initiative (WSSI), which is an undertaking of the International Association of Earthquake Engineering (IAEE).
1-3 December 2004: Second International Symposium on Southeast Asian Water Environment will be held in Hanoi, Vietnam. The Symposium is organized by the Asian Institute of Technology branch in Vietnam (AITVN) and The University of Tokyo (UT), in cooperation with Southeast Asian Center on Water Environment Technology (SACWET), a joint center of UT and AIT. The Symposium is sponsored by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), Japan through Special Coordination Funds for Promoting Science and Technology.
The Symposium aims to provide a forum for discussion and exchange among researchers/practitioners in Environmental Technology and Management and related areas from the Asian Region and to promote interaction among researchers from Asia-Pacific countries, Japan, the United States, Europe and other parts of the world. Through the Symposium, participants will hopefully find a strong network or partnership with active local change agents will be established, and our colleagues in Southeast Asia will learn more from the experts of other countries to protect the environment of the region.
Focus of the Symposium
The Symposium is focused on the following topics:
- Conservation of natural aquatic ecosystems
- Symbiosis with agriculture and aquaculture
- Industrial/agricultural development and water management
- Threats to ground water
- Environmental infrastructure management
- Urban development and coastal zone management
- Social aspects
Call for papers and deadlines
Manuscripts for oral and poster presentations should be prepared according to the format specified at: http://www.env.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp/project/asian_water/home.html
Paper for oral presentations should be submitted to:
E-mail: asiasympo@env.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp by August 15, 2004 and all applicants will receive an acknowledgment via e-mail upon submission of the manuscript. The corresponding author will be informed of the result of the review by mid September.
Paper for poster presentations should be submitted by September 30, 2004.
For applicants from Vietnam, please submit/contact directly to:
Asian Institute of Technology Center in Vietnam-AITCV
21 Le Thanh Tong
Hanoi, Vietnam
Tel: 84-4-825 3493
Fax: 84-4-825 3658
E-mail: eds@aitcv.ac.vn
Website: http://www.aitcv.ac.vn/index.asp?selects=5
Further details regarding submission procedure and registration can be viewed at:
http://www.env.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp/project/asian_water/home.html
11-13 January 2005: 2nd International Conference on Innovations in Food Processing Technology and Engineering will be held at the AIT Conference Center.
The role of food processing technology and engineering in the economic development need not be overemphasized. Food science, technology and engineering (FS&E;) have been at the very core of numerous development and achievements to make a wide variety of foods available year around in palatable, nutritious, aesthetically packaged, in terms of appearance, functionality, storability, nutrition, and economic viability of innovative processes and modern food products.
Realizing the concepts, putting in practice and reaping the harvest through successful marketing. The role of FS&E; has been indispensable in not only making the necessary tools available but in review of new developments in food processing technology and engineering along with dissemination of relevant information among scientists, engineers, technologists and other professionals.
Technical Program: The technical program will include plenary and keynote lectures, parallel lectures and poster sessions.
Original contributors, case histories, of actual industrial operations, state-of-the-art papers, and commercial information on the following subjects are invited.
- Food processing technology
- Physical properties of foods
- Thermal processing and preservation
- Non-thermal processing
- Food safety
- Food packaging
- Nutraceutical and functional foods
- Postharvest preservation and processing
- Novel technologies in food handling, processing and transport
- Information technology applications in food industry
- Automation in food industry
- Food processing wastes
Please keep on visiting web site http://203.159.19.151/phfpe/conferences/fpc/index.htm for conference updates
Preliminary Registration: Contributions will be presented as keynote lectures, lectures or posters. The Technical Committee will make final decisions on the acceptance and allocation to oral or poster presentations. The abstract, not exceeding more than 300-400 words, should clearly indicate the objectives, brief methodology and conclusions.
The last date for the submission of abstracts is July 31, 2004. However, abstract received after the deadline will not be included in the proceedings but still be considered for presentation.
Application Form and Summary: Registration form and Summary in MS-Word format can be obtained by visiting: http://203.159.19.151/phfpe/conferences/fpc/index.htm
For further information please contact:
Miss Tasana Sa-id
FEBT, SERD
Asian Institute of Technology
P.O. Box 4, Klong Luang
Pathumthani 12120, Thailand
Tel: (66-2) 524 5488
Fax: (66-2) 524 6200
E-mail: phfpe@ait.ac.th