Osaka University Forum 2011 held

The 11th Osaka University Forum was held in Shanghai over the two days of Thursday , October 27 and Friday , the 28 th.

These forums, which began in 2001, are held overseas annually with the objectives of creating an international research network and of publicizing the advanced interdisciplinary research results of Osaka University. The 11th forum this year was held in Shanghai, China where the Shanghai Center for Education and Research was established by Osaka University last year. The theme this year was " Learning from the experiences of China and Japan -- International Cooperation in Recovery from Disaster, Disaster Reduction, and Disaster Prevention ," a theme drawn up with reference to the unprecedented disaster of the Great East Japan Earthquake of March 11 and the recovery and reconstruction efforts.

During the 2 days of this forum, following a welcome by Osaka University President Toshio Hirano, five subcommittees took up topics such as disaster reconstruction and civil society, earthquake resistant architecture, earthquake resistance in public works projects, nuclear power plant safety, and international support following disasters with reference to specific examples. These were followed by serious debate and questions regarding the deepening of international cooperation and the roles of citizens, industry, government, and universities in the case of a future disaster on a global scale.

This forum was very meaningful in its creation of an academic research network in which researchers in the social sciences and natural sciences from both Japan and China could meet together and discuss the Great East Japan Earthquake, international cooperation, and ways for dealing with disaster, recovery and reconstruction.

President Hirano delivers greeting.

Group photo of participants.