Establishment of International Academic Network on "Adaptation to the Changing Environment"

In its new six years objectives and plan, Kagoshima University proposes a special focus on the development of three research programs: Food & Health, Environment, and Islands, based on the uniqueness of geography and,ecosystem of the area and long University's history of the research in these fields. These three research programs will be mutually coordinated and pursued in a multi-disciplinary manner. As such broad research objectives can only be achieved through wider cooperation, the establishment of International Academic Network regarding the "Adaptation to the Changing Environment" is planned as one of the international programs to achieve this goal.

When international issues are discussed, the responses to the issues tend to be conservatively determined based on various local/national situations and policies. Any action can eventually be conducted either in status quo or extended activities of the current direction. In the case of changing environment (the term of changing environment cannot be limited to natural phenomena such as climate change but cover wider ranges of changes including status of natural resources, structure for food security and gaps in economic status), people tend to modify the current framework and actions unless the change exceeds certain threshold. If the change occurs continuously in a gradual manner, even though clear indicator is shown, people do not take it as a trigger or critical point to modify their course of actions.

The similar trend can be generally observed in the academic areas. It is, therefore, necessary to have foci on the environmental changes if researches are directly and indirectly related to environment factors. To firstly monitor, recognize and respond (adapt) to these environment changes can be an important issue, if the research objectives are concerned on the contribution to the communities including the relevant industries. One of the examples can be to develop the appropriate agriculture strain that has high tolerance against high temperature during summer time according to the current climate change. Such consideration on the changing environment in research orientation can be an emerging issues to contribute to various global problems in visible manner.

Based on above perspective, Kagoshima University proposes to establish a framework on the international network in the relevant scientific fields (Selected research topics are listed as examples in Table1) in collaboration with sister universities and institutes located in different climate zones (Above figure).

The objective of the network is to further activate collaborative research works with the scientist in the sister universities and institutes in Asia and the Pacific region. Under such broad objective, relevant collaborative research works, organization of appropriate academic seminar and symposium will be promoted in the framework of cooperation between respective Universities and Institutes with Kagoshima University. It is also believed that such technical/academic framework will provide positive effects on the current student exchange programs as well as short-term overseas educational programs on specific issues.

As Center for International Planning (CIP), Kagoshima University is pleased to accept any inquiry on the issue, it is suggested to whoever interested in the above network to contact the following address. CIP is willing to coordinate with researchers and professors in the sister universities and institutes communicating with relevant sections in Kagoshima University.

Dr. Yasuhisa Kato
Professor/Program Director
Center for International Planning
1-21-24, Korimoto Kagoshima 890-8580, Japan
Tel: +81-99-285-7098
Fax: +81-99-285-7083
E-mail: kato@ms.kagoshima-u.ac.jp

Table 1. Proposed List of Collaborative Research Activities to be further strengthened under the International Academic Network on "Adaptation to the Changing Environment"