The HU-SNU Joint Symposium returns to HU on its 26th year
University News | November 21, 2023
On 1 and 2 November 2023, the 26th anniversary of the Hokkaido University (HU) – Seoul National University (SNU) Joint Symposiumwas commemorated in Sapporo. It was the first physical Joint Symposium of the two universities held in Sapporo since the COVID-19 pandemic and encouraged hybrid format event organisation from past few years experiences. The symposium also welcomed the first visit paid by new SNU leaderships, President Honglim Ryu, Vice President of International Affairs Theresa Seung Ah Cho, and Deputy Vice President of International Affairs Sunyoung Kim.
The plenary session of this year’s symposium was jointly arranged with the Forum on the Future for Children: Sustainable Development for Future Generations which were held in Sapporo at the same time and gathered experts and stakeholders for discussion on low birth rates and co-creation of society for children. The 26th HU-SNU Joint Symposium also sets the theme of Sustainable Development for Future Generations and showcased cutting edge research outcomes to tackle the theme from various perspectives from engineering to field sciences. In front of the participants of both Forum and Symposium, the plenary session begun by President Kiyohiro Houkin’s opening remarks and Executive Vice President Aya Takahashi’s facilitation. HU and SNU invited their speakers Professor Akiko Tamakoshi, Faculty of Medicine, and Professor Youngtae Cho, School of Public Health to let them introduce current states of fertility issues and prospects in Japan and Korea, and later, chairs of seven research satellite sessions for their brief introduction of each session: 1.) Connecting Forest to Wood Sectors for Carbon Neutrality and Sustainability, 2.) Predicting Landslide and Flooding Vulnerabilities Exacerbated by Extreme Rainfall Events, 3.) Next Generation Oxide Semiconductor Materials and Devices, 4.) 2023 International Workshop on New Frontiers in Convergence Science and Technology: Innovating Sustainable Development for Future Generations, 5.) Aerospace Engineering, Next Generations, 6.) Towards Sustainable Development of Slavic-Eurasian Studies in Northeast Asia during Crisis, and 7.) Joint Course: Environmental Chemicals and Human Health.
From top left, clockwise: Prof Tamakoshi / Prof Cho / EVP Takahashi / Prof Hiromichi Ohta
Soon after the plenary session was closed by President Ryu, participants gathered for the welcome reception and enchanting performances by the Sapporo Upopo Preservation Society. The reception was celebrated by Vice Governor Shunsuke Tsuchiya, Hokkaido Prefectural Government and Deputy Mayer Takatoshi Machida, City of Sapporo, and Vice President Cho, SNU, and closed by Executive Vice President Takao Masuda, HU.
With Sapporo Upopo Preservation Society performers
Upon the visit, SNU leaderships had a meeting on next year’s symposium with HU leaderships, and paid a visit to the HU Botanic Garden, the newly-established Smart Agriculture Education and Research Center, Institute for Vaccine Research and Development (IVReD), and the HU Museum. The 26th HU-SNU Joint Symposium was concluded with the staff exchange programme for librarians to visit each other on the following week.
From top left, clockwise: leadership meeting, Smart Agriculture Education and Research Center / Hokkaido University Museum / visit to the Sapporo Municipal Library / library staff exchange / IVReD
(Photos and Text by the Institute for International Collaboration, HU COI-NEXT, and HU and SNU Libraries)
