GREETINGS FROM THE PRESIDENT
It is my great pleasure to extend my heartfelt greetings to the readersof the initial issue of International Newsletter of Japan Society of Civil
Engineers (JSCE).
Since its establishment in 1914, JSCE has been playing a significant rolein the development of Japanese society in various stages of time, such as
the rapid modernization in the early 20th century, the reconstruction of
the land totally devastated by World War II, and the succeeding great
economic development.
Hiroshi OKADA, Dr. Eng.
However, JSCE's international activity has lagged extremely behind thatPresident JSCEin the domestic field up to the present. For example, even in respect ofthe problems related to the information dissemination, the scale of international publications of the Society
is enormously limited; the Journal of JSCE (basic regular publication which covers major items) is issued
in Japanese monthly, but its English version is published only once a year. In addition, although 28 volumesof technical journals are issued in Japanese annually, only five volumes of technical journals are publishedin English. Therefore, it is difficult for overseas engineers to access to the achievements of the valuable
studies and the records of the superb construction works as well as the activities/ strategies of the Society.
Together with the world entering into the era of full-scale globalization, JSCE has determined to put forth
further efforts for internationalization of the Society.
Publishing of this Newsletter represents one of the achievements of our efforts. Although its volume is brief,
JSCE will make every effort to keep the content comprehensive; introducing the summary of theremarkable achievements in the fields of planning, design and construction of the social infrastructures, theinternational strategies and the various activities of JSCE. Any criticism, opinion and encouragement to theNewsletter will be highly appreciated.
Another effort toward the internationalization of JSCE is to hold international conferences. In February
1998, the 1st Civil Engineering International Conference on Asian Infrastructure, Sustainable Development,
and Project Management was held in Manila, the Philippines, under joint sponsorship with American
Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers (PICE). The Conference
commanded significant success reflected by the number of participants up to about 700 from ten
associating nations in the region. Consequently, JSCE has begun necessary preparations to hold the 2nd
Conference (tentatively titled as `Review of the 20th Century and Prospect of the 21st Century') in Japan in
April 2001. We sincerely hope that this conference will be kindly supported by participants as much aspossible and will mark a significant threshold to the further development of the region beyond the year
2000.

THIS IS JSCE !!!
The Japan Society of Civil Engineers (JSCE) was founded in 1914 as a corporation with its mandate to"Contribute to academic culture through the promotion of civil engineering and development of civilengineering services". Ever since, continuous efforts have been made to realize opportunities for exchangesof relevant information and best practices among the members, promotional activities related to civilengineering from both academic and technical perspectives, and contributions to help build and maintainsocial infrastructure.
JSCE's programs and researches are planned and managed by relevant committees formed by the members
after being acknowledged at the General Assembly and by the Board of Directors. The headquarters is
located in the downtown Tokyo with eight local branches that are responsible for local activities. The
members of JSCE have recently reached more than 40 thousand people of which 6 thousand are student
members. The regular members of 34 thousand consist of those belong to construction industry (30 percent), consulting firms (24 per cent), public agencies (22 per cent), academic circle (10 per cent), and othervarious business sectors. It has annual budget of about $20 million with about 60 personnel including
part-time staff.
During the past decades, JSCE has substantially expanded its arena of activities which can be categorized
into the following seven areas: (1) providing the latest information through several periodical bulletins
including an annual English publication of "Civil Engineering JSCE" (2) facilitating opportunities foracademic exchange through JSCE annual convention and various types of symposiums, which aresupported by more than 300 subcommittees organized under 60 research committees; (3) helping promote
understanding on civil engineering through workshops, seminars, study tours as well as the academic
publications including Civil Engineering Guidebook, Dictionary on Civil Engineering Terminology, andreference materials for various specifications and formula. In this connection, JSCE runs its own library
containing more than 30 thousand periodicals and publications; (4) awarding academic and technicalachievements through provision of several prizes including JSCE Technical Award and International
Contribution Award; (5) conducting research and studies entrusted by public authorities on the issues
relating to social infrastructure; (6) promoting cooperation with other organizations domestically andinternationally through exchanges of information and experts, and conducting study tours abroad; and (7)strengthening general public relations through various activities including provision of summer school forhigh-school students, and hosting special events in cooperation with public organizations on November
18th each year which is publicly claimed as "the Civil Engineering Day".
A role for JSCE being expected today is to challenge the time of paradigm shift to improve the people'swelfare in the coming century. With the ever-growing trend of globalization, JSCE increasingly recognizes
the importance of international cooperation and understanding. You may wish to get more information from
JSCE through the following contacts address.
Internet Home Page Address:
http://wwwsoc.nacsis.ac.jp:/jsce2/jac/
Mail Address for Membership:
Attn: Member Registration Section, JSCE
Mubanchi, Yotsuya 1-chome, Shinjuku-ku,
Tokyo 160-0004
Telephone: +81(3)3355-3443 / Facsimile: +81(3)5379-2769

CALL FOR PAPERS FOR HTE SECOND ENGLISH-SESSION
IN THE 1999 JSCE ANNUAL CONFERENCE
The first technical session in which all presentations and discussions were made in English was organizedin the 53rd JSCE Annual Conference held in Kobe on October 4-6 1998. The JSCE Annual Conference isthe largest opportunity for members to gather, consisting of technical presentations, panel discussions,special lectures, special symposium, reception, exhibition of movies, and technical sites visit. More than
6,900 members attended the 53rd Annual Conference and totally 4,087 papers were presented in 8 technicaltracks; Structures, Hydraulics, Geotechincal, Planning and Transportation, Materials, Construction
Management and Infrastructure Systems, Environment. In the recent Annual Conference, the number ofpresentations in English has been steadily increasing. However they have been presented among thepresentations in Japanese. It was the first trial to provide a session in which the presentations anddiscussions were conducted all in English. Representatives from the American Society of Civil Engineers
and the Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers, Inc. attended the Session.
Because of the success of the English-Session in the 53rd Annual Conference, the International Activities
Committee, JSCE plans to organize four English-Sessions in the "Common Sessions" of the 54th Annual
Conference which is scheduled to be held on 22-24, September, 1999 in Hiroshima. The titles of thesessions are "Reduction of Construction Cost and Development of Low-Cost Construction Methods", "NewContract and Construction Management Systems", "Design and Construction in Overseas Countries (I) and(II)".
The paper submitted to the Second English-Session in the 1999 JSCE Annual Conference should conformto the following format:•The manuscript must be prepared by word processors and printed on A4-size paper (210mm wide by297mm long)•Number of pages = 2 pages•The manuscript must contain the left and right margins of 15 mm and the top and bottom margins of 18mm.
•In sequence, the title, the affiliation, the category of memberships, the full names must be written on thefirst page of the manuscript.
•The font used should be Time New Roman or Times with 10 point and single spacing.
•Contact addresses and keywords (up to the maximum of 5) should be written at the footer of the first page.
•The manuscript must be submitted by April 1st, 1999 to JSCE Office (Mubanchi, Yotsuya 1-chome,
Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 160-0004, TEL (03) 3355-3442).
Information on the format in English is available in the homepage of International Activities Committee,
JSCE (http://wwwsoc.nacsis.ac.jp/jsce2/iac/). For more information, contact Professor Kazuhiko
Kawashima,

Department

of CivilEngineering, Tokyo

InstituteofTechnology by e-mail(kawasima@civil-gw.cv.titech.ac.jp) or FAX (03) 5734-3810.

VOICE FROM THE STUDENTS
When I came to Japan to enter the Construction Management/ Infrastructure Systems Laboratory at the
University of Tokyo, I was looking for a challenge. In addition, I was searching for an opportunity to study
the field of private infrastructure finance as applied to Japan and China; to make optimal use of the skill-set
that I had built, including an engineering background and a knowledge of Japan and its language; and tohave a solid regional base where I could live in a stable and stimulating environment while having access to
the rest of Asia. I am happy to say that I have been successful in meeting these objectives so far.
First, I have been able to make the most of my abilities, combining communication and engineering skillsin the pursuit of my research. I have expanded my understanding of subjects including infrastructure
finance and construction management while learning about the infrastructure systems of Japan and China.
And, based in the familiar surroundings of Tokyo, I have had frequent opportunities to gain direct
experience within Asia ・through participation in regional conferences; through a summer internship at an
infrastructure fund management company in Hong Kong; and through a series of research visits to China.
Finally, there has been an unexpected result of my involvement with Construction Management/
Infrastructure Systems at the University of Tokyo: it has given me the rare opportunity to cooperate withJapanese researchers, administrators and professionals as they search for solutions to the challenges facing
the governmental, industrial and economic systems of Japan.
I hope that through my research, I will be able to suggest incremental improvements for models of private

participation in infrastructure finance in China; to contribute in some small way to the systemic reforms
being considered in Japan; and to act as a link between these two countries in Asia. I came to Japan looking
for a challenge, and I found it.

By Reginald Macdonald, Canadian Ph.D. student,
Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Tokyo.

THE SECOND CIVIL ENGINEERING INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
IN THE ASIAN REGION
The First Civil Engineering International Conference in the Asian Region, focusing on Asian infrastructure,sustainable development and project management, was held in Manila, the Philippines on February 19-20,
1998. It was jointly sponsored by American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), Japan Society of Civil
Engineers (JSCE) and Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers, Inc. (PICE) (in alphabetical order). More than
700 members participated in the Conference.
The feature of the first Conference was that it highlighted technical track and project management trackwith the equal importance. The technical track focused on the infrastructure and the sustainable
development concepts, while the project management track focused on the non-technical issues, tools andtechniques contributing to the success of civil engineering project in today's Asia. It was a remarkable
moment to emphasize that a delicate balance must be maintained between preserving the fragile and limited
resources and building or improving the quality of life for people living in Asian countries. It was also
worthy to learn that even though the technologies, the codes and standards are developed to infrastructure
projects, the project may not be successful unless they can be accomplished within the constraints of thequality, time and cost planned. Thus, the importance of the project management to accomplish the goals
was widely recognized.
The first Conference revealed the importance to discuss various issues common to the Asian countries inorder to strengthen the civil engineering technology. This is crucial for Asian countries in the increasinglycompetitive world. It is important to provide a platform to continue the discussion and presentation forsolving the problems which were identified in the first Conference. Those requirements lead to thecontinuation of the Conference.
The Second Conference is scheduled to be held in Tokyo for about two days in April, 2001. A
post-Conference tour will follow the Conference. The main theme of the Conference is tentatively proposed
to be "Review of the 20th Century and Prospect of the 21st Century". The program includes keynote
presentations, round table meeting among the official representatives, technical presentations, technicalexhibition, essay contest by students, and technical site visits. The technical presentations are of technicaltrack and project management track. They include civil engineering technology for construction,
maintenance, re-development, creation and preservation of environment and disaster prevention,
construction management technologies, standardization, accreditation and laws, and reports on
infrastructure construction projects.
For conducting the second Conference, the Local Organizing Committee has been organized and chaired by
JSCE from its officers and members. Invitation for the Conference will be distributed to Asian/Pacificcountries. We sincerely hope that the second Asian Conference will provide a platform for intensified
technical exchange of relevant information among the Asian countries.

AGREEMENT OF COOPERATION WITH THE MEXICANFEDERATION OF CIVIL ENGINEERING INSTITUTIONSThe Mexican Federation of Civil Engineering Institutions (Federation de Colegios de Ingenieros Civiles dela Republica Mexicana, A.C.) and JSCE agreed to start a new cooperation between two engineeringsocieties. The Mexican Federation of Civil Engineering Institutions is a nationwide organization thatgathers 57 associations or "Colegios de Ingenieros Civiles" and has a membership over 24,000. Dr.
Francisco Jaime Navarro Celaya, I.C. visited the headquarters of JSCE on November 1, 1998, and signed
the agreement.
The activities contemplated under this agreement include nine items, such as exchange of students,
lecturers and guests, and exchange of information regarding the engineering profession in general as well
as scientific and technical events which are of mutual interest.
JSCE has already hold the agreement of cooperation with 9 international societies: the Canadian Society for
Civil Engineering in 1988, American Society of Civil Engineers in 1988, Korean Society of Civil Engineers
in 1989, the Institution of Engineers, Australia in 1990, the Swedish Society of Civil and StructuralEngineers in 1990, the Institution of Civil Engineers, UK in 1991, Chinese Institute of Civil and HydraulicEngineering in 1992, Conseil National des Ingenieurs et des Scientifiques de France in 1993, Philippine

Institute of Civil Engineers, Inc. in 1997. Therefore the Mexican Federation of Civil Engineering
Institutions has become the 10th cooperative society.

Agreement of Cooperation
signed by Dr. F. J. N. Celaya (right)

CALL FOR ABSTRACTS FOR THE FIRST INTERNATIONAL
SUMMER SYMPOSIUM
Japan Society of Civil Engineers (JSCE) is on the progressive step toward the internationalization of its
activity to develop the mutual understanding between overseas and Japanese engineers. JSCE recognizes
overseas students and engineers in Japan as the valuable resource that we can share opinions and ideas tostrengthen the core knowledge in civil engineering. As an effort to accomplish its goal, JSCE initiates the
symposium titled "The First International Summer Symposium". The summer symposium will be held at
JSCE Headquarters in Tokyo on August 6, 1999. JSCE plans to hold the summer symposium annually. The
summer symposium will be all conducted in English. The overseas students studying in civil engineering
are sincerely encouraged to participate in the summer symposium. The subjects presented at the summer
symposium cover seven areas in civil engineering: I) structural mechanics and earthquake engineering, II)
hydraulics, III) geotechnical engineering, IV) urban planning and transportation, V) materials, VI)
construction management andinfrastructure system, and VII) environment.
1.The abstract should be typed in English and contain: ◦Technical area (I-VII)◦Title◦Abstract (approximately 200 words)◦Full name of authors (Please note that the name of the presenting author must be underlined.)◦Affiliation, address, Telephone number, e-mail address, and Fax number (in case that e-mail address is notavailable)
Submit the abstract by May 10th, 1999 to International Division, JSCE (Ms. S. Ohte, Tel 03-3355-3452,
e-mail:ohte@civil.or.jp)

2.The acceptance of abstracts will be decided by International Activities Committee and will be informedby e-mail or Fax to presenting authors on May 20,1999.
3.Submit the 4-page paper by July 2nd, 1999 to International

Division, JSCE (Ms. S. Ohte, Tel

03-3355-3452, Mubanchi, Yotsuya 1-chome, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 160-0004, Japan)
4.Refer to Journal of the Japan Society of Civil Engineers, Vol. 84, April, 1999 and the homepage ofInternational Activities Committee, JSCE (http://wwwsoc.nacsis.ac.jp/jsce2/iac/). For more information,
contact to Professor Kazuhiko Kawashima, Department of Civil Engineering, Tokyo Institute ofTechnology by e-mail (kawasima@civil-gw.cv.titech.ac.jp) or fax (03-5734-3810).
5.The attendants in the summer symposium will be charged 2,000 Yen and the proceedings will be
provided to the attendants. Please note that the presentation should be given by the aid of the overhead
projector. After the summer symposium, Drinking & Uniting Party will be provided free of charge at thesecond floor of the library building, JSCE.

EDITORS NOTE
We are very pleased to be the editors for this commemorative initial issue for the International Activities
Committee. Until now, devices to extend the information outside Japan had been limited, that it was uneasy
to obtain information of JSCE's activity.
The committee is planning to publish the Newsletter twice a year, next issue in August. We are willing to
make the Newsletter very informative, comprehensive, and friendly. To make this Newsletter invigorating,
we are waiting for your comments and suggestions to the following E-mail address:
mailto:ohte@civil.or.jp
First issue Editors are：Tsuneaki YOSHIDA
Yuji IDE
Kanako IUCHI

International Activities Committee