No.30
Apr.1 2015

No.27

International Exchange andNetworking
Tamio Shimogami
Senior Director, International Affairs Division, JSCE

The JSCE is working actively at home and abroad toadvancescienceandtechnology,

improvesocialinfrastructure, and develop human resources. These

conferences. JSCE’s overseas branches carry out activities
in their host countries. Through these efforts, we havebeen establishing networks with people outside Japan.

activities range from competition to cooperation andTo effectively disseminate English-language information,

assistance and are carried out regardless of country’s

the content must be well organized. I hope that the JSCE’sborders. The Japanese language, however, is a barrier tocommittees should present reports and other documents ininternational communications, which is not the case forEnglish as well as in Japanese. Moreover, nationalcountries that use English or French as their native

meetings should be bilingual.

tongues. Although Japan has an array of civil engineering

To promote networking with overseas researchers andtechnologies that can benefit society, only a few haveengineers, Japanese engineers who are posted overseas

become established as world standards. To promoteshould enroll in the JSCE as regular members with theirinterest in Japan’s civil engineering technologies, it iscompanies’ support. University teachers offering guidance

essential to actively approach people overseas. The IAC

forpublishes information in English, promotes interactions

communication so that the JSCE can regularly sendwith foreign academic societies, and hosts international

information to the students. This may prompt overseas

JSCE and its overseas counterpart sign an Agreement of Cooperation.

IAC News No.30, Apr.1 2015

overseasstudents

shouldIAC hosts ad-hoc themed seminar series.

establish

linesofstudents who have returned home to take an interest in

to research cooperation, technical cooperation, joint

JSCE’s activities. We can then approach them to join ainvestigations of disasters, project development, and joint

branch of the JSCE.

participation in enterprises.

The overseas branches are venues for Japanese andforeign members to meet and exchange useful information.

We earnestly invite everyone to participate in JSCE’s

Hopefully, these interactions will develop further, leadinginternational activities.

The reason I choose Japanand Civil Engineering

Cheng LIWaseda University

The first time I visited Japan, I was fascinated by itsperspective.

beauty, and continued curious about the principle andJapan’s advanced technologies showed in class and somemethod how an island country, with scarce resources evenenvironmental equipment and pollution control technology

68% covered by trees, makes itself material recycling

exhibitions always surprised me a lot. I visited Kyushu

country and friendly coexistence with environment.

University, moved by Japan's biodiversity conservation,

I was interested in civil engineering since childhood,water resources management and water cycle control.

always wondering how big cities set up, how high-rises

Field trip to drinking water treatment plants and solid

built up,waste disposal site also impressed me greatly with maturesince

Shanghai

wasduring mostrapid

development decade in civil construction and economy

membrane technology and environmental friendly ideas.

after I born. After four-year study in environmental
engineering,

Waseda University gave me the chance to study inI

acquired both strong

Japan, the country with most high technology andresearchin

environmental

academic knowledge
andsolid

practical

know-how. The moreI learn, the eager I
feel like to go to anadvanced country incivil engineering tofurther my education,
toenhance

knowledge

andbroaden
At the annual meeting of Japan Society on Water Environment

IAC News No.30, Apr.1 2015

mytomyI enjoy feeding a deer at Nara Park

issues,state-of-the-art

academic philosophy and methodology. In academic aspect,engineering technology all over the world. Since civil

I am always excited with every progress in research,

infrastructure has been almost accomplished in Japan,

hoping some part of our research can be practical use somenow most companies are expanding overseas business today. Prof. Sakakibara gave me a lot of chances to present

help developing countries in urban construction withmy research on JSCE, JSWE, and other international

cooperation with JICA. In February, I was lucky enough toconferences to communicate with all researchers in such

have the chance to join internship organized by Hitachi.

field. On the other hand, I worked as a volunteer in

By visiting several offices and factories relating to civil

UNEP-Tongji Institute of Environment for Sustainableengineering in Japan, I was moved by feeling of trust that

Development

environmental

Hitachi offers to customers established on continuous highconferences. Now I am doing translation part-time job inquality since entrepreneurship. As a student studying

Japan Society of Civil Engineers. All of these broaden myabroad, gained a lot from Japan, I am eager to work as a

global perspective and further develop my interests in civil

member in civil engineering field here and give myengineering.

contribution.

insomeinternational

As we all know, Japan holds most advanced civil

around the World.” The guest speaker was Mr. Pablo

Report on Hosting the Construction Industry
Global Vision Lecture Series,“A Global Strategy for the Construction
Industry: In Dialogue with World Leaders.”“Learn from Consultants around the World.”

Bueno, the CEO of TYPSA, the leading Spanish consulting
company with a global presence. He also chairs the FIDIC,
the International Federation of Consulting Engineers.
Mr. Pablo spoke about the ideal overseas business
operation strategy for consulting firms, citing TYPSA’sexperience in the world market. Mr. Noriaki Hirose, theTheInternationalConstruction

Activities

ManagementCenterCommitteeandtheJSCE

President-Elect,and

hostedtheChairman of the Construction Management Committee,

Construction Industry Global Vision Lecture Series, “AGlobal Strategy for the Construction Industry: In Dialogue
with World Leaders” on February 27, 2015. The topic was,“Learn from Consultants around the World.”
Investment in new construction in Japan is expected todecline. To secure an important position in both overseas
and domestic business, the construction sector will move
forwardwithstrategic

activities

in

theworld’sconstruction market without relying on ODA works. Thislecture

meetingwas

anopportunityforJapan’sconstruction industry to discuss global business strategieswith the leader of a major international company.
The topic of this meeting was, “Learn from Consultants

IAC News No.30, Apr.1 2015

Mr. Bueno delivers a presentation.

Mr.

Katsuji

Fukumoto,thendescribed

futureThis lecture focused on consultants. In future lectures inJapanese

this series, we plan to take up general contractors, etc. The

construction businesses, comparing their operations withschedule and details of future lectures will be announced

those of globally operating companies.

on the JSCE website.

developmentofthecurrent

overseas

situation

operationsandbyIn a panel discussion, six participants from industry,government, and academia discussed how the Japaneseconstruction sector, including consulting firms, should
promote overseas operations. The panelists included Mr.
Makio Shichijyo from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure,
Transport and Tourism, Mr. Akihiko Hirotani from
Oriental

Consultants

GlobalCo.,

Ltd.,

andProf.

Kazumasa Ozawa from the Graduate School of theUniversity of Tokyo. The Committee Chairman, Mr.
Katsuji Fukumoto, served as the moderator.
The lecture attracted more than 220 people. After alively question and answer session, the meeting concluded.
Mr. Bueno shares his views with other panelists.

【International Activities Center and Construction Management Committee】

What’s Happening

IAC News Subscription・2015/6/12-13
The Institution of Engineers, Pakistan’s Annual Convention & Civil
Engineering Congress,(Karachi, Pakistan)

The IAC News is one of the communication tools to share informationand ideas with the members. We would like to invite you, your friends
and colleagues to join the communication and to subscribe the IAC
News. Please register online: (http://www.jsce-int.org/node/150). We
look forward to meeting you.

・2015/6/18-20
2015 MACE Annual Meeting (Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia)

Updates・The summary of feature articles in the JSCE Magazine is available on
the JSCE website.
http://www.jsce-int.org/pub/magazine
・Concrete Committee International Newsletter No. 40
http://www.jsce.or.jp/committee/concrete/e/newsletter/Newsletter.htm
・Journal of JSCE
The Journal of JSCE is the collection of research papers which canbe viewed on the JSCE website.
https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/browse/journalofjsce
・JSCE 100th Anniversary Postal Stamp was released in September,2014.
http://jsce100.com/node/250 (Japanese Only)
EuropeanCouncil of Civil Engineers (ECCE) has released the 2nd・book in ECCE Book Project, ”Footbridges-Small is beautiful.” 17
footbridges are contributed from JSCE:
http://www.ecceengineers.eu/

IAC News No.30, Apr.1 2015

Editor’s postscript
We have reached No. 30 since we started publishing the IAC
News three years ago. Have you noticed the new look of thenewsletter? It is simple, fresh and clean. I wish I would not beself applauding.
April reminds us of cherry trees in full bloom, at the same time,
new beginnings. While viewing flowering cherry trees, we will
get a fresh start and continue our effort to deliver you new andinteresting news in the IAC News. (E.T.)[Comments and Questions] JSCE IAC: iac-news@jsce.or.jp
Please send us your feedback and comments to help us improve theIAC news. We look forward to hearing from you.