WECC2015 Newsletter No.8

November 20, 2015
and cyber-security. Thus people from multiple
fields need to share knowledge and discoversolutions together. To this end, it is important forpeople

frommany

specialized

fieldstoChair of the Kyoto Local
Organizing Committee
Prof. Eiichi Taniguchi

communicate beyond the framework of their(Professor, Department of Urban Management,Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto
University)

specialists from different fields to examine a givenTheWorldEngineering

ConferenceandConvention 2015 (WECC2015) will be held inKyoto, and the overall theme of the event is“Engineering: Innovation and Society.” This is ahighly significant event in three respects. Firstly, it
is a forum where engineers, policy-makers, andbusiness people from many fields can gather for
wide-ranging discussions enabling them to shareknowledge and experience. Secondly, it provides anopportunity to consider and make proposals on thefurther development of engineering in the contextof its relationship with society. Thirdly, holding theevent in the ancient capital of Kyoto gives us thechance to communicate a new direction forengineering based on historical and culturalperspectives.

from diverse fields are rare, since international
conferences are generally field-specific events
where specialized issues are discussed. However,
we currently face a range of very complex problems,urban

for creating such opportunities. It is vital for
issue

from

their

differing

viewpoints

approaches,sincecontact

withandpreviously

unconsidered approaches can spark innovations.
Regarding the second point, engineering must be
useful to society while also being properly
evaluated within society. Although engineering
uses the same numerical formulae and applies thesame principles as pure sciences, ultimately it isrequired to design and build structures andmachines that are useful to the development ofsociety, and to provide useful services. Sometimes
its

missionisundervalued

bysociety,andsometimes excessive expectations are placed upon
it. In these circumstances, as well as discussing
ethical and educational issues within engineeringand indicating appropriate directions for us to takeasengineers,

WECC2015

presents

agood

opportunity to discuss society’s assessment andOn the first point, opportunities to gather people

includingspecializations, and WECC2015 provides a forum

safetyandsecurity,

healthpromotion in aging societies, efficient energy usage,

expectations of engineering and consider ways ofbuilding stronger ties with society as a whole.
Turning thirdly to the significance of holding
WECC2015 in the historical and cultural center ofKyoto, engineering tends to be regarded as a
spiritless academic field, bu t this location
reminds us that engineering is in fact built upon

human history and cultural traditions. Kyoto is a city of

For all these reasons, I am confident that WECC2015 will

artisans with a history of generating innovations while

offer an ideal opportunity to build valuable networks ofpreserving cultural traditions and traditional ways of life.

people related to various fields of engineering who will

Kyoto teaches us that in developing and applying

take up the challenge of resolving diverse issues.

engineering, it is important to consider not only economics,
but also harmony with local history and cultural traditions.

An international symposium entitled"River Technology for Innovation and Social System"
An international symposium entitled "River Technology for Innovation and Social System" will be held jointly by
WFEO-CDRM and local engineering-related organizations in Kyoto prior to the WECC2015. The symposium consists
disaster- and environment-oriented sessions in river and watershed engineering, and a panel discussion from both sessions.
It is open to public. You can participate in the symposium without charge.
If you are interested in attending the event, please send an email, including your name and affiliation in advance; to theSecretary for "River Technologies for Innovations and Social Systems", email address (river-innovation@rfc.or.jp).

Here is more detailed information:
Purpose: The symposium is to provide valuable information for river/watershed engineering, business, and politicalmeasures over the world through disaster and natural conservation perspective.
Organized by: Organizing Committee for “River Technologies for Innovations and Social Systems”
Co-organized by: Japan Federation of Engineering Societies (JFES), World Federation of Engineering Organizations(WFEO), Japan River Restoration Network (JRRN), Japan Society of Civil Engineers (JSCE), andArchitectural Institute of Japan (AIJ)
Supported by: Science Council of Japan (SCJ), Japan Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT), andAsian River Restoration Network
Date and Time:

Saturday, 28 November 2015, 09:00–18:00

Room and Venue: Room D, Kyoto International Conference Center (www.icckyoto.or.jp/en/access/)
Maximum number of participants: 120 people* Worldwide engineers and engineering-related people are welcomed as a participant* There is a limit to the number of receivers of interpretation.
You in order to participate, you need to contact in advance to the secretariat.
Admission: All participants are free for attending the symposium only.
You need to register with full payment if you wish to attend other WECC 2015 events.
Language: English and Japanese (simultaneous translation is available)(Note) This symposium will be held as a side event for the WECC2015 in Kyoto and “Session I” serves as the 9th Joint
International Symposium on Disaster Risk Management.
URL: http://river-innovation.net/index_en.html

The original article appeared on pp. 8-9 in the main section of the Japan Times dated June 30, 2015.