IISEE NewsletterOct 1, 2021
Number 197

In This Issue• 15 ParticipantsCompleted the 202021 Training Course• GRIPS Online
GraduationCeremony• Address in Reply on
Behalf of All theParticipants• Courtesy Call on theMLIT Minister

International Institute of Seismology and Earthquake Engineering BRI Japan
1 Tachihara Tsukuba Japan 305-0802

tel+81-29-879-0678 facsim+81-29-864-6777

15 Participants Completed the 2020-21 Training
CourseBy Mr. Takahiro Yamada, Head of Administration Division, IISEEOn Sep 14, we had a closing ceremonyof the training courses in Seismology,
Earthquake Engineering, and Tsunami
Disaster Mitigation, which started on
Oct 2, last year.
15 participants from 10 countries(Bangladesh(2)[online(1)], Bhutan(2),Chile(1), El Salvador(2), Indonesia(2),Malaysia(2), Philippines(1),Tonga(1)[online], Timor-Leste(1), andSolomon Islands(1)[online] joined thetraining course. In the ceremony, therepresentative of participants received
a certificate of completion and Post
Graduate Diplomas. After that, all theparticipants were awarded.
During the training period, theparticipants were divided into threecourses, Seismology, EarthquakeEngineering, and Tsunami Disaster
Mitigation, and have attended
specialized lectures considering theirfield. They summarized the researchand solutions for the problems in theircountries.
In the closing ceremony, the Director ofDisaster Management Policy Program ofGRIPS, Mr. Sugahara, who joined
remotely, announced 3 participants ofthe best research award. Dr. Azuhata,
the director of IISEE, announced 3participants of the IISEE award.

Mr. Takeshi WATANABE,
Deputy Director General, Tsukuba
Center, JICA

Dr. Mitsumasa MIDORIKAWA,President of BRI

Mr. Masaru SUGAHARA,Director of Disaster
Management

Lastly, Mr. Joel from Philippines made an address in reply tocongratulatory speeches.
We wish their success in their country using the knowledge from thistraining course and the network of the people.

IISEE Net andTraining
IISEENETIISEE-UNESCO Lecture
Note
IISEE E-learning
Synopsis Database

Presentation of Certificate
Mr. DA SILVA ALMEIDA Geovanio Pedro from
Timor-Leste, S course

Presentation of Diploma
Ms. SUAIB Syuhaida Binti from Malaysia,
E course

Best Research Award
Mr. ROSID Abdul from Indonesia, S course

Best Research Award
Mr. SAADUN Mohd Assyarul Bin fromMalaysia, E course

Best Research Award
Mr. PULIDO IPARRAGUIRRE Geronimo fromChile, T course

IISEE Director’s Award
Ms. NEPAL Nityam from Bhutan, S course

IISEE Director’s Award
Mr. DEY Bidhan Chandra from Bangladesh,E course

IISEE Director’s Award
Ms. SINKI Kian Purma from Indonesia,
T course

Bulletin Database

Earthquakes
The 2011 off the Pacificcoast of Tohoku
Earthquake
Reports of Recent
Earthquakes
Utsu Catalog
Earthquake Catalog

Call for Papers
IISEE Bulletin is now
accepting submissionsof papers for the seismolog y , ea rth qu ake
engineering, andtsunami. Developing
countries are targeted,but are n ot li mited.

All the Particioants

E Course

S course

T courseYour original papers will
be reviewed by theeditorial members andsome experts.
NO submission fee isneeded.
Try to challenge!!

GRIPS Online Graduation Ceremony
By Mr. Takahiro Yamada, Head of Administration Division, IISEEWith the collaboration of the National Graduate Institute for Policy
Studies (GRIPS), IISEE participants are awarded the degrees of Masterof Disaster Management when they complete a one-year trainingcourse.
As well as last year , GRIPS conducted an online ceremony due to theinfection control measures.
On Sep 15, fifteen of the IISEE participants who have joined the training
course remotely attended the graduation ceremony held at GRIPS.
In closing the 2020-2021 IISEE training course, we would like toexpress our sincere gratitude to all the people involved for theircooperation. Thank you very much.

Online Graduation Ceremony

Address in Reply on Behalf of All the Participants
By Mr. OESTAR Joel (Philippines), S-course
Today, I am privileged
and honored to speak
on behalf of theMaster's Degree
Program participants inSeismology, Earthquake
Engineering, andTsunami Disaster
Mitigation for theAcademic Year 20202021 under thesponsorship of theJapan International
Mr. OESTAR Joel
Cooperation Agency(JICA). For almost two years, since the COVID-19 pandemic hit theworld, we were restrained from doing everything we used to do. Aftermonths of studies and sacrificing so much to get this far, we are finallyreaping the fruits of our hard work.
Enjoy Now

I have often wanted to quit, but I am equally happy that I chose topersist amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and temptation to give up. I amvery sure that God saw my heart and potentially paving the way for thismomentous day. I have been blessed with an 11-months scholarshipprogram, but I struggled to balance my family and studies. Challenges
appeared before I accept the scholarship program. Despite broken
promises and disappointments faced, I stood strong and aimed atfinishing the 11months academic plan of the program in the IISEE-BRI.
Despite studies, emotional and financial worries, I persisted. I spent
sleepless nights preparing for my reports and examinations, determinednot to waste the 11 months I endured to finish. Though I am blessedContact Us
The IISEE Newsletter isintended to act as a gobetween for IISEE andex-participants.
We encourage you tocontribute a report andan article to this newsletter. Please let us
know your current
activities in yourcountries.
We also welcome yourco-workers and friends
to register our mailinglist.
iiseenews@kenken.go.jwith this scholarship, I encountered several difficulties from downloading
the data, low internet connection in my home country. Yet, I again
persisted. All extra hours, sleepless nights, and early mornings havefinally paid off. Congratulations to me and my co-participants. Over themonths, we were saying that we want a normal life back. Cheers to us!
We are now excited to be with our family and to go back to our homecountry.
To my classmates, thank you for the memories and motivation to finish
this course. I hope this will not be our last time to see and help eachother.
Thank you for your knowledge and patience amidst the COVID-19
pandemics and for embracing the new normal education to all thesensei's lecturers and staff.
To JICA, IISEE-BRI, and GRIPS, thank you for the support andinvaluable coordination in making this course a success. Indeed, it was agreat help to us as an individual and for our home country. I hope thiswill inspire other scholars to do always their best not only for theirbenefit but also for their country.
To my supervisor, Hayashida-sensei, thank you for the inspiration,understanding, and patience. Thank you for believing in me. I am verymuch willing to inspire others, just like how you inspired me.
Before I finish these closing words, as a Seismology course participant,please see the PowerPoint attached.

Back Numbers
http://iisee.kenken.go.jp/nldb/

1. We must always remember and do our work with:

2. So that, we can make our communities safe

3. But always put “H” first“To be successful, the first thing to do is fall in love with your work.”
Sister Mary Lauretta“Only small things with great love.”
Mother Tresa

Courtesy Call on the MLIT Minister
By Mr. Takahiro Yamada Head of Administration Division, IISEEOn Sep 8, IISEE participants
made a courtesy call on Mr.
Kazuyoshi Akaba, theMinister of Land,Infrastructure, Transport,and Tourism.
All 15 participants from 10countries joined remotely toprevent infection spread.
The breakdown is
Bangladesh(2), Bhutan(2),Chile(1), El Salvador(2),Mr. Kazuyoshi AKABA,Indonesia(2), Malaysia(2),The
Ministerof Land, Infrastructure,Philippines(1),Transport,and Tourism
Tonga(1),TimorLeste(1),and SolomonIslands(1) .
Minister Akaba introduced his ideas of earthquake disastermanagement measures in Japan based on the self-experience of theGreat Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake.
He encouraged the participants to use what the participants havelearned in this training to advance and improve disaster management
measures in their home countries furthermore in the world ,and work
as a bridge for exchanges with Japan in the future.
Representing IISEE
participants, Ms. OLIVARAMAYA Monica Beatriz fromEl Salvador, expressed her
gratitude for support todeveloping countries
through the venerable IISEE
training course,and avaluable and forgettable
year they could spend underMs. OLIVAR AMAYA Monica Beatriz
the influence of the COVIDfrom El Salvador, S course
19 pandemic.
She stated that all the participants will use the knowledge from thistraining program and keep passion for disaster risk reduction to prove
the greatness of what they had learned in this program.
Finally, this year’s courtesy call became a full remote courtesy for thefirst time.
At the end ,they took a group photo with the fist pump pose expressing
their intention to defeat COVID-19.

I hope this opportunity of the courtesy call encourages them to take
important roles for the future of their home counties.
URL of Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism：
https://www.mlit.go.jp/en/kokusai/0000039.html
URL of Building Research Institute：
https://www.kenken.go.jp/english/award/20210910.html

Minister Akaba with 2020-21 participants