■ Concrete Research Formation Plan ■
①The Purpose of Center, the Need and Significance
In the global environment change and environmental degradation with artificial activity predicted in future,
realization of sustainable water environment and reservation of water resources is the urgent problem that the human cannot avoid.
Interdisciplinary and comprehensive action is extremely important.
Academic fields such as engineering, agriculture, and science, and also ministries such as MoE (Ministry of Environment), MLIT (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport), METI (Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry),
and MEXT (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology) gather their wisdom and face this problem.
In order to achieve this perspective, we must transcend the narrow framework such as the benefit of organization, ministries and area.
As shown in the conceptual diagram on the previous page, each community or organization of water cycle, water environment, ecosystem, water-use respect each other's approach and a point of view and perform the steady study with universal values and perspectives.
As a result, we are able to contribute back to our country's policy outcomes and implement into society.
However, actual policy related water environment and water resources is based on an individual policy by each ministry such as MEXT, MAFF, Forest Agency, METI, MLIT, MoE, and MHLW.
Also in Tsukuba Science City, even just the main ones, water cycle and water resource researches are distributed to the following eight institutes.
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MEXT(Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology): National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention MAFF(Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries): National Institute for Agro-Environmental Sciences, Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute METI(Ministry of Economy, trade and Industry): National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology MLIT(Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport): National Institute for Land and Infrastructure Management, Public Works Research Institute, Global Centre of Excellence for Water Hazard and Risk Management(ICHARM) MoE(Ministry of Environment): National Institute for Environmental Studies |
Also, at University of Tsukuba, each teacher is doing the research and education on water cycle and water environment in accordance with the policies of each ministry on the basis of undergraduate and graduate departments.
However, the education system "vertical" like this does not help at all. For the realization of sustainable water resources and water environment in harmony with nature, the new and interdisciplinary base of research and education must be formed.
Therefore, we build "All TSUKUBA Network" for catchment water environment study focusing on natural symbiosis and sustainability by taking advantage of the Tsukuba Science City and aiming for water-related networking between laboratories.
In addition, the ultimate goal at University of Tsukuba is the establishment of research center for water-cycle and water environment in catchment area by the advancement of leading graduate schools education and networking between laboratories.
②The Operating system of the center
Management office is at Onda Laboratory, Center for Research in Isotopes and Environmental Dynamics.
Terrestrial Environment Research Center is positioned as the core research center for this pre-strategy initiative project.
③The contents of the research formation
＜The Research Background＞(The research situation and position both domestically and abroad)
University of Tsukuba is one of the largest educational institution in the water cycle research and also has the unique curriculum of hydrology that is doing a top-class research and education.
In addition, across a variety of majors such as Graduate School of Life and Environmental Science and Graduate School of Systems and Information Engineering, University of Tsukuba has been performing the research and education on applied water cycle science.
Because University of Tsukuba has such a substantial curriculum, the producing of the talented person who can understand the environmental change and carry the society of sustained water/material cycle of the 21st century can be expected when it becomes networking and highly developed.
Furthermore, the level of water-related research is outstanding.
According to the Web of Science (2011/02/06), although the number of paper since 1990 is slightly inferior to University of Tokyo and Kyoto University, the average number of citations of University of Tsukuba is superior.
From these results, University of Tsukuba has top-level research in Japan, at least qualitatively and further growth is expected in the future by grouping.
| Univ Tsukuba-Water Resources: Number of Papers 233：h-index22 Number of Citation Average7.95 Max 97 Univ Tokyo-Water Resources: Number of Papers 458：h-index23 Number of Citation Average 6.16 Max 54 Kyoto Univ-Water Resources: Number of Papers 678：h-index27 Number of Citation Average 5.64 Max 83 |
＜The Characteristic, Originality, Expected Outcome and Significance of the Research＞
As a new interdisciplinary education and research, this research aims to the following various points.
・Establishment of Interdisciplinary Education and Research that Connects the Various Policies Related to the Water Cycle Science Correspond to the Global Environmental Change
・Concentration of the Wisdom of Institutes in Tsukuba Science City, Fusion Research Related to Water/Material Cycle and Sharing of the Issues
・Investigation and Evaluation of Sustainability (Balance Human Needs and Ecological Needs) by Elucidation of the Relationship between Land-Use and Water/Material Cycle
・The Development of Assessment Method of Environmental Degradation Using Various Tracer
・Formation of the research base for Establishment of the Center for Basin Water Resource and Water Environment
④Research Plan and Method
■ 2011 ■
First, we start up Tsukuba water consortium and set up the website to make the All TSUKUBA system of water-related researchers in Tsukuba district.
Therefore, we create the database of the researchers of each institute and each member visits the research institutes and gets informal consents to participation in planning and future meeting of consortium.
We perform workshops and intervisitation between the projects such as existing CREST related to this study group and the project of Environment Research and Technology Development Fund to enhance mutual understanding. National and international seminars will be held and cohosted by members of institutes in Tsukuba district about 5times a year. Those seminars will be recorded in tape, taken dictations from tapes and posted on website with thier slides. Also, the record of the discussion will be posted at the same time on website and form the place of a substantial debate.
Mainly with foreign research institutions signed international exchange agreements(such as The University of Sheffield and Chinese Academy of Science), a substantial planning will be made as a purpose of overseas assignment and training of graduate students.
In addition, we will polish research and education planning by a combination of sub-group and apply the budget in anticipation of the ultimate goal.
We make an effort to apply for CREST Water-Use Research Area, JST-JICA, Global Environment Research Fund for large funds as positive feedback.
Particularly, in order to secure most advanced facilities, we file an application to put on new purchases and equipment renewal plan of graduate school and university and actively apply it to the external projects. At the same time, we file an application for Leading Graduate Schools Program in collaboration with algae energy sector and accelerate the further interdisciplinary approach.
■ 2012 ■
We, as a central core of Tsukuba water consortium, continuously conduct workshops and mutual visitation to enhance mutual understanding between projects.
Also, we hold national/international seminar about 5times a year cohosted by members of institute. Those seminars will be recorded in tape, taken dictations from tapes and posted on website with thier slides. Those data will be analyzed and the problem will be identified by the researchers.
Furthermore, we plan and include reorganization of Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences of University of Tsukuba in request for 2012's budgetary appropriations. We conduct the education and research contributed to the measures of the water/material-cycle basis such as the evaluation, countermeasure, adaptation and mitigate climate change according to each regional characteristics. The international exchange of the graduate students will be continued.
We will polish research and education planning by a combination of sub-group and apply the budget in anticipation of the ultimate goal. Thus, we apply for JST-JICA, Global Environment Research Fund and request of 2012's budgetary appropriations for special research expenses. At the same time, we file an application for Leading Graduate Schools Program in collaboration with algae energy sector and accelerate the further interdisciplinary approach.
■ 2013 ■
We, as a central core of Tsukuba water consortium, continuously conduct workshops and mutual visitation to enhance mutual understanding between projects.
Also, we hold fifth times of national/international seminar in a year cohosted by members of institute. Those seminars will be re corded in tape, taken dictations from tapes and posted on website with thier slides. Based on the result analyzed by researchers, the record of discussion related to All TSUKUBA Network will be posted on website.
We aim to contribute to our society by organizing those information and publishing a book from leading publisher.
We will polish research and education planning by a combination of sub-group and apply the budget in anticipation of the ultimate goal. Also, we file an application for Leading Graduate Schools Program in collaboration with algae energy sector and accelerate the further interdisciplinary approach.
The request for budgetary appropriations will be made for the foundation of Water Resource/Water Environment Research Center at University of Tsukuba.
(3)The Preparations to date for the Formation of Research Center
Not only domestic research institutes, through international exchange agreements and joint researches in various ways with overseas leading research institutes such as USGS, IAEA, Sheffield University, Chinese Academy of Science, Hydrometeorological Research Institute of Mongolia and universities in Europe, the U.S., South America, Asia and Africa, we educate graduate students. In particular, we try to raise global awareness of the graduate students in the group and make them understand the problems outside their fields and learn skills by letting them actively involved in the exchange program. While submitting the budget requests, the core group deepen their relationship by having various meetings and seminars.
On education, "Environmental Diplomatic Leader: Strategic funds for the promotion of science and technology" was adopted having the Graduate School of Life and Environmental Science as the center.
On research aspect, "CREST 2009: Development of Innovative Technologies for Increasing in Watershed Runoff and Improving River Environment by the Management Practice of Devastated Forest Plantation" by Prof. Onda was adopted and it has been brilliant achievements.
At University of Tsukuba, "Center for Interdisciplinary Studies on Water and Material Cycle in Watersheds (2008-2009)" by Prof. Tase (director) invited national and international eminent researchers as seminar lecturers to investigate the latest trend from an interdisciplinary point of view and deepened mutual understanding on water interdisciplinary between members.
Through the study group by the members, we discussed the analysis of COE adoption, the information and research on the situation from judge of COE, the information gathering about COE formation, and the direction of the research project. Also, we talk about measures to GCOE application of the following fiscal year and large-scale study fund application. Accordingly, Yuichi Onda, the representative, aimed at the application and adoption of GCOE on the theme "Water and Material cycle corresponding to global environmental change". The application, however, was not granted because MEXT stopped the recruitment of GCOE. Toward the proposal for Leading Graduate Schools Program, we are currently coordinating with the field of algae.
In 2010, Research project "Integration of Knowledge on Methods to Solve Water Problems in the Century of Water" directed by Prof.Asanuma had done a grouping of water-related researcher on campus.
On these basis, this proposal is intended to build interdisciplinary All Tsukuba Network collaboration with the Institutes and laboratories in Tsukuba area.
Currently, we are getting ready to set up the research center of Japanese-Chinese water resources between Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences (University of Tsukuba) and Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research (Chinese Academy of Sciences). Also, the administration office will be established at Graduate School of University of Tsukuba. With this system, All Tsukuba Network will be developed and expanded as an endeavor of whole Asia area.