The “Top Global University Project” of Kyoto University invites graduate students to receive a short-term scholarship for studying at Kyoto University. The selected students will join the Spring School Program at the Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies (GSGES).

Application in the web site must be completed before 23rd November. In case the applicants pass the documentation screening and interview examination, all original documents of items 2-6 must be submitted by registered airmail or EMS/DHL/FEDEX before 18th December 2015 (normally DHL, FEDEX takes 2-3 days, EMS 2 days to 1 week, Air mail takes 1-2 weeks to Japan). In this occasion, the confirmation letters and the passport copies are also requested to be submitted.

We encourage students with high academic capability and interests in international academic exchange to apply for the scholarship.

November 6, 2015

Prof. Shigeo Fujii
Dean, Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies, Kyoto University

Measuring Our Environments – International Spring School at Kyoto –

Schedule

17th February (Wed) 2016, Arriving at Kyoto
18th February (Thu), Guidance
19th February (Fri), Laboratory visit 1 & 2 (content 1)
20th February (Sat) –22nd (Mon), Field study tour on fresh water environment at Lake Biwa (content 2)
23rd February (Tue), Special lectures and laboratory visit 3 (content 1)
24th February (Wed) –27th (Sat), Field study tour on active volcanoes in Mt. Aso, Kyusyu (content 3)
28th February (Sun), Group discussion
29th February (Mon) – 1st March (Tue), Observation and experiments in atmospheric chemistry (content 4)
2nd March (Wed), Laboratory visit 4 & 5 (content 1)
3rd March (Thu) – 4th (Fri), Field study tour on marine environment in Maizuru (content 5)
5th March (Sat), Kyoto city tour
6th March (Sun), Preparation for seminar
7th March (Mon), Wrap up seminar of Spring School
8th March (Tue), Departure

Contents

1. Laboratory visit (19th, 23rd February, 2nd March)

You have chances to visit laboratories* [See Lab List (PDF 95KB)] to know our specific research topics, knowledge and know-how in environmental studies. The visit may be conducted five times, and you can select either of Concentration Course (a limited number (one or two) of laboratories in all visits) or Variety Course (five different laboratories in the visits). You are requested to indicate your preferable laboratories in advance, and the detailed schedule of laboratory visit will be designed individually after the final participants are determined.

* Research group unit in Kyoto University, consisting of professor, associate professor, assistant professor, PhD students, and MC students.

2. Fresh water environment of Lake Biwa (20th – 22nd February)

A three-day tour course will take you around Lake Biwa, the largest lake in Japan to show the people’s life and environment. First, you will visit the Lake Biwa Museum to learn its natural history, people’s life and environmental conservation measures to rehabilitate its cleanness which was once threatened by eutrophication. Then, you will move to a wastewater treatment plant to get acquaintances with the sophisticated way for the wastewater treatment. In the second day, you will visit a famous confectionary factory that has keen conscious with environmental conservation and rural development. In the last day, you will visit a village, where its community still uses stream water for kitchen use and is actively involved in eco-tourism. As the final visit, you will see many wild birds inhabiting in Lake Biwa thanks to conserved environment.

3. Integrative approach for understanding volcanoes of Japan (24th – 27th February)

Volcanic activity has favorable effects on agricultural and natural ecosystems, though its hazardous aspect is easy to notice. Volcaniclastic materials emitted during eruptions dissolve releasing mineral nutrients and form into characteristic clay minerals, i.e. allophane and imogolite, Soils rich in allophane and imogolite accumulate organic matters and has favorable properties for agricultural production. Lowland paddy fields lying downstream of volcanoes are fertile, receiving nutrient released from volcaniclastic materials.

In this course, we will give the lecture on soils supporting agricultural and natural ecosystems in Japan, and show you the resent research outcome on organic matter accumulation and phosphorus sorption by volcanic soils. You will also have the trip to Mt. Aso, Kyusyu District, having a caldera about 20 km diameter, and Aso Volcanological Laboratory, Kyoto University in Kyushu island. We expect you to feel the great volcanic activity and observe the volcanic soils and agricultural activity supported by the soils.

4. To be an Expert of the Atmosphere (29th February – 1st March)

We provide you special course for the atmospheric chemistry as follows:
1) Air pollution studies
・Kinetic study for NOx and ozone reaction
・Field observation of air quality in Kyoto
2) Aerosol formation experiments
・Secondary organic aerosols from ozonolysis
・Aerosols from plant emissions

5. Marine environment in Sea of Japan (3rd – 4th March)

The Maizuru Fisheries Research Station (MFRS) of Kyoto University is located in northern Kyoto Prefecture on the shore of the Sea of Japan. The research station is well situated for education and research on (1) the life history and ecology of fishes, invertebrates and algae, (2) coastal oceanography, (3) systematics of marine fishes, (4) the terrestrial impacts on the productivity and biodiversity in rivers and coastal waters.

The course at the Maizuru Fisheries Research Station will cover theories and practical methods to enhance the knowledge of the marine environment and biodiversity in the Sea of Japan, including:
1) Evaluation of marine environment via conductivity, salinity, temperature, chlorophyll, and depth data;
2) Collection of benthos and fishes with a beam trawl;
3) Identification of species by means of molecular genetic techniques
Field surveys will be conducted aboard the research vessel Ryokuyo Maru.