NIE-NTU Researcher Strengthens Collaboration with Kyoto University

 

On 31 July 2026, Associate Professor Edward Park from NIE-NTU was invited by Professor Sameh Kantoush to deliver a seminar and meet with researchers at the Disaster Prevention Research Institute (DPRI), Kyoto University. His seminar, titled “From the Mekong Delta to the World: Sand Mining, River Instability, and Pathways to Sustainable Management,” examined how research in the Mekong Delta can inform the understanding and management of river sand mining as a wider global challenge.

Professor Park and Professor Kantoush have collaborated for nearly five years and published more than seven papers together in leading journals, including the Journal of Hydrology, Geomorphology, and Science Advances. Their work addresses the interconnected environmental challenges facing the Mekong Delta, including climate change, land subsidence, sand mining, dam development, and river instability. During the visit, Professor Park held productive discussions with DPRI faculty members, postdoctoral researchers, and PhD students from a diverse international research community. The discussions explored ongoing and future research across Southeast Asia, including joint proposal development, student and faculty exchanges, co-supervision opportunities, and expanded collaborative field research.

Professor Park expressed his appreciation for the warm welcome from Kyoto University and noted that the visit provided an important foundation for strengthening research and educational ties between NIE-NTU and DPRI-Kyoto University. Following the Kyoto University visit, he travelled to Fukuoka to attend the Asia Oceania Geosciences Society (AOGS) Annual Meeting, where he and Professor Kantoush regularly co-organise the session “Geomorphology of the Anthropocene.”