About TRPNEP

Transdisciplinary Research and Practice Networks for Reduction of Environmental Problems

In recent years, the ASEAN countries have been developing the concerns towards problems such as “frequent natural disasters”, “urban environmental problems”, “environmental disruption and pollution caused by overexploitation of natural resources” and “health problems derived from environmental problems and food safety as well as the ill-responsive regional health care due to these problems” in along with their economic growth. And these raised the awareness on “sustainable usage of resources”, “environmental problems which cross the borders” “safety and security of global food and health” of developed countries, and the importance of endeavor for border-crossing common problem have been acknowledged. In order to solve these problems, transdisciplinary research (TDR) among Japan and ASEAN countries is essential.

Therefore, three Japanese universities: Ehime, Kagawa and Kochi universities and the universities of ASEAN countries: Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, Malaysia and Brunei will be exchanged and collaborated to evaluate each scientifically and practically discover the comprehensive solution by TDR for recent years’ various natural disasters which have been a problem, the deteriorating urban environmental problems, damaged resources and disruption of nature caused by environmental pollution and development, and current situation of health problems caused by poverty as well as environmental degradation of ASEAN countries. This research activity will also increase the possibility for young researchers in performing the independent research at their home countries in future.

Transdisciplinary research

TDR research will be performed for implementing the specific research method and comprehensive solution for characteristic as well as urgent environmental problems of targeted country and social issues derived from these environmental problems:

Specialized Fields of Collaborative Research

Global Environmental Science

International Law

Regional Studies

Oceanography

Environmental Restoration Science

Applied Geology

Safety and Occupational Health Engineering

Rock Mechanics

Immunology

Agricultural Chemistry

Food Science

Functional Food Science

Resource Production

Educational Science

Cell Physiology

Public Health

Pediatrics

Medical Informatics

Public Policy

Industrial Development

Catalyst and Resource Chemistry

Marine Environmental Studies

Aquatic Ecology

Environmental Water Quality

Sediment and Hydraulics

Sewer Engineering

Basin Water Environmental Management

Significance of TRPNEP Network

In the past, the series of research exchanges have been conducted between 3 Japanese Universities (Ehime, Kochi and Kagawa) and some of universities from the ASEAN countries: 1) Brunei Darussalam, 2) Cambodia, 3) Republic of Indonesia, 4) Malaysia, 5) Republic of the Union of Myanmar, 6) Kingdom of Thailand and 7) Vietnam and the research results have been published in prominent international journals and received the high evaluations by domestically and internationally. However, many of the research projects were monodisciplinary or multidisciplinary, and the presentation of the path to social problem solving by TDR and its implementation have not been made. The research has been performed independently in the fields and organizations but have not conducted as a wide range of research exchange cross-departmentally with the field of social science and science.

Therefore, in this project, Ehime University will become the hub of dispatching the information related to research and cooperation and will construct the ASEAN TDR network of environmental problems by utilizing the past advanced research results to develop TDR that leads to solving environmental problems and related problems.

The results obtained from the research exchange with ASEAN countries by this project will contribute to further improvement of the level of research in this field, and also contribute to the development of problem-solving TDR in Asia. In addition, further expansion of academic and human exchanges is expected as the network of TDR exchanges centering on ASEAN countries to spread further. Through such research exchanges, it is possible to be able to train and produce the necessary human resources for promoting research on environmental science of integrated humanities and sciences, which in turn leads to an improvement in the standards of science and education and research in the developing countries.

Research collaboration between researchers from Japan and ASEAN universities are as follow.

Japan

Brunei Darussalam

Cambodia

Republic of Indonesia

Malaysia

Republic of the Union of Myanmar

Kingdom of Thailand

Vietnam