Date: 5 Oct ，2007
Venue: E207, 2nd floor of East Building, CSEAS
Presentation:
First, Yano Hiroyuki explained the approach taken by the Research Institute for Sustainable Humanosphere (RISH). He briefly introduced ten projects, ranging from acacia breeding to atmospheric observations in the industrial plantation forestry in Palembang on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia. Then, Kono Yasuyuki explained the overall G-COE project and the significance of the research initiatives. Yanagisawa Masayuki and Mizuno Kosuke gave presentations on Initiative Projects 2 and 3, focusing mainly on hardware (such as the allocation method for research expenses, various benefits of the research, duties of the project members in terms of research findings and meeting participation. Hayashi Takahisa explained the issues relating to Initiative Project 3 and the strategy for acquiring external funds. Yano asserted that conducting specific research on plantation forests under Initiative 2 and Initiative 3 would open the door for practical interdisciplinary studies. He rightly argued that rather than having discussions such as, “It’s neither this nor that,” there is a need for a space where the humanities and science can be integrated in practice. In the second part, “Networking Session between researchers belonging to RISH and the Unit, and researchers in area studies” RISH mission researcher Fujita Motoko spoke passionately on the policy of carrying out research on the biodiversity of birds living in the plantation forest. This was followed by many questions, discussions and suggestions from the floor. Tanaka Koji then presented a summary of the activities of a community that pioneered the mixing of perennial crops in a forest park in Lampung, Sumatra. This activity can serve as a model for plantation forestry in Indonesia. The session became a promising initial “meeting place” for researchers in both the humanities and sciences to find partners.(Takahisa Hayashi)