The 7th Science and Technology Symposium was held
On October 21, the 7th Science and Technology Symposium, sponsored by the Yamaoka Memorial Foundation, was held at the Goethe-Institut Villa Kamogawa in Kyoto City. This year's lecture was held in a hybrid format, both in person and online, and was attended by a total of 71 people from Japan and abroad.
This event provides an opportunity to deepen consideration of "how to realize a sustainable society" through keynote speeches and panel discussions by experts from Japan and Europe. There will be a lively exchange of opinions, mainly among young people.
The theme of this lecture was "Towards coexistence between forests and people for a sustainable society."
In the first part, researchers from Japan and Sweden were invited to give keynote speeches titled "Efforts towards sustainable forest management and operation" and "The Challenges of Maniwa as a SDGs Future City - Utilizing Diverse Regional Resources." Based on questions from the audience, there was an active exchange of opinions between the presenters and the audience, making for a very meaningful lecture.
The second part of the general discussion was moderated by Professor Emeritus Hoki of Mie University, and featured two speakers, Professor Lindroos of the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and Mayor Ota of Maniwa City, Okayama Prefecture. The panelists included Mr. Kozu, a student at the Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, and Mr. Premplee, also a student at the Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University from Thailand. In addition to many questions from the audience, there was a lively discussion among participants from a variety of backgrounds about the coexistence of forests and people, including how forests should be managed in the future and how they can be utilized.
Attendees commented that they had learned a lot from the lecture, saying, "It was great to learn more about the state of forests and forestry around the world," as well as expressing their hope that the lecture would continue to be held, saying, "This lecture sparked my interest in forestry, so I'm looking forward to the next one."
In response to Professor Lindroos' request to observe forest management in Japan, the following day the students visited the Nara Forester Academy, an institute for training personnel in charge of forest environment management. They also toured a Yoshino cedar forest and received a special lecture from Professor Lindroos at the academy, during which the students engaged in an active question-and-answer session. They also took part in an oral tree selection test as part of the class, contributing to international exchange between Japan and Europe in the forestry sector.
This lecture provided an opportunity for many people to think deeply about the coexistence of forests and people. The Yamaoka Memorial Foundation would like to continue providing opportunities to think together with young people who will lead the next generation towards realizing a sustainable society.