Folens メルマガ
FOLENS E-News No.3/ 22 August 2011
Education Program for Field-Oriented Leaders in Environmental Sectors in Asia and Africa, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology
Contents
- 1. INTERNATIONAL NETWORK: E&R BASE IN GHANA/ UNIVERSITY OF GHANA
- 2. SCHEDULE
- 3. REPORTS
- Admissions
- Overseas Field Training
-Internship
- FOLENS Seminars
- Others - 4. COLUMN: Summer Festival
1. INTERNATIONAL NETWORK: E&R BASE IN GHANA/ UNIVERSITY OF GHANA
The University of Ghana has several collaborations with Universities around the world to undertake research. The University of Ghana signed an agreement on the 5th day of March, 2010 with TUAT to undertake environmental monitoring activities under the Field-Oriented Leaders in Environmental Sectors Asia and Africa Program (FOLENS). The FOLENS office in Ghana has Associate Professor, John Ofosu-Anim, the Acting Dean of the School of Agriculture, as the Chief Coordinator and Dr. Edward Benjamin Sabi as the Coordinator responsible for E&R.
To read more, click the link:
http://www.tuat.ac.jp/~folens/letter/in_ug_e.html
2. SCHEDULE
<August 20>
10: Summer break begins
24: FOLENS certificate awarding ceremony and group interview for thegraduates
<September 2011>
5-19: Ghana field training
28: FOLENS Seminar (The Environmental Conservation in Africa: Through
Modern Agriculture and Gold Mining in Ghana)
<October 2011>
3: Second semester begins
Early Oct: Calling applications and selection for FOLENS new students(October intake)
28-29: FOLENS Seminar (Field visit to the Matsumoto-Okaya Area, Nagano Pref.)
The Annual Schedule
http://www.tuat.ac.jp/~folens/outline/schedule_e.html
3. REPORTS
- ADMISSIONS
FOLENS plans to recruit new students in this October.
The details will appear on our web page as soon as details are fixed.
http://www.tuat.ac.jp/~folens/recruitment/index_e.html
- OVERSEAS FIELD TRAINING
25 May: Post field reporting seminar The second post field reporting seminar was held to share the experiences, fresh data and meaning of the visit acquired from the overseas field trainings conducted in the latter half of FY2010. We had a discussion about environmental issues and their structure in Asia and Africa.
http://www.tuat.ac.jp/~folens/report/may_2011_postfield_e.html
- DOMESTIC TRAINING
30 May, 1-3, 9, 10, 16, 17, 23 June: Training for Environmental Data Acquisition and Assessment We collected soil samples in our university's farmland, water samples during a field visit in Tama River and sewage water treatment plant. The target test items in the following laboratory work were heavy metal in soil, coliform, E-coli, ion and antibiotics in water samples.
http://www.tuat.ac.jp/~folens/report/nov_2010_charcoal_e.html
16, 24 June, 7, 10, 11, 18, July, 2 Aug: Green Technology Practice The subject was biofuels. In this training, student groups investigated and presented the current status of biofuels in a region or county, where they are interested in. Then they conducted the experimental preparation of fatty acid methyl ester (biodiesel fuel, BDF) from fresh and used cooking oil. And the cost estimation of various BDF production systems assumed in Kanto area were also implemented. Finally, we visited to Otaki town environmental center and Isumi railway company. In the Otaki town environmental center, BDF is produced from used cooking oil, and this BDF is used in the trains in the Isumi railway. The students actually felt some aspects of biofuel, which have multilateral functions as environmental technology and the component of environmental system.
- INTERNSHIP
Govinda Narayan Timilsina, from Nepal, is working hard and learning much about sustainable eco-friendly farm management and mastering delicious artisan cheese making techniques at Paradise Gardens and Farm in the USA. His six-months internship lasts until 6 November.
On 23 August, two other students, Cattleya Chutteang and Na-ngern Prathomrak, both from Thailand, are departing for their internship at Plant Science Research Unit of Agricultural Research Service, US Department of Agriculture in Raleigh, USA. They plan to come back to Japan on 23 November.
- FOLENS SEMINARS
18-19 June: Field trip to a Fujieda organic farm, Shizuoka Sixteen FOLENS students participated in the two-day field study organized by Department of International Environmental and Agricultural Science (IEAS) of TUAT. With kind permission by IEAS, FOLENS became a co-organizer and placed this field trip as one of FOLENS Seminar. Not only students from TUAT but also, same as last year, a number of people who were interested in the organic tea farming participated in this field study. The Kinezuka Family, the Fujieda organic farm owner, welcomed all the participants in the typical landform scenery of a Japanese mountain village.
http://www.tuat.ac.jp/~folens/report/june2011_e.html
20 July:Traditional and modern Ghana: Agriculture, society and the environment It was a pre-study seminar for the overseas field training in Ghana in coming September and also an open seminar for all those who are interested in it. We had two lecturers, one was Professor Tsutomu Takane from Tokyo University of Agriculture and the other was Associate Professor Siaw Onwona-Agyeman from TUAT.
http://www.tuat.ac.jp/~folens/report/july_2011_f_seminar_e.html
- Others
18-19 June:The Field Oriented Workshop at Bidong Island, Terengganu, Malaysia FOLENS has five Education & Research Bases (E&R Base) that collaborate with TUAT for on-site environmental monitoring and field training. The E&R Bases also have taken their own and mutual cooperation for education and research activities on environmental science. One of such E&R Bases, UPM, held "The Field Oriented Workshop at Bidong Island, Terengganu, Malaysia". It was lead by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mohamad Pauzi Zakaria from the Center of Excellence for Environmental Forensics, UPM.
http://www.tuat.ac.jp/~folens/report/201108_f_o_workshop_e.html
4. COLUMN: Excess in the Desperate Situation
Masaki SAGEHASHI
Associate Professor, FOLENS
In an evening, I heard the sound "Don, Don" outside the window. When I think "Is it a thunderstorm? Do I have an umbrella?" somebody taught me "It is the sounds of fireworks". It is a summer festival held in the neighborhood. In Japanese summer, large scale summer festivals with long histories boost the hot season, while these small scale
local summer festivals make an attractive atmosphere, and make us feel a summer closely connects to our usual life. Japanese traditional and local cultures are contained in these small festivals, and seem to be automatically passed on to later generations. In the environmental studies, the importance of the understanding of local feature is pointed out frequently. These local and small festivals seem to give us some hints to understanding the cultural characteristics that strongly related to their life. We would like to cherish these small festivals.
FOLENS welcomes your comments and feedbacks.
To subscribe or unsubscribe, please send your email address.
Education Program for Field-Oriented Leaders in
Environmental Sectors in Asia and Africa (FOLENS)
Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology (TUAT)
Contact (Head Office)
Address: 3-5-8 Saiwaicho, Fuchu, Tokyo 183-8509 Japan
Tel: +81-42-367-5580/5581
Fax: +81-42-367-5581
celens(insert @ here)ml.tuat.ac.jp
Website: http://www.tuat.ac.jp/~folens
Blog: http://www.folensblog.sakura.ne.jp/