The Civil Engineering Group of the Department of Social and Environmental Engineering in the Graduate School of Engineering, Hiroshima University and the Department of Civil Engineering in the Faculty of Engineering, Thammasat University in Thailand have had an exchange program since 1995.


Under the aegis of this program, engineering and student-exchange seminars have been held each year at Thammasat University. The title of these seminars are "Seminar on Urban Transportation Engineering and Construction Engineering in Delta Region" (1995), "The Role of Structural Materials in Social Infrastructure Improvement" (1996), "Second Seminar on Urban Transportation Engineering and Construction Engineering in Delta Region: Striving for Sustainable Development" (1997), "Promotion of Civil engineering Education Using Experimentation and Practical Training" (1998), and "Promotion of Inter-University Exchange Through Joint Seminars on Civil Engineering Education and Research" (1999).

In all, 10 faculty members and 24 students have visited Thammasat University and engaged in lively discussions with its faculty and students. In addition, Thammasat University faculty members and students were invited to Hiroshima University in 1996, 1998 and 1999 for student-exchange seminars and educational tours. As a culmination of these exchange activities, four faculty members and four students from Thammasat were invited to Hiroshima University in 2000 for roundtable discussions, engineering seminars and student-exchange seminars.

The two universities' exchange activities over the past 6 years have produced considerable results in education and research. Participating students have gained a heightened awareness of the role of Japan in Asia and have come to think of themselves as internationally active researchers and engineers. Many students have expressed a desire for careers commensurate with this awareness. In addition, participating in this exchange program has led a Thammasat University student to enter Hiroshima University Graduate School.

Behind the decision of Thammasat and Hiroshima Universities to hold this international conference is the realization that closer relations are needed for universities to fulfill their mission of producing researchers and engineers of international caliber and further strengthen their inter-university exchange.


Archive for past conferences