Graduate School of Environmental Science

Laying down the co-ordinates of environmental science

Bulletin Board

EESセミナー(5月9日13時10分~、北川 進 京都大学特別教授) 開催のお知らせ

2025-05-02

下記の通り、2025年5月9日(金)13:10~14:10にEESセミナーを開催します。
量子化学、物理化学磁気共鳴、錯体化学と歩み、多孔性配位高分子(MOF/PCP)の材料化学を開き、発展させてきた講演者の考え、についてご紹介いただきます。
ご参加をお待ちしております。

We will have an EES seminar on May 9, 2025, from 13:10 to 14:10.
The speaker will introduce his thoughts on how he has developed the materials chemistry of porous coordination polymers (MOF/PCP) through his career in quantum chemistry, physical chemistry magnetic resonance, and coordination chemistry.
We look forward to your participation.


日時:5月9日(金) 13:10~14:10
会場:D201室
演者:北川 進 特別教授 (京都大学高等研究院)
Prof. Susumu Kitagawa (Institute for Advanced Study, Kyoto University)
題目:The Magic of Small Spaces―ナノ空間と材料化学が紡ぐ物語―
The Magic of Small Spaces – A Story Spun by Nanospace and Materials Chemistry –

*北川先生のスケジュールがタイトなため、開始時間が遅れる可能性があります。ご了承ください。
*Due to the tight schedule of Prof. Kitagawa, the start time may be delayed. Please understand.

ポスター

Information Session :To be held ONLINE on May 11 (Sun)

2025-04-24

Graduate School of Environmental Science, Hokkaido University will offer ONLINE Information Session on May 11 (Sun).

The Session will start with “General Information” by the Dean of the graduate school at 10:00 (This portion will last 20 minutes) then each division will have a briefing.

If you would like to participate, please contact the division you are interested in via email by May 7 (Wed) at noon.
The division you have contacted will reply to you with detailed information, including the Zoom link.

Pease see the contact information below.

【Contact Information】

・Division of Environmental Science Development
        Contact: esd-jimu[at]ees.hokudai.ac.jp 

・Division of Earth System Science  
        Contact: ess_contact[at]eoas.ees.hokudai.ac.jp

・Division of Biosphere Science
        Contact: bio-senko[at]ees.hokudai.ac.jp

・Division of Environmental Materials Science
        Contact: sfmc_office[at]ees.hokudai.ac.jp

※Please replace [at] to @ when emailing us.

EESセミナー(3月19日13時30分~、Samuel R.P-J. Ross博士、Andrea Stephens博士) 開催のお知らせ

2025-03-05

下記の通り、2025年3月19日(水)13:30~16:20にEESセミナーを開催します。
お二人の講演の後にはStephens博士との自由な対話・交流の場も設けます。
Trends in Ecology & Evolutionに対するニーズや要望、ジャーナルに対する質疑応答を自由にできる場となります。
ご参加をお待ちしております。
We will have an EES seminar on March 19, 2025, from 13:30 to 16:20.
After the two talks, we will have an opportunity for an informal discussion and networking session with Dr. Stephens.
This will be a valuable chance to freely share your thoughts, needs, and requests regarding Trends in Ecology & Evolution and ask any questions about the journal.
We look forward to your participation.

日時:3月19日(水) 13:30~16:20
会場:D201室
・講演1(13:30~14:30)
演者:Samuel R.P-J. Ross, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University
題目:Microphones, models, and mesocosms for understanding ecological stability across scales
要旨:Understanding the biological processes that promote the invariable and resilient ecosystem services on which humanity depends has been a core focus of ecology for decades. Using randomly structured community models, Robert May showed that diversity is destabilising, so what then explains the vast biodiversity we observe in the real world?
There have been many answers from different study systems, often resulting in the classical ecological observation: “it depends”. To distil general understanding from a sea of idiosyncrasy, we need to consider a variety of systems and scales. Here, I present experiments using freshwater mesocosms (buckets), data collected on typhoon disturbance in the field using passive acoustic monitoring (microphones), and models of “response diversity” to describe patterns and drivers of ecological stability across scales. I propose that systems that exhibit a diversity of environmental responses across different organisms (response diversity) or different sites (spatial insurance) should be more stable. Finally, I introduce recent efforts to coordinate international research on the drivers of stability through the nascent Response Diversity Network.

・講演2(14:40~15:20)
演者:Andrea Stephens, Editor-in-Chief, Trends in Ecology & Evolution
題目:Editor’s guide to writing a review article
要旨:With the increasing rates of scientific publications, many researchers are increasingly using reviews to keep themselves updated.
As such reviews are valuable resources for the scientific community.
But what makes a good review article? In this short talk, I will talk about how this from the perspective of an editor of a reviews journal.
We will also discuss some key points regarding getting your review published.

・ミキサー(Stephens博士と対話・交流)(15:20~16:20)

Special Grant Program for International Students (April 2025)

2024-11-18

Special Grant Program for International Students / Research Assistant Program of Graduate School of Environmental Science (April 2025)

This program will select students who can likely contribute internationally in their research field, from those applying to doctoral courses at the Graduate School of Environmental Science.
Participating in research as a Research Assistant (RA) is very meaningful to develop your research ability. Each Research Assistant must serve to achieve the objective of a research subject directed by a Graduate School of Environmental Science faculty member. The research subjects are listed below.


Period

Maximum 3 years, with the annual extension subject to evaluation of achievements by a faculty committee.


Qualifications of application (Eligibility):

Students (mainly from developing countries) who seek admission to the doctor courses of the Graduate School of Environmental Science.
〈Notes〉
If the students of this Special Grant Program are also selected as recipients of the doctoral fellowships, they must choose one of them and decline the others.


Payment Exemption / RA Allowance:

Payment Exemption: Total amount of school fees is entirely covered by Hokkaido University (i.e., entrance exam fee of 30,000 yen, admission fee of 282,000 yen, and the annual tuition fee of 535,800 yen for each of three years). RA Allowance (depending on the actual working time): Total 3 million yen (1 million yen annually for three years)
The applicant should meet travel expenses for the entrance exam.


Application Deadline

12 December (Thursday) 2024


Application for the program:

Applicants are required to submit the documents listed below via email. The documents should not be written in a language other than English.

  1. Curriculum vitae with the applicant’s photograph
  2. Academic transcripts
  3. Graduation certificate
  4. A list of publications and presentations in scientific meetings
  5. A research proposal
  6. Direction and comments of potential supervisor and at least one co-supervisor, including proofs of communication between you and the potential supervisors
  7. Master’s thesis or other documents in proof of your research ability


Reference and address to apply

Academic Affairs Section
Graduate School of Environmental Science, Hokkaido University
E-mail: kyomu (at) ees.hokudai.ac.jp


List of possible research subjects (April 2025)

Title:  Applications of Multi-sensor Geospatial Data in Environmental Monitoring
Professor: Ram Avtar

Globally, the number of disasters is increasing and causing disturbances in terrestrial ecosystems. Typhoons, landslides, and forest fires are common catastrophic hazards causing disturbances to forest ecosystems. The impact of these hazards can be minimized using various management practices. Geospatial data with multi-sensor remote sensing techniques can potentially monitor and assess forest cover, deforestation, forest degradation, and recovery during and after these hazards. The development of an early warning system can reduce the impacts of these hazards. Therefore, the aim of this study is to apply multi-sensor geospatial and ground-based information and advanced machine learning algorithms to monitor the terrestrial ecosystem precisely, which can help in policy-relevant solutions. The successful candidate must have knowledge of geospatial data and tools to engage in relevant research.

Title: Construction of photo-controllable on-demand hydrogen evolution systems
Professor: Katsuaki Konishi

Hydrogen (H2) is expected to be a key fuel for the sustainable future as a clean energy source. This project aims to construct photo-controllable hydrogen evolution systems from stable hydrogen sources such as ammonia borane, specifically by using atomically precise small metal clusters that show unique reactivity upon visible light excitation. Through the mechanism-based optimization of metal-cluster-based catalysts, ideal on-demand visible-light-driven hydrogen evolution systems will be explored. A successful candidate is expected to have a Master’s Degree in Environmental Science at the time of joining and he/she is expected to have sufficient knowledge of synthetic organic/inorganic chemistry, optical spectroscopy and crystallographic/microscopic techniques.

Title: Development of structurally and electronically engineered nanoscale and mesoscopic materials by top-down reactions
Professor: Vasudevan Pillai Biju

Nanoscale and mesoscopic materials with controlled electronic, optical, physical, and structural properties are commonly developed by bottom up chemical methods. However, the properties of materials prepared by bottom up methods are closely correlated to their size and shape, requiring tedious size and shape control by precisely adjusting thermodynamic and kinetic parameters of nucleation-growth processes. This project aims to accomplish size- and shape-controlled chemical preparation of nanoscale and mesoscale materials with tunable optical and electronic properties by top-down chemical routes using microscopic materials and chemical reagents. 

EES seminar by Dr. Alton C. BYERS on November 12

2024-10-24

We will have an EES seminar on 12th November at 16:30-18:00 as follows. We look forward to your participation.

Date&time: 11/12(Tue) 16:30-18:00
Room: EES/GES D-102
Presenter:  Dr. Alton C. BYERS (INSTAAR, University of Colorado at Boulder)
Talk title: Notes from the Field: Recent Glacier-Related Flood Events in High Mountain Environments
※This lecture will be conducted in English

Talk summary:
The development of glacial lakes from receding glaciers, contained by either terminal moraines or bedrock, is commonly linked with global warming trends that have occurred since the end of the Little Ice Age (LIA). Such lakes are prone to sudden and catastrophic drainage, popularly known as glacial lake outburst floods (GLOF), that is most commonly initiated by snow and ice avalanches. AlthoughGLOFs continue to dominate the focus of both peer reviewed and popular media articles alike, a range of other cryospheric processes and hazards exist that are in need of further research attention and mitigation technologies. Those discussed in the multi-media presentation include (a) englacial conduit floods, (b) permafrost-linked rockfall that can initiate floods, and (c) earthquake-linked glacial lake floods. It is suggested that our understanding of these hazards could be strengthened through the use of more field-based studies; the investigation of glacier flood events as soon after their occurrence as possible; and incorporation of the insights and experiences of local people. How scientists can more quickly and effectively share the results of their high mountain hazards research with decision-makers; and how decision-makers and governments can deliver more timely mitigation programs, are areas that are also suggested as being in need of further strengthening.



EES seminar by Dr. Roman SELYANCHYN October 28

2024-10-18

We will have an EES seminar on 28th October at 16:30-18:00 as follows. We look forward to your participation.

Date&time: 10/28(Mon) 16:30~18:00
Room: D201
Presenter:  Dr. Roman SELYANCHYN (International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research, Kyushu University)
Talk title: Development of gas separation membranes for direct air capture of CO2
※This lecture will be conducted in English

Talk summary:
Gas separation by membranes is a cost- and energy-efficient process for conventional carbon capture at mass emission points (e.g., fossil-fueled power plants). However, unlike conventional technology, DAC processes built on membrane-based gas separation have yet to be developed and optimized. The main obstacle for DAC applications until recently was poor membrane separation performance, especially low permeances of CO2. Nevertheless, recent developments have allowed specific membrane processes to be considered for DAC. In the most likely process, several membrane separation stages are needed to achieve sufficient preconcentration of CO2 from the air. In addition, a specific combination of membrane properties (permeance and selectivity to CO2) and process parameters (e.g., permeate pressures) are needed to achieve cost-efficient separation. In this presentation, we will discuss the membrane technologies’ potential for DAC from the process simulation point of view, describe our efforts in developing and scaling up the ultrathin membranes, assembly of the practical-size membrane modules, and the overall future potential for the new m-DAC technology’s broad deployment in society and industry.



2025 JAPANESE GOVERNMENT(MEXT) SCHOLARSHIP (UNIVERSITY RECOMMENDATION)[Special Selection]“Graduate Program for Environmental Conservation Leadership for Post SDGs”

2024-10-07

We started calling for scholarship applications by international students who wish to enroll in the Graduate School of Environmental Science for October 2025 intake under the Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship Program “Graduate Program for Environmental Conservation Leadership for Post SDGs”.

*Please make sure to contact prospective supervisors to discuss your suitability for this scholarship, and obtain agreement from your prospective supervisor before submitting your application. All the documents must be submitted via your prospective supervisor.
To find and contact your prospective supervisor, please refer to Staff Information page.

1. A number of Slots

3 for Master’s Course and 4 for Doctoral Course

2. Qualifications

1) Eligibility:

International students with outstanding academic achievements of graduate school level who enter Japan as new students or those already staying in Japan.
* Applicants must have earned a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.30/3.00 or above in their degreed (for those who are employed) or currently enrolled courses, and be able to maintain that GPA while receiving the scholarship. Furthermore, applicants must meet any one of the language requirements stated in 2) .

2) Language level/ability:

Applicants must satisfy any one of the following conditions to prove that they have sufficient English language ability.
(1) Applicants must pass or achieve scores in English language proficiency tests that correspond to B2 or higher level in the CEFR at the time of application.
(2) Applicants must complete school curriculums that meet the conditions for admission in masters’ or doctoral courses at a Japanese graduate school by using English as the main language.

3)Others

Please ask your prospective supervisors about other qualifications.

3. Scholarship Period and Benefits

1)Duration of scholarship:

Master’s course: 2 years
Doctoral course: 3 years

2) Monthly allowance:

Master’s course: 144,000 JPY
Doctoral course: 145,000 JPY

3) Travel Expenses

MEXT will provide arrival and return ticket.

4) Tuition and other academic fees

Application fee: exempted
Matriculation fee: exempted
Tuition fees: exempted

4. Selection schedule

  • Application submission deadline: Ask your prospective supervisor.
  • Nomination deadline from prospective supervisors: December 5, 2024
  • The internal notification date: Early January 2025(tentative)
  • Submission of additional documents (only successful candidates of the internal screening): by the late January 2025
  • The final notification date: Late-May 2025(tentative)

5. Required Documents

1) Documents for Internal Screening

* The following should be prepared by an applicant. Please submit all documents via your prospective supervisor by email.

1) Application form for MEXT scholarship

2) Field of Study and Study Program (should include relevance of your research plan to SDGs)

3) A copy of applicant’s passport (or a copy of a certificate of family register, certificate of citizenship or other identification issued by the government of his/her home country)

4) Official academic transcript(s) for all years of last university/graduate school attended (issued by the university/graduate school attended. Grading System or Grading Scale information must be attached.)

5) Certificate of (prospective) graduation or a Diploma of last university/graduate school attended

6) Document(s) attesting to the applicant’s outstanding academic achievements at the last university attended (If applicable)

7) Recommendation letter from dean (or above) at the current university or institutions, addressed to the president of Hokkaido University

8) Abstracts of theses (should be concise and to the point)

9) Proof of language ability that meets any one of the conditions in above “2. Qualifications” (English Language proficiency test scores or a Medium of Instruction certificate)

English Language proficiency tests Minimum Scores (CEFR B2)
TOEFL iBT Total Score 72 (Reading 18, Listening 17, Speaking 20, Writing 17)
IELTS (Academic) 5.5 (Overall Band Scores and all four skills) 
TOEIC L&R and TOEIC S&W Listening 400, Reading 385, Speaking 160, Writing 150

10) Career plan

2) Additional Documents (for only successful candidates of the internal screening)

1) Application Form

2) Official academic transcript(s) for all years of last university/graduate school attended (issued by the university/graduate school attended)(ORIGINAL document must be sent via post)

4) Certificate of (prospective) graduation or a Diploma of last university/graduate school attended(ORIGINAL document must be sent via post)

5) PLEDGE(ORIGINAL document must be sent via post)

6. Admissions

If the scholarship application is accepted, applicants need to take entrance examination in the summer of 2025. They will start master’s or doctoral program in October, 2025. There will not be a research student period.
See the Graduate School website for details of the regular entrance examination. (https://www.ees.hokudai.ac.jp/?page_id=2720&lang=en)

Contact
The Academic Affairs Section, Graduate School of Environmental Science, Hokkaido University.
E-mail: kyomu@ees.hokudai.ac.jp
Kita 10, Nishi 5, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0810, Japan

Information Session :To be held ONLINE on October 6 (Sun)

2024-09-13

Graduate School of Environmental Science, Hokkaido University will offer ONLINE Information Session on October 6 (Sun).

The Session will start with “General Information” by the Dean of the graduate school at 10:00 (This portion will last 20 minutes) then each division will have a briefing.

If you would like to participate, please contact the division you are interested in via email by October 2 (Wed) at noon.

The division you have contacted will reply to you with detailed information, including the Zoom link.

Pease see the contact information below.

【Contact Information】

・Division of Environmental Science Development

        Contact: esd-jimu[at]ees.hokudai.ac.jp 

・Division of Earth System Science  

        Contact: ess_contact[at]eoas.ees.hokudai.ac.jp

・Division of Biosphere Science      

        Contact: bio-senko[at]ees.hokudai.ac.jp

・Division of Environmental Materials Science

        Contact: sfmc_office[at]ees.hokudai.ac.jp

 ※Please replace [at] to @ when emailing us.

Network outage

2024-08-15

Due to a network shutdown caused by a university-wide power failure, this website will be unavailable from 14:00 on Friday 30 August until 12:00 on Monday 2 September.

EESセミナー(8月9日15時~、Shunyan Cheung博士)開催のお知らせ

2024-07-26


下記の通り、2024年8月9日(金)15:00~16:00にEESセミナーを開催します。ご参加をお待ちしております。


We will have an EES seminar on August 9, 2024, from 15:00–16:00. We look forward to your participation.


日時:8月9日(金) 15:00~16:00
会場:D101室
講演者:Shunyan Cheung, Assistant Professor, Institute of Marine Biology, National Taiwan Ocean University
タイトル:Responses of nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria in the changing ocean


要旨:
Marine nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria reduce dinitrogen to bioavailable forms of nitrogen, which play critical roles in supporting primary productivity, carbon sequestration and fertility in the ocean. In the context of global climate change, marine nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria were predicted to be an increasingly important source of nitrogen in the ocean. After decades of research, diverse nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria have been discovered in the ocean, while our understanding of these organisms remains limited. A comprehensive understanding about the biogeography, ecophysiology and environmental control mechanisms of marine nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria is essential for a better prediction of the fates of ecosystem and biogeochemical cycling in the future ocean. In this presentation, I will use case studies to demonstrate how we study the impacts of global change stressors on the marine nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria in field and laboratory. I will also introduce our on-going projects about the nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria in the Kuroshio east of Taiwan and the vast North Pacific Ocean.

Facility Open House of the Graduate School of Environmental Science [June 9th]

2024-05-30

<List of Experimental Performances>

  1. Let’s create something that glows!
  2. Changing landscapes viewed through 3D models (exhibit)
  3. Let’s make clouds/ The secrets of clouds
  4. Let’s discover fossils from the deep sea floor
  5. Amazing environmental microbes
  6. Let’s measure the deliciousness of fruits!
  7. The world of ultra-low temperature environments created with liquid nitrogen


Address:  
  Kita 10 Nishi 5, Kita-ku, Sapporo

(5 minutes’ walk from either the main gate of Hokkaido University or Kita 12-jo subway station.)

Special Grant Program for International Students (October 2024)

2024-05-21

Special Grant Program for International Students / Research Assistant Program of Graduate School of Environmental Science (October 2024)

This program will select students who can likely contribute internationally in their research field, from those applying to doctoral courses at the Graduate School of Environmental Science.
Participating in research as a Research Assistant (RA) is very meaningful to develop your research ability. Each Research Assistant must serve to achieve the objective of a research subject directed by a Graduate School of Environmental Science faculty member. The research subjects are listed below.


Period

Maximum 3 years, with the annual extension subject to evaluation of achievements by a faculty committee.


Qualifications of application (Eligibility):

Students (mainly from developing countries) who seek admission to the doctor courses of the Graduate School of Environmental Science.
〈Notes〉
If the students of this Special Grant Program are also selected as recipients of the doctoral fellowships, they must choose one of them and decline the others.


Payment Exemption / RA Allowance:

Payment Exemption: Total amount of school fees is entirely covered by Hokkaido University (i.e., entrance exam fee of 30,000 yen, admission fee of 282,000 yen, and the annual tuition fee of 535,800 yen for each of three years). RA Allowance (depending on the actual working time): Total 3 million yen (1 million yen annually for three years)
The applicant should meet travel expenses for the entrance exam.


Application Deadline

17 June (Monday) 2024


Application for the program:

Applicants are required to submit the documents listed below via email. The documents should not be written in a language other than English.

  1. Curriculum vitae with the applicant’s photograph
  2. Academic transcripts
  3. Graduation certificate
  4. A list of publications and presentations in scientific meetings
  5. A research proposal
  6. Direction and comments of potential supervisor and at least one co-supervisor, including proofs of communication between you and the potential supervisors
  7. Master’s thesis or other documents in proof of your research ability


Reference and address to apply

Academic Affairs Section
Graduate School of Environmental Science, Hokkaido University
E-mail: kyomu (at) ees.hokudai.ac.jp


List of possible research subjects (Ocotober 2024)

Title: Biologically active compounds from cyanobacteria
Professor: Tatsufumi Okino

Cyanobacteria are rich sources of secondary metabolites. We aim at isolation, structure elucidation, biological activity evaluation, and biosynthesis of cyanobacterial metabolites. We are especially interested in secondary metabolites that could be synthesized by silent genes and are seeking a new method to express silent genes of biosynthetic enzymes.

Title: Development of Protein-conjugated Nanomaterials
Professor: Akira Onoda

Protein immobilization onto nanomaterials involves challenges for the application in immunoassay, other diagnostic tools, and others. Developing knowledge and methodologies for specific and oriented immobilization of proteins is critically important for the generation of protein-conjugated nanomaterials enabling high-performance immunoassay. The purpose of this research is to develop novel methodology for protein-conjugated nanomaterials. A successful candidate is expected have a Masters Degree in Chemistry or Biotechnology at the time of joining and he/she is required to have the knowledge and experience of organic synthesis, nanomaterials synthesis, and preparation of protein-conjugated nanomaterials.

Title: Comprehensive characterization of heterogeneous catalyst surface during liquid-phase reactions using in-situ/operando FTIR measurement 
Professor: Kiyotaka Nakajima

To reveal structure-activity relationship quantitatively using advanced spectroscopic techniques is of great importance for understanding catalytic reaction at the molecular level and gaining the idea to improve the activity of heterogeneous catalyst. This program focuses on understanding reaction phenomena at the molecular level in the liquid-phase reaction with heterogeneous catalyst. The behavior of catalytically active site during liquid-phase reaction, including the interaction of active site with substrate, intermediate, and solvent molecule(s), is comprehensively evaluated using in-situ/operando FTIR measurement.

Title: Heterogeneous catalysts for the valorization of biomass-derived carbohydrates
Professor: Kiyotaka Nakajima

Building a sustainable society requires a different paradigm using renewable carbon resources such as non-edible biomass and CO2 to produce fuels and platform chemicals in future chemical industries. Our vision is to design catalytic reactions using new heterogeneous catalysts and lignocellulose-derived hydrocarbons, in which scalable production of platform chemicals can be accomplished while minimizing environmental load and energy consumption in work-up processes. This program aims at developing new conversion technologies that convert biomass-derived carbohydrates to terephthalate or terephthalic acid with heterogeneous catalysts.

Information Session :To be held ONLINE on May 12 (Sun)

2024-04-23

Graduate School of Environmental Science, Hokkaido University will offer ONLINE Information Session on May 12 (Sun).

The Session will start with “General Information” by the Dean of the graduate school at 10:00 (This portion will last 20 minutes) then each division will have a briefing.

If you would like to participate, please contact the division you are interested in via email by May 8 (Wed) at noon.

The division you have contacted will reply to you with detailed information, including the Zoom link.

Pease see the contact information below.

【Contact Information】

・Division of Environmental Science Development

        Contact: esd-jimu[at]ees.hokudai.ac.jp 

・Division of Earth System Science  

        Contact: ess_contact[at]eoas.ees.hokudai.ac.jp

・Division of Biosphere Science      

        Contact: bio-senko[at]ees.hokudai.ac.jp

・Division of Environmental Materials Science

        Contact: sfmc_office[at]ees.hokudai.ac.jp

 ※Please replace [at] to @ when emailing us.

EESセミナー(5月14日)開催のお知らせ

2024-04-15

下記の通り、2024年5月14日16:30~18:00にEESセミナーを開催します。ご参加をお待ちしております。
We will have an EES seminar on May 14, 2024, from 16:30–18:00. We look forward to your participation.

日時:5/14 1630~18:00
場所:D201
演者:佐藤安弘(環境生物科学部門 生態遺伝学分野 助教)
講演タイトル :シロイヌナズナ属植物の自然変異から個体間相互作用のゲノミクス

要旨 : 植物は固着性であるため、周囲の個体や他の生物から積極的に逃げることができない。この状況は野外の植物にとっては普遍的かつ当たり前であるものの、単純化された実験環境では永らく注目されてこなかった。本講演では、シロイヌナズナ属の草本植物を対象に植食性昆虫ー植物ー植物の三つ巴の関係について話題を提供する。特に、植食性昆虫を介して生じる植物の遺伝子型間相互作用が、遺伝的多型の維持や混植による虫害抑制など、集団レベルの性質にまで影響を及ぼす点について紹介したい。植物の個体間相互作用という若干特異な視点を通して、生態学と遺伝学の狭間で起こる様々な現象について議論できれば幸いである。

EESセミナー(2月15日)開催のお知らせ

2024-01-29

下記の通り、2024年2月15日15時からEESセミナーを開催します。ご参加をお待ちしております。  

We will have an EES seminar on February 15, 2024, from 15:00–16:00. We look forward to your participation.

開催日時:2024年2月15日(木)15時〜16時頃(予定)
場所:環境科学院A301室
形式:約30分程度の対面講義と質疑応答、意見交換
講演者:小口 高(東京大学空間情報科学研究センター)
https://researchmap.jp/read0007832/
https://twitter.com/ogugeo
タイトル:Human Impacts on Landforms in Japan and the Resultant Increase in Disaster Risks
要旨:
Prof. Takashi Oguchi is a distinguished researcher specializing in the fields of geomorphology and geographic information science (GIS). His extensive research encompasses a wide range of topics within geomorphology and physical geography, where he leverages cutting-edge digital technologies, including GIS and artificial intelligence (AI). With a notable and longstanding role as the editor-in-chief of the international journal Geomorphology, he has played a pivotal role in shaping the discourse in these fields. Beyond his scholarly contributions, he also actively promotes international exchange by delivering lectures and participating in activities within both national and international academic organizations, currently acting as the vice president of the International Association of Geomorphologists. His commitment to enhancing collaboration and knowledge-sharing transcends geographical boundaries. In this forthcoming presentation, Prof. Oguchi will introduce some examples of human impacts on landforms in Japan that increased disaster risks. The presentation aims to provide insights into the practical implications of geomorphology related to human activities and thinking, and addresses contemporary challenges in the realms of hazards and disaster mitigation.

EESセミナー(1月9日)開催のお知らせ

2023-12-22

 下記の通り、2024年1月9日16:30~18:00にEESセミナーを開催します。ご参加をお待ちしております。We will have an EES seminar on January 9, 2023, from 16:30–18:00. We look forward to your participation.

日時(Date & time): January 9, 2023, from 16:30–18:00

場所(Venue): D201 of Faculty of Environmental Earth Science

演者(Presenter): Professor Roy C. Sidle(Mountain Societies Research Institute, University of Central Asia / Yamano Bosai, Akiruno, Japan)

講演タイトル(Talk title): Challenges to Sustainable Development and Livelihoods in and Around the Water Towers

要旨(Talk summary):

Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan rank among the most mountainous nations worldwide, both with more than 90% of the land area in mountains. The Pamir with the highest peak in the region (7495 m a.s.l.) are the dominant mountains in Tajikistan and the Tien Shan (up to 7439 m a.s.l.) occupy much of Kyrgyzstan. These mountains bound the vast Fergana Valley that extends from southern Kyrgyzstan into Uzbekistan and contains unstable hills along the valley fringes with deep loess deposits presenting unique mass wasting challenges. Due to the complex orography, Central Asia has a very dynamic and spatially variable climate that affects water delivery from the Water Towers to streams that provide irrigation supplies during the dry summer months. Water is critical to support food production; runoff is supplied to upland valleys by a combination of snowmelt, glacial melt, and permafrost thaw, together with periodic rainfall. Spring and summer discharge is derived mostly from snowmelt with a lesser amount from glacier melt depending on the extent of glaciation in particular catchments. The interannual variability in snow water poses the greatest challenge for irrigation and domestic supplies, as well as hydropower production.

These mountain areas represent some of the most formidable challenges worldwide in dealing with natural hazard risks and adapting to climate change and anomalies. Hazards that frequently affect mountain communities and their agrarian livelihoods include landslides, debris flows, snow avalanches, rockfall, drought, severe erosion, and flooding; these can be exacerbated by human activities, such as overgrazing, poorly located roads and trails, fuelwood gathering in dry alpine regions, poorly located villages and farms, and unsustainable farming practices. Less frequent hazards include potentially disastrous glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) and permafrost hazards.

To characterize climate trends affecting water supplies, glacier melt, and food security, we used remotely sensed precipitation and temperature data due to the sparse network of climate stations. In the Pamir, most areas are experiencing a warming trend, but not at the same rate. Temperatures increased across the east-central Panj and eastern Vakhsh River basins. Warmer temperatures in central Panj basin and the Wakhan corridor coupled with minor declines in snow water will likely induce water stress in local communities during dry years. In contrast, more stable temperatures in lower elevations of western Panj and Vakhsh basins together with increasing precipitation, especially in spring, will benefit agriculture and community water supplies. Varying spatial and temporal patterns of rain and snowfall occur throughout the region, often evident at granular scales. We assessed snow and temperature trends over eight glaciated regions of the Pamir and found diverse tendencies. While most sub-basins experienced some warming, this was offset in some areas by increases in snow. As such, unlike many other high mountain regions, many glaciers of the Pamir are not losing significant mass. Because of high interannual and spatial variability of precipitation throughout the area, regional climate change scenarios cannot inform adaptation measures for mountain communities and other users, and more granular-scale data are needed.

演者略歴(Biography): Professor Roy Sidle has over 40 years of research, teaching, outreach and leadership experience in hydrology, earth sciences, environmental science, sustainability, and natural resources management in four continents — North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. Prior to joining UCA, he served as a Director of the Sustainability Research Centre, at the University of the Sunshine Coast, Australia, where he supervised numerous faculty members, post-doctoral researchers, PhD candidates, and honours students. He has  held other leadership positions including the Director of Ecosystems Research Division with National Exposure Research Laboratory at the United States  Environmental Protection Agency; Professor of Geology and Director of the Environmental Science Programme, Appalachian State University, United States ; Professor and Head of the Slope Conservation Section, Disaster Prevention Research Institute, Kyoto University, Japan; Professor of Geography, National University of Singapore, and Executive Officer of Land-Ocean Interactions in the Coastal Zone Project, Netherlands. Professor Sidle holds a PhD. in Soils/Civil Engineering /Hydrology from the Pennsylvania State University and a master’s from the University of Arizona, both in the United States. He is a Fellow in the American Geophysical Union and recently received the International Award for “significant contributions to progress in the field of hydrology and water resources and valuable devotion to collaboration with Japanese and Asian researchers” from Japan Society of Hydrology and Water Resources.

Special Grant Program for International Students (April 2024)

2023-11-20

Special Grant Program for International Students / Research Assistant Program of Graduate School of Environmental Science (April 2024)

This program will select students who can likely contribute internationally in their research field, from those applying to doctoral courses at the Graduate School of Environmental Science.
Participating in research as a Research Assistant (RA) is very meaningful to develop your research ability. Each Research Assistant must serve to achieve the objective of a research subject directed by a Graduate School of Environmental Science faculty member. The research subjects are listed below.


Period

Maximum 3 years, with the annual extension subject to evaluation of achievements by a faculty committee.


Qualifications of application (Eligibility):

Students (mainly from developing countries) who seek admission to the doctor courses of the Graduate School of Environmental Science.
〈Notes〉
If the students of this Special Grant Program are also selected as recipients of the “DX Doctoral Fellowship”, “Hokkaido University Ambitious Doctoral Fellowship,” or similar doctoral fellowships, they must choose one of them and decline the others.


Payment Exemption / RA Allowance:

Payment Exemption: Total amount of school fees is entirely covered by Hokkaido University (i.e., entrance exam fee of 30,000 yen, admission fee of 282,000 yen, and the annual tuition fee of 535,800 yen for each of three years). RA Allowance (depending on the actual working time): Total 3 million yen (1 million yen annually for three years)
The applicant should meet travel expenses for the entrance exam.


Application Deadline

15 December (Friday) 2023


Application for the program:

Applicants are required to submit the documents listed below via email. The documents should not be written in a language other than English.

  1. Curriculum vitae with the applicant’s photograph
  2. Academic transcripts
  3. Graduation certificate
  4. A list of publications and presentations in scientific meetings
  5. A research proposal
  6. Direction and comments of potential supervisor and at least one co-supervisor, including proofs of communication between you and the potential supervisors
  7. Master’s thesis or other documents in proof of your research ability


Reference and address to apply

Academic Affairs Section
Graduate School of Environmental Science, Hokkaido University
E-mail: kyomu (at) ees.hokudai.ac.jp


List of possible research subjects (April 2024)

Title: Development of Photoresponsive Porous Materials toward Environmental Remediation
Professor: Shin-ichiro Noro

Removal of contaminants from air and water is essential for human survival and its availability is vital for building a sustainable society. Adsorptive removal of contaminants by porous materials is one of the promising methods. Porous materials may be available for versatile applications if external stimuli can change adsorption properties. This research aims to develop photoresponsive porous materials that change porous properties by a light stimulus toward environmental remediation. A successful candidate is expected to have a Master’s Degree in Environmental Science at the time of joining, and he/she is required to have knowledge of synthetic chemistry, porous materials, and fundamentals of adsorption/desorption.

Title: Secondary metabolites from symbionts of shipworms
Professor: Tatsufumi Okino

Symbionts of shipworms attract attentions as a promising source of new bioactive compounds. This program deals with chemical diversity of shipworm symbionts. Secondary metabolites will be isolated from cultured symbionts. Bioactivity and biosynthesis of these compounds will be also investigated. This program aims to understand function of bioactive compounds in shipworm symbionts.

Title: Molecular mechanisms underlying responses to mineral nutrient stresses in plants
Associate Professor: Kyoko Miwa

Sustainable agricultural production is one big challenge for sustainable society in the world. For this purpose, it is crucial to improve plant productivities in unfertile soils with low input. Development of crop cultivars tolerant to environmental stresses is one of the most effective strategies. This study aims to identify the key genes required for tolerance to mineral nutrient stresses and reveal the molecular mechanisms by molecular genetics with a model plant. Successful candidates are required to have knowledge on genetics and basic experimental skills for molecular biology.

Title: Controlled self-organization of small molecules directed for smart nanomaterials 
Professor: Katsuaki Konishi

Self-organization is a general phenomenon ubiquitously found in nature, and has attracted attention as a key-technology in the bottom-up design of environmentally benign smart materials from well-defined molecular precursors. This project utilizes atomically precise molecules as fundamental components, and explores novel functional self-organized assemblies for the development of smart materials that show unique optical, adsorption and catalysis properties. A successful candidate is expected to have a Master’s Degree in Environmental Science at the time of joining and he/she is expected to have sufficient knowledge of synthetic organic/inorganic chemistry, optical spectroscopy and microscopic techniques.

EESセミナー(10月30日)開催のお知らせ

2023-10-19

Date&time: October 30, 2023, 10:30~16:00
Room: D101

Lecturer: Dr. Jonathan Lefcheck (University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science)

Workshop Title: Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) in R

Structural equation modeling (SEM) is a technique that unites traditional inferential statistics, such as generalized linear modeling, and causal theory to test multivariate hypotheses of cause-and-effect. It translates a simple “box-and-arrow” diagram to a series of mathematical equations, which can be solved to test the magnitude, direction, and significance of causal relationships.

In this short course, I will review the history and philosophy of structural equation modeling and provide a short description of both the “global” and “local estimation” methods. In the afternoon workshop, we will use the software R to apply both methods to an example dataset. I will be available after the workshop to answer specific questions about SEM.

Experience in fitting linear regression (`lm`) in R is required. Please install R (https://cran.r-project.org/) and Rstudio (https://posit.co/downloads/) before the afternoon workshop, if you wish to follow the live coding demonstration.

Schedule:

10:30-12:00 General lecture on piecewise SEM and its application in ecological study

13:00-16:00 Practice of data analyses using piecewise SEM on R

Biography:

Jon is a Research Scientist at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science. He is a marine community ecologist, biodiversity scientist, and biostatistician with a love for seagrasses. He has also studied coral reefs, mangroves, oyster reefs and even terrestrial systems, like grasslands and agriculture. He regularly works with scientists, managers, and volunteers around the world to understand, monitor, conserve, and restore coastal ecosystems for the benefit of nature and of people. His work has been published in top-ranking journals like Science and Nature and regularly covered by popular media. He received his PhD in Marine Science from the College of William & Mary in 2015, was a post-doctoral researcher at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science and the Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences. Before his current position, he served as the Coordinating Scientist for the MarineGEO program at the Smithsonian Institution.

EESセミナー(10月26日)開催のお知らせ

2023-10-17

下記の要領でEESセミナーを開催いたします。本セミナーは新任教員紹介も兼ねています。興味本位大歓迎です。院生・教員の皆様、奮ってご参加ください。

日時: 2023年10月26日(木) 16:30-18:00
場所: 地球環境科学研究院D201
演者: 伊藤公一柴田あかり

ゲーム理論を通して生態学を覗く
伊藤公一(環境起学専攻・特任助教)
生き物たちが見せる一見不思議な振る舞いの裏には、しばしば「他人次第で自分のベストな振る舞いが変わる」ジレンマ的な状況が影響していることがある。私はこれまで、ゲーム理論とよばれる手法を用いて、生態学の中でみられる様々なジレンマ的現象について理論研究に取り組んできた。本発表では、フィールド研究者と組んで一見不思議に思える現象の解明に取り組んだ、3つの研究についてご紹介する。
一つ目は、ハクサンハタザオという植物の「毛」にまつわる話である。この植物には、葉の表面に毛がある個体とない個体の2タイプが存在しているが、この2タイプが共存している理由として、この植物を食べる虫の「選り好み」が関与していることがデータと理論モデルの組み合わせで示された。
二つ目は、花の色が変化する現象についてである。一部の花では、開花中に花の色が変わり、同時に花蜜の量も減ることが報告されている。一見、色を変えることで「花蜜がなくなった」と正直に伝えているようにもみえるが、実は送粉者を騙す腹黒い戦略である可能性が理論研究を通して示された。
三つめは、サメの活動時間帯の話である。サメは夜行性、昼行性、薄明薄暮性など多様な活動時間帯を示すが、この原因には彼らが変温動物であることと小魚との活動時間をめぐる「鬼ごっこ」が原因である可能性が見えてきた。
以上3つの研究紹介を通して、ゲーム理論で生態学の現象を考察する魅力についてお話したい。

植物の多様な繁殖戦略
柴田あかり(生物圏科学専攻・特任助教)
固着性の植物の多くは、他個体との交配機会である花粉の運搬を昆虫に委ねている。その不確実性の中で、植物は多様な繁殖戦略を進化させてきた。今回は、私がこれまでに調査研究してきた二つの実証研究を紹介する。
一つ目は、ジンチョウゲ科ナニワズの不完全な雌雄異株性の維持機構である。ナニワズの個体群は雌花をつける雌個体と、両性花をつける両性個体から構成される。この両性花は、形態的には雌しべと雄しべをもつが、個体の追跡調査により、まれにしか果実をつけない、つまり機能的には雄であることがわかった。なぜ、両性個体は雌機能を維持しているのだろうか。
二つ目は、アブラナ科ハクサンハタザオの花の上下運動の適応的意義とメカニズムについてである。ハクサンハタザオの花は晴天時に上を向き、雨天時や夜間には下を向く。これまでに、花柄(花の下の茎)の伸長により、送粉昆虫の多い時に上を向き花粉の運搬を促進し、それ以外の時には下を向くことで花器官へのダメージを防ぐ機能をもつことがわかってきた。
 野外調査と操作実験、遺伝子発現解析を組み合わせることで、どのような研究ができるのかを紹介したい。
(問い合わせ先: 露崎 tsuyu@ees.hokudai.ac.jp)

Information Session :To be held ONLINE

2023-09-25

Graduate School of Environmental Science, Hokkaido University will offer ONLINE Information Session on October 15 (Sun).

The Session will start from “General Explanation” by Dean of the graduate school at 10:00 and 13:00 (It takes 20 minutes and content is the same in both times) then each division will have briefing.

Session schedule and Contact Information is following.

Regarding how to attend the session, please contact each division through email.

The division you chose will send you the detailed information.

Application deadline is October 11 (Wed) noon.

Online Session Schedule and Contact Information.

Division of Environmental Science Development 

         Contact: esd-jimu[at]ees.hokudai.ac.jp 

Division of Earth System Science

         Contact: ess_contact[at]eoas.ees.hokudai.ac.jp

Division of Biosphere Science

         Contact: bio-senko[at]ees.hokudai.ac.jp

Division of Environmental Materials Science

         Contact: sfmc_office[at]ees.hokudai.ac.jp  

※Please replace [at] to @ when emailing us.

Homecoming Day 2023

2023-09-08

Alumni Lectures on Zoom                <Student life, Job hunting, and Current work>

Friday, September 29th

  • 3:00 pm Kazutaka Hashimoto  -Japan Steel Works M&E, Inc.
  • 3:25 pm Udai Shimada     -Meteorological Research Institute
  • 3:50 pm Sachi Tanabe     -Landscape designer
  • 4:15 pm Xinxue Zhao     -Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems Co., Ltd.
  • 4:40 pm Q&A Session and chat -Zoom Breakout Rooms

Join us from the Zoom Invite via E-mail. No pre-registration is required. Feel free to enter or exit anytime during the event. Join us online!

Inquiry: Environmental Science Alumni Association

夏季期間における地球環境科学研究院建物の閉鎖につい(8/14~8/16)

2023-07-21

本研究院は、下記のとおり夏季期間における建物の閉鎖を実施いたしますので、ご協力願います。

1.目  的

  夏季期間における連続休暇取得の奨励のため及び省エネルギー対策のため

2.期  間

  令和5年8月14日(月)~8月16日(水)

3.対  象

  大学院地球環境科学研究院、大学院環境科学院、環境科学事務部

4.実施方法

  職員の協力を得て、上記期間中は休日と同様の体制とします。

Information Session :To be held ONLINE

2023-05-30

Graduate School of Environmental Science, Hokkaido University will offer ONLINE Information Session on June 10 (Sat).

The Session will start from “General Explanation” by Dean of the graduate school at 10:00 (It takes 20 minutes) then each division will have briefing.

Session schedule and Contact Information is following.

Regarding how to attend the session, please contact each division through email.

The division you chose will send you the detailed information.

Application deadline is June 8 (Thu) noon.

Online Session Schedule and Contact Information.

Division of Environmental Science Development

        Contact: esd-jimu[at]ees.hokudai.ac.jp 

Division of Earth System Science  

        Contact: ess_contact[at]eoas.ees.hokudai.ac.jp

Division of Biosphere Science      

        Contact: bio-senko[at]ees.hokudai.ac.jp

Division of Environmental Materials Science

        Contact: sfmc_office[at]ees.hokudai.ac.jp

  ※Please replace [at] to @ when emailing us.

Special Grant Program for International Students (October 2023)

2023-05-25

Special Grant Program for International Students / Research Assistant Program of Graduate School of Environmental Science (October 2023)

This program will select students who can likely contribute internationally in their research field, from those applying to doctoral courses at the Graduate School of Environmental Science.
Participating in research as a Research Assistant (RA) is very meaningful to develop your research ability. Each Research Assistant must serve to achieve the objective of a research subject directed by a Graduate School of Environmental Science faculty member. The research subjects are listed below.


Period

Maximum 3 years, with the annual extension subject to evaluation of achievements by a faculty committee.


Qualifications of application (Eligibility):

Students (mainly from developing countries) who seek admission to the doctor courses of the Graduate School of Environmental Science.
〈Notes〉
If the students of this Special Grant Program are also selected as recipients of the “DX Doctoral Fellowship”, “Hokkaido University Ambitious Doctoral Fellowship,” or similar doctoral fellowships, they must choose one of them and decline the others.


Payment Exemption / RA Allowance:

Payment Exemption: Total amount of school fees is entirely covered by Hokkaido University (i.e., entrance exam fee of 30,000 yen, admission fee of 282,000 yen, and the annual tuition fee of 535,800 yen for each of three years). RA Allowance (depending on the actual working time): Total 3 million yen (1 million yen annually for three years)
The applicant should meet travel expenses for the entrance exam .


Application Deadline

19 June (Monday) 2023


Application for the program:

Applicants are required to submit the documents listed below via email. The documents should not be written in a language other than English.

  1. Curriculum vitae with the applicant’s photograph
  2. Academic transcripts
  3. Graduation certificate
  4. A list of publications and presentations in scientific meetings
  5. A research proposal
  6. Direction and comments of potential supervisor and at least one co-supervisor, including proofs of communication between you and the potential supervisors
  7. Master’s thesis or other documents in proof of your research ability


Reference and address to apply

Academic Affairs Section
Graduate School of Environmental Science
Hokkaido University
E-mail: kyomu (at) ees.hokudai.ac.jp


List of possible research subjects (October 2023)

Title: Removal of Anionic Contaminants in Water Using Porous Materials
Professor: Shin-ichiro Noro

Pure water is essential for human survival and its availability is vital for building a sustainable society. Effective use of groundwater is key to ensuring pure water, but groundwater contamination by anions (nitrate, perchlorate, and so on) has recently become apparent in many parts of the world. The purpose of this research is to develop porous materials showing efficient removal of anionic contaminants in water and understand a removal mechanism. A successful candidate is expected to have a Master’s Degree in Environmental Science at the time of joining and he/she is required to have knowledge of synthetic chemistry, porous materials, and fundamentals of adsorption/desorption.

Title: Developing stable heterojunction semiconductors for electron and energy harvesting
Professor: Vasudevan Pillai Biju

Energy-efficient device technologies are necessary for sustainable socio-economical development. Heterojunction semiconductors for solar energy harvesting, light emitting devices, optical detectors, quantum computing, and information storage and processing have been continuously sought to design such next-generation devices. The challenging aspect of this research is the stability of donor-acceptor heterojunctions. This research aims to develop stable electron and energy donor-acceptor heterojunction semiconductors. A successful candidate is expected to have a Master’s Degree in Chemistry when joining. Also, the candidate is required to know inorganic chemistry, materials science, surface chemistry, and fluorescence spectroscopy.

5/30 EES seminar by Dr. Victoria Sork

2023-04-28

We will have an EES seminar on 5/30 as follows. We look forward to your participation.

Date&Room: 5/30 16:30~18:00 D201 (free talk between 13:00~16:30 at A809)

Presenter: Sork, Victoria L. (Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles)

Talk title: Genomic and epigenetic approaches to plastic and evolutionary adaptation of oak trees

Summary:  Whole genome sequences and gene annotations of a California endemic white oak, Quercus lobata, have been published recently. This genomic and epigenetic information indicates tandem repeats of disease resistance genes and epigenetic patterns consistent with grasses. These findings facilitate to understand the genetic basis of adaptive evolution that has been demonstrated by landscape genetics, phylogeography with regard to introgression, ecophysiological and gene expression studies, and provenance trials, which may help oaks survive climate change.

EES seminar by Dr. Andrea Griffin May 16

2023-04-25

We will have an EES seminar on 5/16 at 10:30~12:00 as follows. We look forward to your participation.

Date&time : 5/16 10:30~12:00

Room : D201

Presenter : Dr Andrea S. Griffin(University of Newcastle, Australia)

Talk title: Shorebirds of the Hunter and Port Stephens Estuaries: Using automated telemetry, stable isotopes and e-DNA to quantify movement and food chains in overwintering shorebirds

Talk summary : Migratory shorebirds are the world’s most endangered group of bird species. Australia’s estuaries provide overwintering habitat for some 2.5 million individuals each year. The Hunter and Port Stephens estuaries are two of just four in New South Wales of international significance to protecting Australia’s migratory shorebirds. They are also amongst the regions that are losing multiple shorebird species the fastest nationally. Unfortunately, these estuaries have little to no history of shorebird research and critical knowledge gaps are impeding effective management. In this talk, I will explain how our group is using multiple traditional and emerging technologies to identify patterns of local and regional movement and habitat use and to quantify the flow and diversity of nutrients from different estuarine habitats that fuel shorebird diets. Our interdisciplinary work is dependent upon key partnerships with government and community agencies, a feature that will ensure that our findings will serve to prioritize protection and restoration of shorebird habitat now and into a future.

Biography : Dr Andrea Griffin is a zoologist with core expertise in animal behaviour. Her research interests lie in understanding how animals respond and adjust to environmental change and in finding ways of applying this knowledge to better manage and conserve species. She readily embraces interdisciplinary approaches to answer her research questions. She has studied the behaviour and ecology of invasive and native birds and more recently estuarine birds. She is currently leading two large collaborative research projects, one on the movement and foraging ecology of shorebirds, the other developing new approaches to applying artificial intelligence to acoustic wildlife monitoring. She is trained in biology, animal behaviour and ecology at the Universities of Lausanne, Geneva and Zurich in Switzerland and completed her PhD at Macquarie University followed by a Swiss National Postdoctoral Fellowship at McGill University in Canada. She joined the University of Newcastle in 2005 as Australian Research Council post-doctoral fellow and earned a lectureship in 2009. She is currently a Senior Lecturer in the School of Environmental Science where she co-leads the Conservation Science Research Group, a member of the Australian National Environmental Science Program (NESP, Resilient Landscapes Hub). She teaches Animal Behaviour and Conservation Biology to final year undergraduate students in Environmental Science and Management. The University of Newcastle has recognised her work through a 2019 Women in Leadership Award, a 2020 Women in Research Fellowship, and a 2022 CESE College Award for Excellence in Research Higher Degree student training. https://www.newcastle.edu.au/profile/andrea-griffin

2023 JAPANESE GOVERNMENT SCHOLARSHIP FOR OVERSEAS RESEARCH STUDENTS

2022-11-17

2023 JAPANESE GOVERNMENT SCHOLARSHIP FOR OVERSEAS RESEARCH STUDENTS (UNIVERSITY-RECOMMENDED MEXT SCHOLARSHIP)〔Special Program for Graduate School of Environmental Science〕“Environmental Conservation Leaders for Post SDGs”

The application period for the enrollment in October 2023 has ended.

1. A number of Slots

3 for Master’s Course and 4 or 5 for Doctoral Course

2. Qualifications

1) Eligibility:

Overseas students with excellent academic records who newly come to Japan to study at master’s or doctoral level.
You (Applicants), not currently in school, should have the academicrecord score of 2.30 or higher from the most recent academic record.
You (Applicants), in school, should have 2.30 or higher throughout their period of attendance at school, and are expected to maintain academic standards throughout the course of the scholarship program.
In addition, you should satisfy the 2) Language level/ability.

2) Language level/ability:

Those who satisfy at least one of the following conditions of English proficiency.
(1) Those who acquire B2 or higher level of CEFR or the equivalent grade/score on language test of the same level at the admittance to the regular courses.
(2) Those who completed educational curriculum to fulfill the requirement for admission to Master’s or Doctoral program at academic institute in Japan, with English-medium instruction.

3)Others

Please ask your prospective supervisors about other qualifications.

3. Scholarship Period and Benefits

1)Duration of scholarship:

Master’s course: 2 years
Doctoral course: 3 years

2) Monthly allowance:

Master’s course: 144,000 JPY
Doctoral course: 145,000 JPY

3) Travel Expenses

MEXT will provide you with your arrival and return ticket.

4) Tuition and other academic fees

Application fee: exempted
Matriculation fee: exempted
Tuition fees: exempted

4. Selection schedule

  • Application Submission Deadline: January 13, 2023
  • The internal notification date: Mid-February 2023(tentative)
  • Submission of additional documents (only successful candidates of the screening): by the end of February 2023
  • The final notification date: Late June 2023(tentative)

5. Required Documents

The following should be prepared by an applicant.
* Please submit all documents to a prospective supervisor via email by January 13, 2023.

1) Application form for MEXT scholarship

2) Form 6 Field of Study and Study Program (should include relevance of your research plan to SDGs)

3) Proof of nationality (e.g. photocopied passport, family register or proof of citizenship)

4) Official academic transcript of the most recent degree issued by the university which the applicant is a graduate of (either an undergraduate or postgraduate degree)

5) Certificate of graduation, graduation letter or diploma of the most recent degree issued by the university which the applicant is a graduate of (either an undergraduate or postgraduate degree)

6) Record of high academic achievements earned at the most recent university which the applicant is a graduate of (If you have received any awards, etc.)

7) Letter of recommendation from the dean of the graduate school to which the applicant belongs, or someone in higher position, addressed to the president of Hokkaido University, Prof. Kiyohiro Houkin

8) Abstracts of thesis or academic papers (please provide brief summaries)

9) Objective evidence of eligibility of language proficiency described “Language level/ability”(incl. TOEFL/IELTS/TOEIC certificates)

10) Form 7 Career plan

Additional Documents

(Only successful applicants are required to submit these documents)

1) Form 5 Application Form (should be ORIGINAL)

2) A passport-style photograph taken in the last 6 months, cut to 45mm x 35mm, upper body, full faced, uncapped. Write your name and nationality on the back.
Adhere to your application form as advised or insert an image in electronic format onto your application form. (should be ORIGINAL)

3) Official academic transcript of the most recent degree issued by the university which the applicant is a graduate of (either an undergraduate or postgraduate degree) (should be ORIGINAL)

4) Certificate of graduation, graduation letter or diploma of the most recent degree issued by the university which the applicant is a graduate of (either an undergraduate or postgraduate degree)(should be ORIGINAL)

5) Record of high academic achievements earned at the most recent university which the applicant is a graduate of (If you have received any awards, etc.) (hard copy)

6) Letter of recommendation from the dean of the graduate school to which the applicant belongs, or someone in higher position, addressed to the president of Hokkaido University, Prof. Kiyohiro Houkin (hard copy)

7) Abstracts of thesis or academic papers (please provide brief summaries) (hard copy)

8) Objective evidence of eligibility of language proficiency described “Language level/ability”(incl. TOEFL/IELTS/TOEIC certificates) (hard copy)

9) PLEDGE (should be ORIGINAL)

6. Admissions

If the scholarship application is accepted, applicants need to take entrance examination in August, 2023. They will start master’s or doctoral program in October, 2023. There will not be a research student period.
See the Graduate School website for details of the regular entrance examination. (https://www.ees.hokudai.ac.jp/?page_id=2720&lang=en)

Contact

The Academic Affairs Section, Graduate School of Environmental Science, Hokkaido University.
E-mail: kyomu@ees.hokudai.ac.jp
Kita 10, Nishi 5, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0810, Japan
Phone: +81-11-706-2205

Special Grant Program for International Students (April 2023)

2022-11-16

Special Grant Program for International Students / Research Assistant Program of Graduate School of Environmental Science (April 2023)

This program will select students, who can likely contribute internationally in their research field, from those students applying to doctoral courses of Graduate School of Environmental Science.

It is very meaningful to participate in research as a Research Assistant (RA) for the development of your research ability. Each Research Assistant must serve to achieve the objective of a research subject directed by a faculty member of the Graduate School of Environmental Science. The research subjects are listed below.

Period

Maximum 3 years since the first year although the achievement of the objective must be evaluated each year by the committee of the faculty.

Qualifications of application (Eligibility):

Students (mainly from developing countries) who are going to seek admission to the doctor courses of Graduate School of Environmental Science.

〈Notes〉

If the students of this Special Grant Program are also selected as recipients for “DX Doctoral Fellowship”, “Hokkaido University Ambitious Doctoral Fellowship”, or similar doctoral fellowships, they shall choose one of them and decline the others.

Payment Exemption / RA Allowance:

Payment Exemption: Total amount of school fees are entirely covered by Hokkaido University (i.e., entrance exam fee of 30,000 yen, admission fee of 282,000 yen, and annual tuition fee of 535,800 yen for each of three years). RA Allowance (depending on the actual working time): Total: 3 million yen (1 million yen for each of three years)
Travel expenses of entrance exam should be paid by applicant.

Application Period

Until December 12 Monday, 2022

Application for the program:

Applicants are required to submit the documents listed below. The documents should not be written in a language other than English.

  1. Curriculum vitae with the applicant’s photograph
  2. Academic transcript
  3. Graduation certificate
  4. List of publications and presentations in scientific meetings
  5. Research proposal
  6. Direction and comments of potential supervisor and at least one co-supervisor, including proofs of communication between you and the potential supervisors
  7. Master’s thesis or other documents in proof of your research ability

Reference and address to apply

Kyoumu-Tantou
Graduate School of Environmental Science
Hokkaido University
Kita 10, Nishi 5, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-0810 Japan
E-mail: kyomu (at) ees.hokudai.ac.jp

List of possible research subjects (2023)

Title: Recovering High Value Bioproducts for Sustainable Fishery by Chemical and Biotechnological Applications

Professor: Akira Onoda

Addressing sustainability involves challenges in productive and efficient use of bioproducts from marine raw materials and processing byproducts. Developing knowledge and methodologies for understanding and transforming marine fishing byproducts is critically important for the generation of bioproducts of interest for high value or high technology applications. The purpose of this research is to develop novel value-added marine bioproducts and their applications as a collaboration project with Universidad de La Serena in Chile. A successful candidate is expected have a Masters Degree in Chemistry or Biotechnology at the time of joining and he/she is required to have the knowledge of Synthetic Polymer Chemistry, Biomaterials, and Materials Science.

Title: Heterogeneous catalysts for the valorization of biomass-derived carbohydrates

Professor: Kiyotaka Nakajima

Building a sustainable society requires a different paradigm using renewable carbon resources such as non-edible biomass and CO2 to produce fuels and platform chemicals in future chemical industries. Our vision is to design catalytic reactions using new heterogeneous catalysts and lignocellulose-derived hydrocarbons, in which scalable production of platform chemicals can be accomplished while minimizing environmental load and energy consumption in work-up processes. This program aims at developing new technologies that convert biomass-derived carbohydrates to platform molecules used for the production of commodity chemicals.

Seminar : EES Seminar (by LIU Tong) 10/17

2022-10-12
Dr. Liu, who joined our faculty this summer, will present her research at the Environmental Earth Science seminar.
Date and time: 16:45-18:00 on October 17th (Mon) 2022 
Place: D201 in GSES 
Speaker: Dr. LIU Tong (本研究院・統合環境科学部門・環境適応科学分野・助教)  Assistant Professor, Group of Environmental Adaptation Science,  
Section of Integrated Environmental Science,  
Faculty of Environmental Earth Science, Hokkaido University 

Title: Occurrence and risk assessment of emerging micropollutants  
in a water diversion project (分水嶺事業における新興微量汚染物質の発生とリスク評価) Language: English 
Chair: OKINO Tatsufumi(統合環境科学部門)

要旨(Abstract) 
Abstract: Water diversion is increasingly utilized for water supply, flood control, irrigation, and water quality improvement in many water bodies globally. Micropollutants such as perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) can be transported via dual-source water diversion projects during water diversion and flood discharge, which may negatively impact both receiving water bodies. However, the sources, spatiotemporal variations, and fluxes of PFAAs under water diversion projects remain unclear. Here, we quantified 18 PFAA compounds in the surface water of the Wangyu River in eastern China, which transfers water between the Yangtze River and Taihu Lake during water diversion (January 2020) and flooding periods (July 2020) for the following objectives: (1) to investigate the occurrence and sources of signature PFAAs in both flow directions in this highly urbanized and populated region; (2) to characterize the relative contribution of individual PFAAs and explore how water diversion and flooding impacts the PFAA pollution; and (3) to estimate the flux of PFAAs (kg month-1) diverted into or discharged from Taihu Lake via the Wangyu River, to provide a reference value for the ecological safety of a dual-source water diversion project and its receiving water bodies.

Contact: TOYODA Kazuhiro (kazuhiro@ees.hokudai.ac.jp) (統合環境科学部門)

Homecoming Day 2022

2022-09-06

We are happy to announce that GSES Homecoming Day 2022 will be held virtually on Thursday, September 22nd.  Zoom invitation link will be sent to all GSES students, faculty and staff members on September 16th.  Please check the event schedule below and join us.

September 22 (Thur.)

  • 3:00 pm Mr. Takaaki Hasegawa 
         -Japan Fisheries and Education Agency (Japanese Lecture)
  • 3:25 pm Dr. Lina Mahardiani 
         -Sebelas Maret University, Indonesia (English Lecture)
  • 3:50 pm Dr. Kaihei Yamazaki 
         -National Institute of Polar Research (Japanese Lecture)
  • 4:15 pm Mr. Elijah Caldwell 
         -Institute for Genetic Medicine, Hokkaido University (English Lecture)
  • 4:40 pm Q&A session and chat 
         -Zoom Breakout Room (English & Japanese)

Hokkaido University Homecoming Day is scheduled for September 24th. Please visit https://www.hokudai.ac.jp/home2022/index.html (Japanese only) for more information.

EESセミナーの開催(日本海堆積物に記録された過去の東アジア冬モンスーン変動)7/25

2022-07-13

EES seminar(旧:研究院アワー)のご案内

久しぶりにEESセミナーを企画しました。興味をもたれた方はどなたでも気軽にご参加ください。(わかりやすく面白い話になると思います。)

  • 2022年7月25日(月)16:30-17:30
  • Place: 環境科学院D101
  • Speaker: 入野智久 (Tomohisa Irino)
    • 地球圏科学部門・環境変動解析学分野・准教授 (Associate Professor, Faculty of Environmental Earth Science, Hokkaido University)
  • Title: 日本海堆積物に記録された過去の東アジア冬モンスーン変動 (Reconstruction of east Asian winter monsoon in the past using sediment archives in the Japan Sea)
  • Language: Japanese
  • Chair: 堀之内武(地球圏科学部門)

要旨

東アジアの気候は、夏の多雨と冬の厳寒で特徴づけられ、それぞれ東アジア夏モンスーン、冬モンスーンと呼ばれている。夏モンスーン期には、揚子江の流出に伴って塩分が低く栄養塩に富んだ東シナ海表層水が対馬海峡を通して日本海に流入し、日本海表層の成層と生物生産を維持している。また冬モンスーンによる日本海表層水の冷却は、海氷の生産と表層水の中深層への沈み込みによる換気をもたらしている。一方、日本海の海底堆積物への有機物の埋没フラックスは、生物生産と底層水酸化還元度に依存した有機物の分解とに制御されるので、夏モンスーンによる栄養塩に富む東シナ海沿岸水の日本海への張り出しと、冬モンスーンによる底層水の換気の程度のバランスで決まると考えられる。2013年に行われた統合深海掘削計画第346次調査航海(IODP Exp. 346)では、日本海の中で330 mから 3429 mにいたる様々な水深の7地点から連続な堆積物が掘削された。水深の最も浅いU1427地点を除くU1422-U1426およびU1430地点の堆積相は、千年スケールで繰り返す明暗互層をなす半遠洋性堆積物で、それらの明暗パターンは同時間面として広く対比でき、どのサイトの年代モデルも確立している。また日本海堆積物の明度は、有機炭素(TOC)含有量と強く逆相関することが分かっているので、堆積物写真、堆積物全体のガンマ線吸収率(GRA)からそれぞれ算出される明度、乾燥かさ密度を用いることで、各地点各時代のTOCフラックスを計算できる。そこで過去における冬モンスーンによる日本海中深層の換気パターンを復元するために、TOCフラックスの深度分布の時代変化を利用し、過去100万年間にわたる数万年スケールでの冬モンスーン変動の評価を試みる。

Special Grant Program for International Students (October 2022)

2022-05-26

Special Grant Program for International Students / Research Assistant Program of Graduate School of Environmental Science (October 2022)

This program will select students, who can likely contribute internationally in their research field, from those students applying to doctoral courses of Graduate School of Environmental Science.

It is very meaningful to participate in research as a Research Assistant (RA) for the development of your research ability. Each Research Assistant must serve to achieve the objective of a research subject directed by a faculty member of the Graduate School of Environmental Science. The research subjects are listed below.

 

Period

Maximum 3 years since the first year although the achievement of the objective must be evaluated each year by the committee of the faculty.

 

Qualifications of application (Eligibility):

Students (mainly from developing countries) who are going to seek admission to the doctor courses of Graduate School of Environmental Science.

〈Notes〉

If the students of this Special Grant Program are also selected as recipients for “DX Doctoral Fellowship”, “Hokkaido University Ambitious Doctoral Fellowship”, or similar doctoral fellowships, they shall choose one of them and decline the others.

 

Payment Exemption / RA Allowance:

Payment Exemption: Total amount of school fees are entirely covered by Hokkaido University (i.e., entrance exam fee of 30,000 yen, admission fee of 282,000 yen, and annual tuition fee of 535,800 yen for each of three years). RA Allowance (depending on the actual working time): Total: 3 million yen (1 million yen for each of three years)
Travel expenses of entrance exam should be paid by applicant.

 

Application Period

Until June 13 Monday, 2022

 

Application for the program:

Applicants are required to submit the documents listed below. The documents should not be written in a language other than English.

  1. Curriculum vitae with the applicant's photograph
  2. Academic transcript
  3. Graduation certificate
  4. List of publications and presentations in scientific meetings
  5. Research proposal
  6. Direction and comments of potential supervisor and at least one co-supervisor, including proofs of communication between you and the potential supervisors
  7. Master's thesis or other documents in proof of your research ability

 

Reference and address to apply

Kyoumu-Tantou
Graduate School of Environmental Science
Hokkaido University
Kita 10, Nishi 5, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-0810 Japan
E-mail: kyomu (at) ees.hokudai.ac.jp

 

List of possible research subjects (2022)

Title: Paleoclimate study of tropical hydroclimate over the past three million years
Professor: Masanobu Yamamoto
This program deals with the long-term tropical climate variability over the past three million years, controlled by the Milankovitch cycle of insolation, global ice volume, greenhouse gas concentration, sea level, land-sea configuration, and deep-ocean circulation. The paleoclimate records will be generated by analyzing biomarkers, their isotopes, and foraminifera isotopes for sediment samples obtained by ocean drilling. This program aims to understand the forcing and feedback mechanisms of tropical hydroclimate.

オーストラリア・タスマニア大学ツネイチ フジイ奨学金 2022年タスマニア大学短期留学奨学生募集について

2022-05-26

オーストラリア・タスマニア大学ツネイチ フジイ奨学金
2022 年タスマニア大学短期留学奨学生募集について

【ツネイチ フジイ奨学金】
故ツネイチ フジイ氏は,オーストラリア・タスマニアにおいて,羊毛ビジネス等で成功した日本人実業家である。1985 年,タスマニアと日本における,文化,ビジネス,教育に関する交流を促進するため,ツネイチ フジイ奨学財団がタスマニアで設立された。その後,2007 年に同奨学金がタスマニア大学に移管された。ツネイチ フジイ奨学金制度の趣旨に従い, 2012 年よりタスマニア大学海洋・南極研究所(Institute of Marine and Antarctic Studies 以下,IMAS)と北海道大学大学院環境科学院における国際共同研究および大学院教育をさらに強固にするため,国際南極大学事業の一環として,同奨学金を用いた大学院生短期交換留学制度を開始した。これまでに,環境科学院の学生3 名,IMAS の学生3名がツネイチ フジイ奨学生として採用されている。

【応募資格】
① 北海道大学大学院環境科学院の修士課程もしくは博士後期課程に在籍中の日本人大学院生。
② 2022 年7 月から12 月末日までの期間内で,2 ヶ月間以上,タスマニア大学IMAS において,研究を実施できる者。
③ タスマニア大学(サンディベイキャンパス)において,5〜10 週間の語学コース(英語)を受講可能な者。なお,語学コースの受講料支払いは免除されている。

【奨学金】
オーストラリア6,000 ドル(旅費,滞在費等含む)。タスマニア大学構内にあるCommonwealth Bank に口座を開設後,一括支給される予定。

【留学可能期間】
2022 年7 月1 日〜12 月31 日(2 ヶ月以上。特別の理由が無い限り,一時帰国は認めない)。ただし、新型コロナウイルス感染症の拡大等により留学可能期間が変更になる場合がある。

【募集人員】
1 名

【応募期間】
2022 年5 月30 日(月)〜6 月15 日(水)

【応募方法】
応募書類ファイルに必要事項を記入後, 環境科学事務部・教務担当(kyomu@ees.hokudai.ac.jp)に電子メールで提出すること。この際,メールタイトルに「タスマニア大学ツネイチフジイ奨学金応募」と明記。
2022 年6 月15 日(水)必着。

【選考過程・結果】
書類選考の結果を応募者宛に紙面で通知する。必要に応じて,面接選考を実施することがある。連絡を受けた一次選考の通過者は,通知される要領に従って英文書類に記入・提出の上,タスマニア大奨学金委員会による最終選考に進み,承認を受けること。

【内容に関する問い合わせ先】
北海道大学大学院地球環境科学研究院・鈴木光次
メール:kojis@ees.hokudai.ac.jp
電話:011-706-2370(直通)

2022 Public Lecture

2022-05-12

令和4年度公開講座 自然との共生 - 北海道の未来を見据えて

パンフレット

公開講座開催にあたって

《北海道大学大学院地球環境科学研究院長 谷本 陽一》

北海道は,自然豊かな大地として知られていますが,その自然は,様々な撹乱により維持されていることは意外と知られていません。一方,撹乱も噴火,地震,台風,洪水など大規模なものとなると,それらの自然との共生のためには防災・減災という側面も考慮する必要があります。さらに,気候変動がもたらす自然の変化や海岸漂着ごみ問題のようにヒトの影響により自然が大きく変わりつつあります。

このような自然の成り立ちと変化を知ることは,私たちに自然の多様さを気づかせ,人間活動が自然に及ぼす影響の理解や,自然との共生への糸口を得ることができます。

本講座では,北海道の陸海空を,自然との「共生」をキーワードに,様々な時間と空間のスケールの中で取り上げ,自然の成り立ちと変化,ヒトはどのようにそれらの自然と将来にわたり付き合っていくのかを考える上でのヒントを,本大学院に所属する6名の教員が最新の研究成果を含めて紹介します。多くの皆さまの受講をお待ちしています。

【公開講座要領】

  1. 開講時期  令和4年8月22日(月)~9月26日(月)(毎週月曜日※第5回のみ火曜日開催)
  2. 実施場所  オンラインで実施
  3. 受講資格  満18歳以上の方であればどなたでも受講できます。(学歴不問)
  4. 定  員  先着70名
  5. 受 講 料   無料
  6. 修了証書  全6回の開講のうち,4回以上受講した方には、最終講義終了時に修了証書を交付します。
  7. 主  催  北海道大学大学院地球環境科学研究院
  8. 後  援  札幌市教育委員会

【申込要領】

  1. 申込期間 令和4年7月8日(金)~7月20日(水)【必着】
  2. 申込先  北海道大学環境科学事務部教務担当
    • 〒060-0810 札幌市北区北10条西5丁目
    • 電話 (011) 706-2204
    • E-Mail kyomu (at) ees.hokudai.ac.jp
  3. 申込手続 申し込みは,下記の手順を全て行うことで完了します。
    1. 申込URLから申し込むあるいは申込書【様式】をダウンロードしてご提出ください.
    2. 先着順(定員70名)に受講許可の通知を送付
    3. 手続き完了
  4. 詳細は,パンフレット内「申込要領」を参照願います。

【その他】

  1. 本公開講座は、2022年度前期道民カレッジ連携講座(環境生活コース9単位)の指定を受けています。
  2. 本公開講座は特定の回のみの受講も可能ですので、希望される方は上記申込手続の「1申込み」の際にお申し出ください。
  3. 次回の講義資料はこちらからダウンロード願います。(後日更新) 資料のパスワードは、受講者の皆様宛郵送しております、受講許可通知文に記載しています。

北海道大学大学院地球環境科学研究院 公開講座
《自然との共生 - 北海道の未来を見据えて》

※講義題目をクリックするとテキストが閲覧できます。(講義終了後に掲載します)

第1回 8月22日(月)

講師:大学院地球環境科学研究院 教授 露崎 史朗

講義題目:「自然との共生の可能性 – 北海道に未来はあるのか」

概要:「自然との共生」…と口にするのは簡単だが,果たしてどこまで可能なのでしょう。さらに,気候変動が,自然との共生をますます困難にしているようにも思えます。共生を可能とするためには,その共生のメカニズムを知る必要があります。ここでは,本講座のイントロダクションを兼ね,北海道の自然の代表格である「火山」,「湿原」での遷移や「温暖化とスキー場植生」などを例にあげ,北海道の自然との共生を見据える切り口をいくつか紹介できればと思います。

第2回 8月29日(月)

講師:大学院地球環境科学研究院 准教授 早川 裕一

講義題目:「過去から未来へ〜俯瞰してみる自然災害と人々の暮らし〜」

概要:地震や火山,洪水といった自然災害に関して,何千年あるいは何万年というスパンで,人は自然現象と付き合ってきました。北海道でも,縄文時代の景観から,現代の防災対策まで,ジオパークや世界遺産といった枠組みでも目にする機会があると思います。そこに,UAV(ドローン)やレーザといった計測技術が広まり,私たちが地上から目にする景観を,俯瞰的な3次元情報として覗き見ることができるようになりました。身近な地域の自然を,立体的な視点でひもといてみましょう。

第3回 9月 5日(月)

講師:大学院地球環境科学研究院 准教授 佐藤 友徳

講義題目:「多様な気象が創り出す自然環境 ~気象の恩恵と脅威~」

概要:日本の最北端に位置する北海道では,北極の寒気と熱帯の暖気が隣接することで多様な気象が生み出されます。猛暑の夏が終わったかと思えば,ドカ雪の冬。このように季節とともにめまぐるしく変化する気象は自然環境や我々の暮らしにどのような形で影響を与えるのでしょうか? 本講義では大雨や大雪などの特徴的な大気現象を詳しく掘り下げて,その仕組みや長期変化傾向について,観測データやシミュレーションを駆使してみてみましょう。

第4回 9月12日(月)

講師:大学院地球環境科学研究院 准教授 根岸 淳二郎

講義題目:「見えない自然を守る?:河原の下の生態系とその保全意義」

概要:近年,大きな洪水の発生が多く報告され,さらに気温上昇傾向に伴う水環境の変化も懸念されています。環境変化への抵抗性を高め適応するには,恵みに重要な領域を十分に理解し,上手く管理に取り入れる必要があります。河川は地下水の一部が表面水と混合したものですが,直接見えない地下領域の姿には未だに多くの不明点が残ります。魚類や無脊椎動物にとっての河川地下生態系の調べ方,現状,恵みへのつながり,保全上の課題をお話します。

第5回 9月20日(火)

講師:低温科学研究所 准教授 白岩 孝行

講義題目:「世界自然遺産 知床が抱える海岸漂着ごみ問題」

概要:北海道の北東部に位置する知床半島は,流氷の海と陸をつなぐユニークな生態系の存在,そして生物多様性の豊かさの点で世界的な価値を有する貴重な存在です。しかし,その知床の海岸に多くの漂着ごみが堆積し,それが回収されずに放置されていることはあまり知られておりません。知床の漂着ごみはどこからやってくるのか,なぜ回収が進まないのか,回収するためにはどのような対策が必要かという点について3年間の調査結果から紹介します。

第6回 9月26日(月)

講師:大学院地球環境科学研究院  助教 先崎 理之

講義題目:「北海道の鳥類の昔と今,そして将来:減った鳥と増えた鳥」

概要:野生動物の宝庫・北海道。鳥類も例外ではなく,北海道ではこれまで470種類以上の鳥類の記録があります。これは日本産鳥類の80%以上に匹敵します。一方,道内の鳥類相は,年々少しずつ,しかし確実に変化しています。例えば,過去数十年の間にも,ダイサギやカワウのように身近になった種類,エトピリカやアカモズのように急激に数を減らしてしまった種類がいます。こうした変化は,いつ・どこで・なぜ生じたのでしょうか?現在も続く気候変動や土地開発などは,道内の鳥類に差し迫った脅威なのでしょうか?本講演では,最新の研究成果を交えながら,こうした疑問に答え,近代・現代における北海道の鳥類相の変遷についてお話します。

講義時間は,毎回18:00~19:30です。

※講師の都合により,講義日が変わる場合があります。

JICA Development Studies Program

2022-04-18

Program Outline

Japan had suffered from severe environmental problems such as pollutions during high economic growth period. Currently we reached highest environmental standard in the world. We aim to foster leaders in the field of environmental science and administration by providing education on history of environmental field in Japan, environmental law, restoration techniques, process of environmental administration, and current method of environmental management.

JICA-DSP information in the web site of JICA

Outline of Subjects

Fundamental Course in Environmental Science

The objectives of this course are, to learn several basic and introductory issues in the environmental science and to understand the current environmental problems such as ecosystem and land use.

Introduction to Global Environmental Management 

In this lecture class, international issues of various environmental problems including Japanese experiences are taken up and discussed them with students from various countries. The problems are shared with each other and the measurements to protect the environments are discussed.

Advanced Course in Environmental Pollution Comparison

 The main participants of this course should be international students who are responsible for protecting environments for the next generations of industrially developing countries. In this lecture, students will understand the geology, geography and natural environment of their own countries and learn from both success and failure experiences in Japan and other countries.

Introduction to Renewable Energy

Installation of renewable energy may contribute to reduce CO2 emission and creating jobs locally while the unregulated installation may damage ecosystem, and water and food resources. Therefore, the installation needs to be verified from various viewpoints after assessing sufficiently the energy potentials and impacts to the environment. Referring to the precedents and development experiences inside or outside of Japan, this lecture will help understand comprehensively current situations and issues of renewable energy by recognizing characteristics of each energy source.

EESセミナーの開催(有性生殖の進化生態学)2/17

2022-01-19

EESセミナー開催のご案内

下記の通りEESセミナーを開催します。ご参加をお待ちしています。

日時:2月17日(木) 13:30-14:30 

場所:地球環境科学研究院D201 

講演者:京極大助(兵庫県立人と自然の博物館)

タイトル:有性生殖の進化生態学:性選択、繁殖干渉、群集構造

Evolutionary ecology of sexual reproduction: sexual selection, reproductive interference, and community structure

 

Daisuke Kyogoku (The Museum of Nature and Human Activities)

 

In sexually reproducing organisms, mating with individuals of the opposite sex is necessary to produce offspring. Mating process raises competition for mating opportunities among same-sex individuals (i.e. sexual selection) and the conflict of evolutionary interest between the sexes (sexual conflict), which drive the evolution of reproductive traits. Because reproductive traits can mediate interspecific interactions (e.g. reproductive interference), reproductive trait evolution can eventually influence the community structure. In this talk, I present three different studies that are related to the evolutionary ecology of sexual reproduction, and by doing so I discuss ways in which sexual reproduction is relevant to the origin and/or maintenance of biodiversity. First, I show a likely case of sexual conflict in a sexually reproducing dandelion, where the timing of flower closure is influenced by the identity of the pollen deposited on the stigma. Second, I present a case study of how reproductive trait evolution due to within-species sexual selection can mediate the strength of reproductive interference in a pair of seed beetle species. Third, I present a simulation model of secondary contact with genetically incompatible hybridization. This model suggests that habitat segregation can evolve without tradeoff in resource use ability and that habitat segregation is more likely to be found in nature than species recognition divergence, which has historically been more appreciated than habitat segregation in this context. I will also briefly present some of my ongoing projects and discuss future research plans.

 

有性生殖の進化生態学:性選択、繁殖干渉、群集構造

 

京極大助(兵庫県立人と自然の博物館)

 

有性生殖をする生物では、子孫を残すために異性個体との配偶が必要である。繁殖プロセスは、同性個体(特にオス)間の繁殖機会をめぐる競争(i.e. 性選択)やオスとメスの利害対立(性的対立)を生み出すことで、繁殖形質の進化を駆動する。またこうして進化した繁殖形質は繁殖干渉などの種間相互作用を介在するため、群集構造にも影響を与えると期待される。本発表ではこうした有性生殖にまつわる進化生態学的な話題を3つ提供し、全体として有性生殖が多様性の創出と維持にどのように関わっているのかを議論する。まず有性タンポポを例にオスとメスの利害対立の例と考えられる事例(花を閉じる時刻が受け入れた花粉の性質に影響される)を紹介する。続いて、種内の性選択により進化した繁殖形質がいかに繁殖干渉の強さに影響するかを昆虫のマメゾウムシ類で検証した例を紹介する。最後に、繁殖干渉によって資源利用能力のトレードオフ無しに棲み分けが進化しうること(さらには、棲み分けのほうが従来重視されてきた種認識の分化よりも進化しやすいと考えられること)を示した数理モデル研究を紹介する。発表では現在行っている研究についても簡単に紹介し、将来の展望についても議論したい。

 

EESセミナーポスター

2022 JAPANESE GOVERNMENT SCHOLARSHIP FOR OVERSEAS RESEARCH STUDENTS

2021-11-26

2022 JAPANESE GOVERNMENT SCHOLARSHIP FOR OVERSEAS RESEARCH STUDENTS (UNIVERSITY-RECOMMENDED MEXT SCHOLARSHIP)〔Special Program for Graduate School of Environmental Science〕“Environmental Conservation Leaders for Post SDGs”

The application for the enrollment in October 2022 is currently being invited.

1. A number of Slots

3 for Master’s Course and 5 for Doctoral Course

2. Qualifications

1) Eligibility:

Overseas students with excellent academic records who newly come to Japan to study at master’s or doctoral level.
You (Applicants), not currently in school, should have the academicrecord score of 2.30 or higher from the most recent academic record.
You (Applicants), in school, should have 2.30 or higher throughout their period of attendance at school, and are expected to maintain academic standards throughout the course of the scholarship program. In addition, you should satisfy the 2) Language level/ability.

2) Language level/ability:

Those who satisfy at least one of the following conditions of English proficiency.
(1) Those who acquire B2 or higher level of CEFR or the equivalent grade/score on language test of the same level at the admittance to the regular courses.
(2) Those who completed educational curriculum to fulfill the requirement for admission to Master’s or Doctoral program at academic institute in Japan, with English-medium instruction.

3)Others

Please ask your prospective supervisors about other qualifications.

3. Scholarship Period and Benefits

1)Duration of scholarship:

Master’s course: 2 years
Doctoral course: 3 years

2) Monthly allowance:

Master’s course: 144,000 JPY
Doctoral course: 145,000 JPY

3) Travel Expenses

MEXT will provide you with your arrival and return ticket.

4) Tuition and other academic fees

Application fee: exempted
Matriculation fee: exempted
Tuition fees: exempted

4. Selection schedule

  • Application Submission Deadline: January 21, 2022
  • The internal notification date: Mid-February 2022(tentative)
  • Submission of additional documents (only successful candidates of the screening): by the end of February 2022
  • The final notification date: Late June 2022(tentative)

5. Required Documents

The following should be prepared by an applicant.
* Please submit all documents to a prospective supervisor via email by January 21, 2022.

1) Application form for MEXT scholarship

2) Form 6 Field of Study and Study Program (should include relevance of your research plan to SDGs)

3) Proof of nationality (e.g. photocopied passport, family register or proof of citizenship)

4) Official academic transcript of the most recent degree issued by the university which the applicant is a graduate of (either an undergraduate or postgraduate degree)

5) Certificate of graduation, graduation letter or diploma of the most recent degree issued by the university which the applicant is a graduate of (either an undergraduate or postgraduate degree)

6) Record of high academic achievements earned at the most recent university which the applicant is a graduate of.

7) Letter of recommendation from the dean of the graduate school to which the applicant belongs, or someone in higher position, addressed to the president of Hokkaido University, Prof. Kiyohiro Houkin

8) Abstracts of thesis or academic papers (please provide brief summaries)

9) Objective evidence of eligibility of language proficiency described “Language level/ability”(incl. TOEFL/IELTS/TOEIC certificates)

10) Form 7 Career plan

11) Recommendation letter from the supervisor of the graduate school to which the applicant belongs or the other faculty who knows the applicant very well.

Additional Documents

(will be requested from only successful candidates of the screening)

1) Form 5 Application Form (should be ORIGINAL)

2) A passport-style photograph taken in the last 6 months, cut to 45mm x 35mm, upper body, full faced, uncapped. Write your name and nationality on the back.
Adhere to your application form as advised or insert an image in electronic format onto your application form. (should be ORIGINAL)

3) Official academic transcript of the most recent degree issued by the university which the applicant is a graduate of (either an undergraduate or postgraduate degree) (hard copy)

4) Certificate of graduation, graduation letter or diploma of the most recent degree issued by the university which the applicant is a graduate of (either an undergraduate or postgraduate degree)(hard copy)

5) Record of high academic achievements earned at the most recent university which the applicant is a graduate of. (hard copy)

6) Letter of recommendation from the dean of the graduate school to which the applicant belongs, or someone in higher position, addressed to the president of Hokkaido University, Prof. Kiyohiro Houkin (hard copy)

7) Abstracts of thesis or academic papers (please provide brief summaries) (hard copy)

8) Objective evidence of eligibility of language proficiency described “Language level/ability”(incl. TOEFL/IELTS/TOEIC certificates) (hard copy)

9) Recommendation letter from the supervisor of the graduate school to which the applicant belongs or the other faculty who knows the applicant very well. (hard copy)

10) PLEDGE (should be ORIGINAL)

6. Admissions

If the scholarship application is accepted, applicants need to take entrance examination in August, 2022. They will start master’s or doctoral program in October, 2022. There will not be a research student period.
See the Graduate School website for details of the regular entrance examination. (https://www.ees.hokudai.ac.jp/?page_id=2720&lang=en)

Contact

The Academic Affairs Section, Graduate School of Environmental Science, Hokkaido University.
E-mail: kyomu@ees.hokudai.ac.jp
Kita 10, Nishi 5, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0810, Japan
Phone: +81-11-706-2205

Special Grant Program for International Students (April 2022)

2021-11-19

Special Grant Program for International Students / Research Assistant Program of Graduate School of Environmental Science (April 2022)

This program will select students, who can likely contribute internationally in their research field, from those students applying to doctoral courses of Graduate School of Environmental Science.

It is very meaningful to participate in research as a Research Assistant (RA) for the development of your research ability. Each Research Assistant must serve to achieve the objective of a research subject directed by a faculty member of the Graduate School of Environmental Science. The research subjects are listed below.

 

Period

Maximum 3 years since the first year although the achievement of the objective must be evaluated each year by the committee of the faculty.

 

Qualifications of application (Eligibility):

Students (mainly from developing countries) who are going to seek admission to the doctor courses of Graduate School of Environmental Science.

 

Payment Exemption / RA Allowance:

Payment Exemption: Total amount of school fees are entirely covered by Hokkaido University (i.e., entrance exam fee of 30,000 yen, admission fee of 282,000 yen, and annual tuition fee of 535,800 yen for each of three years). RA Allowance (depending on the actual working time): Total: 3 million yen (1 million yen for each of three years)
Travel expenses of entrance exam should be paid by applicant.

 

Application Period

Until December 13 Monday, 2021

 

Application for the program:

Applicants are required to submit the documents listed below. The documents should not be written in a language other than English.

  1. Curriculum vitae with the applicant's photograph
  2. Academic transcript
  3. Graduation certificate
  4. List of publications and presentations in scientific meetings
  5. Research proposal
  6. Direction and comments of potential supervisor and at least one co-supervisor, including proofs of communication between you and the potential supervisors
  7. Master's thesis or other documents in proof of your research ability

 

Reference and address to apply

Kyoumu-Tantou
Graduate School of Environmental Science
Hokkaido University
Kita 10, Nishi 5, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-0810 Japan
E-mail: kyomu (at) ees.hokudai.ac.jp

 

List of possible research subjects (2022)

Title: Applications of InSAR and PolInSAR techniques to monitor forests biophysical parameters
Associate Professor: Ram Avtar
Forest cover almost one third of the earth’s surface and are recognized to have an impact on the global climate. Deforestation and forest degradation is one of the major causes of increase of greenhouse gases. Forests biophysical parameters (viz. height, structure, density and biomass) are essential for sustainable management. However, in-situ measurement of biophysical parameters are time and labour extensive. Therefore, the goal of the proposed research is to use advanced InSAR and PolInSAR techniques to monitor forests biophysical parameters. Successful candidate is required to have knowledge of geospatial data and tools to engage in relevant research.
 
Title: Impact of freshwater discharge along the Eurasian and North American continental margins on the ocean circulation in the North Pacific: present and past
Professor: Humio Mitsudera
This program deals with the meridional overturning in the North Pacific Ocean, which is controlled by Dense Shelf Water (DSW) formation in the Sea of Okhotsk. DSW entrains a lot of materials, such as dissolved oxygen, CO2 and iron, and carries them to the North Pacific through the intermediate layer of the ocean. The overturning intensity due to the DSW formation is determined by salinity along the northern coast of the Sea of Okhotsk. One of controlling factors is surface salinity anomaly originating in the North Pacific Ocean, which propagates into the Sea of Okhotsk via the Kuril Straits. Here, we propose to investigate the effects of freshwater discharges from the Eurasian and North American continents on the overturning circulation in the North Pacific. The riverine freshwater causes salinity anomaly along the continental margins, reaches the region of the DSW formation, and controls the overturning circulation efficiently. We pay attention not only to the effects of the freshwater discharge in the present days but also to those in the Last Glacier Maximum, during which rapid ice sheet discharge occurred around the Gulf of Alaska preceding the Heinrich events.
 
Title: Development of Photonic Superlattices of Semiconductor Quantum
Dots
Professor: Vasudevan Pillai Biju
Novel semiconductor materials are necessary for next-generation energy
efficient optoelectronic and photovoltaic applications. Such materials
should be environment friendly and cost-effective. Also, characteristics
such as efficient absorption of light, low exciton binding energy,
minimal nonradiative carrier recombination, and defect-free structures
are some of the pre-requisites of high quality semiconductors for
optical and photovoltaic applications. Superlattices of such quantum
dots offer many-fold opportunities to develop energy efficient photonic
and photovoltaic devices. The purpose of this research is to develop
novel non-toxic and low bandgap semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) and
preparation of their superlattices for efficient utilization and
harvesting of energy. A successful candidate is expected have a Masters
Degree in Chemistry at the time of joining and he/she is required to
have the knowledge of wet chemical reactions, and fundamentals of
electronic spectroscopy.
 

EPEES Admission

2021-10-25

EPEES: English Program of Environmental Earth Science for a Sustainable Society (Graduate School of Environmental Science)

EPEES application period for the enrollment in April 2022 has ended.

Admission Requirements for the EPEES

Master’s Course applicants must:

  • have finished (or be expected to finish) 16 years of education by the month before the enrollment period;
  • hold a Bachelor’s degree in any field.

Doctoral Course applicants must:

  • have finished (or be expected to finish) 18 years of education by the month before the enrollment period;
  • hold a Master’s degree in any field.

Regular Admission

Regular entrance examination application documents should be submitted to the Academic Affairs Office by a designated deadline of each entrance examination. See the Graduate School of Environmental Science (GSES) website for details of the regular entrance examination:
https://www.ees.hokudai.ac.jp/?page_id=2720&lang=en

Pre-arrival Admission

Several applicants may qualify for pre-arrival admission, which enables them to take entrance examinations in their own countries by using the equipment like the Zoom, Skype or Polycom meeting system if it is settled in their universities. If it is difficult to take the interview by using the equipment, there are some cases we cannot accept their applications. To apply for pre-arrival admission, submit the documents listed below for screening by November 12, 2021 by email. If interested, contact the Academic Affairs Office of GSES before proceeding for further information.

1. Admission Application form with ID photo (The designated form must be used, and will be provided upon request. The photo should be taken on August 12, 2021 or later, 4 x 3 cm, upper body, facing forward with no headwear).

2. Curriculum Vitae (The designated form must be used, and will be provided upon request)

3. Graduation Certificate (or Certificate of Expected Graduation)

4. Academic Transcript

5. Copy of passport “face page”

6. For the Master’s Course, a 1,000-word essay on the reasons for the application and your research plan within the program

7. For the Doctoral Course, a 1,500-word essay on the reasons for the application and your research plan within the program

8. Applicants should submit a copy of TOEFL, TOEIC or IELTS score sheet. The validity of the score sheet is within 2 years preceding the date of entrance examination.
9. Applicants from EEA member countries should submit a Consent to Transfer and Process Personal Data.

Announcement of Pre-arrival Examination Candidates

Applicants selected as candidates for pre-arrival examination based on document screening will be notified by the beginning of January 2022 and should send all additional forms for the entrance examination. These forms must be submitted with the examination fee (JPY 30,000) by January 21, 2022 after receiving the notification.
* See the GSES website for details of the regular entrance examination.

Entrance Examination and Interviews in Candidates’ Own Countries

Entrance examinations and pre-arrival examination interviews may be held in candidates’ own countries by using the equipment like the Zoom, Skype or Polycom meeting system on a day designated individually. Information on exact dates, times and locations will be provided after screening. Interviewees will be asked about their Bachelor’s or Master’s thesis and future plans for study on the Master’s or Doctoral courses, respectively.

Enrollment without Pre-arrival Examination

Applicants not qualifying for pre-arrival examination can take the regular entrance examination. Applications must be submitted by a designated deadline of each entrance examination.

Announcement of Successful Candidates

The final successful candidates will be announced on a designated day of notification of the result each entrance examination.

Special Grant Program for International Students / Research Assistant Program of Graduate School of Environmental Science

2021-06-16

This program will select students, who can likely contribute internationally in their research field, from those students applying to doctoral courses of Graduate School of Environmental Science (GSES).
It is very meaningful to participate in research as a Research Assistant (RA) for the development of your research ability. Each Research Assistant must serve to achieve the objective of a research subject directed by a faculty member of the GSES. 

Period

Maximum 3 years since the first year although the achievement of the objective must be evaluated each year by the committee of the faculty.

Qualifications of application (Eligibility):

Students (mainly from developing countries) who are going to seek admission to the doctor courses of GSES.

Payment Exemption / RA Allowance:

  • Payment Exemption: Total amount of school fees are entirely covered by Hokkaido University (i.e., entrance exam fee of JPY 30,000, admission fee of JPY 282,000, and annual tuition fee of JPY 535,800 for each of three years).
  • RA Allowance (depending on the actual working time): Total: 3 million yen (1 million yen for each of three years)

Travel expenses of entrance exam should be paid by applicant.

Application Period

Application for the program

Applicants are required to submit the documents listed below. The documents should not be written in a language other than English.

  • Curriculum vitae with the applicant’s photograph
  • Academic transcript
  • Graduation certificate
  • List of publications and presentations in scientific meetings
  • Research proposal
  • Direction and comments of potential supervisor and at least one co-supervisor, including proofs of communication between you and the potential supervisors
  • Master’s thesis or other documents in proof of your research ability

List of possible research subjects

MEXT (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan) Scholarship

2021-06-16

Special Program for Graduate School of Environmental Science “Environmental Conservation Leaders for Post SDGs”

The International Priority Graduate Programs (IPGP)
Graduate School of Environmental Science (GSES) has conducted the International Priority Graduate Programs (IGBP) supported by the MEXT since 2015.

This program provides excellent foreign students with a good opportunity to learn and research environmental sciences in Japan, as well as with a scholarship and other supports.

Please visit GSES website for the latest information

2021 Public Lecture

2021-06-08

令和3年度公開講座 環境との調和: 化学を通して見える世界

パンフレット

公開講座開催にあたって

《北海道大学大学院地球環境科学研究院長 大 原  雅》

 化学は物質の成り立ちや性質を知る学問分野で,環境破壊,エネルギー問題,有害物質による健康被害など,私たちの前に立ちはだかる様々な問題を解決するための基盤です。物質は周りの環境と調和し,また外部からの刺激に応答するなど,それが置かれた環境の影響を強く受けるため,その理解は物質の成り立ちや性質を理解する上で極めて重要です。また,人をはじめとする生物は,化学物質を通じて他の種や環境と調和しながら生命を営んでいます。本講座では微小な世界で起きている現象を化学の視点から基礎的に理解し,さらに化学が地球規模の問題に対してどのように貢献し,今後,どのような貢献が期待できるのかについて,本大学院に所属する6名の教員が最新の研究成果を含めてわかりやすく解説します。今年は,初めてのオンライン講座ですが,多くの皆さまの受講をお待ちしています。

【公開講座要領】

  1. 開講時期  令和3年8月23日(月)~9月27日(月)(毎週月曜日※第5回のみ火曜日開催)
  2. 実施場所  オンラインで実施
  3. 受講資格  満18歳以上の方であればどなたでも受講できます。(学歴不問)
  4. 定  員  先着70名
  5. 受 講 料   無料
  6. 修了証書  全6回の開講のうち,4回以上受講した方には、最終講義終了時に修了証書を交付します。
  7. 主  催  北海道大学大学院地球環境科学研究院
  8. 後  援  札幌市教育委員会

【申込要領】

  1. 申込期間 令和3年7月9日(金)~7月21日(水)【必着】
  2. 申込先  北海道大学環境科学事務部教務担当

    〒060-0810 札幌市北区北10条西5丁目
    電話 (011) 706-2204
    E-Mail kyomu (at) ees.hokudai.ac.jp

  3. 申込手続   申し込みは,下記の手順を全て行うことで完了します。

    1.申込書【様式】をダウンロードしてご利用下さい.
    2.先着順(定員70名)に受講許可の通知を送付
    3.手続き完了

  4. 詳細は,パンフレット内「申込要領」を参照願います。

     

【その他】

  1. 本公開講座は、2021年度前期道民カレッジ連携講座(環境生活コース9単位)の指定を受けています。
  2. 本公開講座は特定の回のみの受講も可能ですので、希望される方は上記申込手続の「1申込み」の際にお申し出ください。
  3. 次回の講義資料はこちらからダウンロード願います。(9/24更新) 資料のパスワードは、受講者の皆様宛郵送しております、受講許可通知文に記載しています。

北海道大学大学院地球環境科学研究院 公開講座
《環境との調和:化学を通して見える世界》

 

  ※講義題目をクリックするとテキストが閲覧できます。(講義終了後に掲載します)

第1回 8月23日(月) 講師:触媒科学研究所 教授 大谷 文章
講義題目:「光触媒による環境浄化とエネルギー変換」

概  要:植物の光合成を考えてもわかるように光は生物が生きていくのに不可欠なものですが,太陽からふりそそぐ膨大な量の光は,環境浄化やエネルギー創出などの化学反応にも利用できます。代表例が光触媒反応です。すでに,日常生活のなかにも光触媒の応用製品がふえてきています。たとえば,ガラスや壁の光触媒コーティングや空気清浄機がそうです。これらは,光触媒反応によって屋外では汚れをふせぎ,室内では汚染空気を浄化や抗菌・抗ウイルス作用をしめします。また,光触媒によって水を分解し,燃料となる水素をとりだす研究も行われています。ここでは,これらの光触媒の基礎とその可能性についてやさしく解説します。

第2回 8月30日(月) 講師:大学院地球環境科学研究院 教授 小西 克明
講義題目:「プラスチック社会と環境」

概  要:プラスチックはポリ袋だけでなく家電製品,自動車など生活の隅々まで浸透していて,現代の社会で欠くことができない身近なものになっています。その一方で,有料レジ袋をはじめプラスチックの削減と再利用を促進する動きが高まるとともに,「マイクロプラスチック」「海洋プラスチック」という言葉がマスコミに頻繁に登場するようになりました。ここでは,科学的視点からプラスチックがどういうものか改めて理解し,国内外の現況ならびにサステナブル社会実現のための取組を解説します。

第3回 9月6日(月) 講師:大学院地球環境科学研究院 教授 小野田 晃
講義題目:「バイオテクノロジーによる環境調和」

概  要:地球の未来を見据えて持続可能(サステイナブル)な発展を続けるために,環境調和型技術としてバイオテクノロジーをより一層利用すべき時代を私たち人類は迎えています。今後は,汚染修復(レメディエーション)ではなく,汚染をひきおこさない製造プロセスと製品(プリベンション)を満たす技術が必要です。私の身の回りの物質の製造,資源,そして,環境浄化で活躍するバイオテクノロジーについて,最近の技術革新も交えて紹介します。

第4回 9月13日(月) 講師:大学院地球環境科学研究院 准教授 山田 幸司
講義題目:「環境にやさしい化学の光:LED,有機EL,蛍光,化学 発光」

概  要:省電力の観点から私たちの身の回りの照明は,白熱電球などからLEDや有機ELに 急速に切り替わりつつあります。これらの発光材料は化学の発展によって安価に大量生産することが可能になりました。また,人工的に生産される蛍光色素や化学発光色素も主にバイオテクノロジーの分野で活用されています。コロナ禍で話題となったPCRの技術などと組み合わせて医療の分野にも進出しつつあります。この講義ではこれらの技術に関わるノーベル賞級の研究との関わりについてお話致します。

第5回 9月21日(火) 講師:大学院地球環境科学研究院 准教授 梅澤 大樹
講義題目:「生物が生活のために利用する有機化合物」

概  要:私たち人類は,医薬品やプラスチックなど有機化合物を製造,利用して便利な生活を営んでいます。陸海,動植物問わず生物も,長い進化を通じて様々な有機化合物を見出し,作り,利用して生活を営んでいます。異性を誘引するフェロモンや外敵から身を守るための毒や防御物質などがよく知られています。これら有機化合物がどのような仕組みでそのような作用を発現させるかを理解することは,人類が持続可能な社会を営んでいくうえでとても参考になります。このような有機化合について紹介・解説するとともに,海洋生物の機能を模倣した私たちの研究についても紹介します。

第6回 9月27日(月) 講師:大学院地球環境科学研究院 准教授 加藤 優
講義題目:「水素エネルギー社会実現へ向けた燃料電池開発」

概  要:現代社会では石油や石炭などの化石燃料を燃焼することでエネルギーを得ることができますが,同時に排出される二酸化炭素の大気中濃度の上昇に伴う気候変動が問題となっています。化石燃料に代わる次世代燃料として,二酸化炭素を排出せずに,水とエネルギーを得ることができる水素(H2)が着目されています。水素をベースとしたクリーンかつ持続可能なエネルギー社会を実現させるためには,水素から発電する燃料電池の高効率化および低コスト化が水素必要不可欠です。本講演では,燃料電池の中でも家庭用燃料電池(エネファーム)や燃料電池車に搭載されている固体高分子形燃料電池の動作原理や最新の研究開発動向等を紹介します。

講義時間は,毎回18:00~19:30です。

※講師の都合により,講義日が変わる場合があります。

Special Grant Program for International Students (October 2021)

2021-06-04

Special Grant Program for International Students / Research Assistant Program of Graduate School of Environmental Science (October 2021)

This program will select students, who can likely contribute internationally in their research field, from those students applying to doctoral courses of Graduate School of Environmental Science.

It is very meaningful to participate in research as a Research Assistant (RA) for the development of your research ability. Each Research Assistant must serve to achieve the objective of a research subject directed by a faculty member of the Graduate School of Environmental Science. The research subjects are listed below.

 

Period

Maximum 3 years since the first year although the achievement of the objective must be evaluated each year by the committee of the faculty.

 

Qualifications of application (Eligibility):

Students (mainly from developing countries) who are going to seek admission to the doctor courses of Graduate School of Environmental Science.

 

Payment Exemption / RA Allowance:

Payment Exemption: Total amount of school fees are entirely covered by Hokkaido University (i.e., entrance exam fee of 30,000 yen, admission fee of 282,000 yen, and annual tuition fee of 535,800 yen for each of three years). RA Allowance (depending on the actual working time): Total: 3 million yen (1 million yen for each of three years)
Travel expenses of entrance exam should be paid by applicant.

 

Application Period

Until June 21 Monday, 2021

 

Application for the program:

Applicants are required to submit the documents listed below. The documents should not be written in a language other than English.

  1. Curriculum vitae with the applicant's photograph
  2. Academic transcript
  3. Graduation certificate
  4. List of publications and presentations in scientific meetings
  5. Research proposal
  6. Direction and comments of potential supervisor and at least one co-supervisor, including proofs of communication between you and the potential supervisors
  7. Master's thesis or other documents in proof of your research ability

 

Reference and address to apply

Kyoumu-Tantou
Graduate School of Environmental Science
Hokkaido University
Kita 10, Nishi 5, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-0810 Japan
E-mail: kyomu (at) ees.hokudai.ac.jp

 

List of possible research subjects (2021)

Title: Monitoring forest cover change due to typhoon/landslides using Geospatial data
Assistant Professor: Ram Avtar
Globally, the number of disasters are increasing dramatically. The main cause of this increase is the high frequency of extreme weather events. Typhoon and landslides are one of the catastrophic hazards affecting forest ecosystem. The impact of these hazards can be minimized using various management approaches. Geospatial data have a potential to monitor and assess forest damage and recovery after these hazards. The aim of this study is to apply geospatial and ground-based information to monitor forest cover changes. Successful candidate is required to have knowledge of geospatial data and tools to engage in relevant research.
 

EES seminar (研究院アワー)のお知らせ

2021-06-02

2021年4月に着任された富田 裕之准教授(地球圏科学専攻 大気海洋物理学・気
候力学コース担当)に,ご自身の研究について専門外の方にもわかりやすくお話
しいただきます。どなたでもお気軽にご参加ください。

Date & Time: 2021年6月17日(木) (June 17, 2021) 16:30ー17:30
Place: オンライン。接続URL: 
https://us04web.zoom.us/j/72833560593?pwd=WWNsRTBhdWV2S25Ub2NKVmRIMkZSUT09
(ミーティングID: 728 3356 0593  パスコード: LUWxq6)

Speaker:富田 裕之准教授(地球圏・大気海洋物理学分野)
 (Hiroyuki Tomita, Assoc. Prof., Div. Earth System Sci.)

Subject: 衛星観測に基づく海面熱フラックス推定と大気海洋相互作用研究
(Satellite-based estimation of ocean surface heat flux and air-sea interaction study)

Language: Japanese
Chair:堀之内 武  (Div. Earth System Sci.)

要旨:
大気と海洋は相互作用しながら気候システムを形成している。その相互作用の実態は大気海洋間においてエネルギーや物質が交換されることであり「海面フラックス」と呼ばれる。海面フラックスの定量的な把握と動態の理解は、複雑な大気海洋相互作用現象を紐解き、気候システムの理解につながる。本講演では、主に海面熱フラックス推定に関する全般的な問題について触れた後、特に演者が主導する人工衛星観測に基づく推定プロジェクト「J-OFURO」について概説しながら、関連して進められている大気海洋相互作用研究の成果を紹介する。最後に将来展望についても言及する。
 

English Program of Environmental Earth Science for Sustainable Society

2021-04-26

EPEES: English Program of Environmental Earth Science for a Sustainable Society (Graduate School of Environmental Science)

EPEES application period for the enrollment in October 2021 has ended.

Admission Requirements for the EPEES

Master’s Course applicants must:

  • have finished (or be expected to finish) 16 years of education by the month before the enrollment period;
  • hold a Bachelor’s degree in any field.

Doctoral Course applicants must:

  • have finished (or be expected to finish) 18 years of education by the month before the enrollment period;
  • hold a Master’s degree in any field.

Regular Admission

Regular entrance examination application documents should be submitted to the Academic Affairs Office by a designated deadline of each entrance examination. See the Graduate School of Environmental Science (GSES) website for details of the regular entrance examination: (https://www.ees.hokudai.ac.jp/?page_id=2720&lang=en)

Pre-arrival Admission

Several applicants may qualify for pre-arrival admission, which enables them to take entrance examinations in their own countries by using the equipment like the Zoom, Skype or Polycom meeting system if it is settled in their universities. If it is difficult to take the interview by using the equipment, there are some cases we cannot accept their applications. To apply for pre-arrival admission, submit the documents listed below for screening by May 12, 2021 by email (our office will be closed from May 1 through 5 during national holidays). If interested, contact the Academic Affairs Office of GSES before proceeding for further information.

1. Admission Application form with ID photo (the designated form must be used, and will be provided upon request. The photo should be taken on February 12, 2021 or later, 4 x 3 cm, upper body, facing forward with no headwear).

2. Curriculum Vitae (the designated form must be used, and will be provided upon request)

3. Graduation Certificate (or Certificate of Expected Graduation)

4. Academic Transcript

5. Copy of passport “face page”

6. For the Master’s ’s Course, a 1000-word essay on the reasons for the application and your research plan within the program

7. For the Doctoral Course, a 1500-word essay on the reasons for the application and your research plan within the program

8. Applicants should submit a copy of TOEFL, TOEIC or IELTS score sheet obtained within the last two years with the application.

Announcement of Pre-arrival Examination Candidates

Applicants selected as candidates for Pre-arrival Examination based on document screening will be notified by the beginning of July 2021 and should send all additional forms for the entrance examination. These forms must be submitted with the examination fee (JPY 30,000) by July 16, 2021 after receiving the notification.
* See the GSES website for details of the regular entrance examination.

Entrance Examination and Interviews in Candidates’ Own Countries

Entrance examinations and pre-arrival examination interviews may be held in candidates’ own countries by using the equipment like the Zoom, Skype or Polycom meeting system on a day designated individually. Information on exact dates, times and locations will be provided after screening. Interviewees will be asked about their Bachelor’s or Master’s thesis and future plans for study on the Master’s or Doctoral courses, respectively.

Enrollment without Pre-arrival Examination

Applicants not qualifying for pre-arrival Examination can take the regular entrance examination. Applications must be submitted by a designated deadline of each entrance examination.

Announcement of Successful Candidates

The final successful candidates will be announced on a designated day of notification of the result each entrance examination.

2021 JAPANESE GOVERNMENT SCHOLARSHIP FOR OVERSEAS RESEARCH STUDENTS

2021-02-02

2021 JAPANESE GOVERNMENT SCHOLARSHIP FOR OVERSEAS RESEARCH STUDENTS (UNIVERSITY-RECOMMENDED MEXT SCHOLARSHIP)〔Special Program for Graduate School of Environmental Science〕 “Environmental Conservation Leaders for Post SDGs”

2021 JAPANESE GOVERNMENT SCHOLARSHIP FOR OVERSEAS RESEARCH STUDENTS (UNIVERSITY-RECOMMENDED MEXT SCHOLARSHIP) application for the enrollment in October 2021 is currently being invited.

1. A number of Slots

3 for Master’s Course and 5 for Doctoral Course

2.Qualifications

1) Eligibility:

Overseas students with excellent academic records who newly come to Japan to study at master’s or doctoral level.

2) Language level/ability:

Those who satisfy at least one of the following conditions of English proficiency.

  1. Those who acquire B2 or higher level of CEFR or the equivalent grade/score on language test of the same level at the admittance to the regular courses.
  2. Those who completed educational curriculum to fulfill the requirement for admission to Master’s or Doctoral program at academic institute in Japan, with English-medium instruction.

3)Others

Please ask your prospective supervisors about other qualifications.

2. Required Documents

The following should be prepared by an applicant.

1) Form 5 Application Form(should be ORIGINAL)

2) Form 6 Field of Study and Study Program (hard copy)(should include
relevance of your research plan to SDGs
)

3) A passport-style photograph taken in the last 6 months, cut to 45mm x 35mm, upper body, full faced, uncapped. Write your name and nationality on the back. Adhere to your application form as advised, or insert an image in electronic format onto your application form. (should be ORIGINAL)

4) Proof of nationality (e.g. photocopied passport, family register or proof of citizenship) (hard copy)

5) Official academic transcript of the most recent degree issued by the university which the applicant is a graduate of (either an undergraduate or postgraduate degree) (hard copy)

6) Certificate of graduation, graduation letter or diploma of the most recent degree issued by the university which the applicant is a graduate of (either an undergraduate or postgraduate degree) (hard copy)

7) Record of high academic achievements earned at the most recent university which the applicant is a graduate of. (hard copy)

8) Letter of recommendation from the dean of the graduate school to which the applicant belongs, or someone in higher position, addressed to the president of Hokkaido University, Prof. Kiyohiro Houkin (hard copy)

9) Abstracts of thesis or academic papers (please provide brief summaries) (hard copy)

10) Objective evidence of eligibility of language proficiency described “Language level/ability”(incl. TOEFL/IELTS JLPT certificates) (hard copy)

11) Form 9 PLEDGE (should be ORIGINAL)

12) Form 7 Career plan (soft copy)

13) Recommendation letter from the supervisor of the graduate school to which the applicant belongs or the other faculty who knows the applicant very well. (hard copy)

Application Submission Deadline through a Prospective Supervisor

February 22, 2021
* Pleae submit all documents to a prospective supervisor.

Selection Notification Dates

The internal notification date: Late March 2021(tentative)
The final notification date: Late June 2021(tentative)

Admissions

If the scholarship application is accepted, applicants need to take entrance examination in August, 2021. They will start master’s or doctoral program in October, 2021. There will not be a research student period.
See the Graduate School website for details of the regular entrance examination. (https://www.ees.hokudai.ac.jp/?page_id=2724&lang=en)

Contact

The Academic Affairs Section, Graduate School of Environmental Science, Hokkaido University.
E-mail: kyomu@ees.hokudai.ac.jp
Kita 10, Nishi 5, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0810, Japan
Phone: +81-11-706-2205

Special Grant Program for International Students (April 2021)

2020-12-08

Special Grant Program for International Students / Research Assistant Program of Graduate School of Environmental Science (April 2021)

This program will select students, who can likely contribute internationally in their research field, from those students applying to doctoral courses of Graduate School of Environmental Science.

It is very meaningful to participate in research as a Research Assistant (RA) for the development of your research ability. Each Research Assistant must serve to achieve the objective of a research subject directed by a faculty member of the Graduate School of Environmental Science. The research subjects are listed below.

 

Period

Maximum 3 years since the first year although the achievement of the objective must be evaluated each year by the committee of the faculty.

 

Qualifications of application (Eligibility):

Students (mainly from developing countries) who are going to seek admission to the doctor courses of Graduate School of Environmental Science.

 

Payment Exemption / RA Allowance:

Payment Exemption: Total amount of school fees are entirely covered by Hokkaido University (i.e., entrance exam fee of 30,000 yen, admission fee of 282,000 yen, and annual tuition fee of 535,800 yen for each of three years). RA Allowance (depending on the actual working time): Total: 3 million yen (1 million yen for each of three years)
Travel expenses of entrance exam should be paid by applicant.

 

Application Period

Until December 21 Monday, 2020

 

Application for the program:

Applicants are required to submit the documents listed below. The documents should not be written in a language other than English.

  1. Curriculum vitae with the applicant's photograph
  2. Academic transcript
  3. Graduation certificate
  4. List of publications and presentations in scientific meetings
  5. Research proposal
  6. Direction and comments of potential supervisor and at least one co-supervisor, including proofs of communication between you and the potential supervisors
  7. Master's thesis or other documents in proof of your research ability

 

Reference and address to apply

Kyoumu-Tantou
Graduate School of Environmental Science
Hokkaido University
Kita 10, Nishi 5, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-0810 Japan
E-mail: kyomu (at) ees.hokudai.ac.jp

 

List of possible research subjects (2021)

Title: Response of tree populations to climatic conditions in forest ecosystems of Asia-Pacific region
Professor: Shin-ichiro Aiba
Clarifying the responses of forest and tree populations to climatic conditions is crucial to predict and mitigate the impact of global climate change on terrestrial ecosystems. For this purpose, this study analyzes the long-term monitoring data of forest plots in diverse environments in Asia-Pacific region. As climatic factors, we focus on temperature, rainfall and snowfall gradients, which are likely to change in a future warmer Earth. Successful applicants are required to have knowledge and skills of plant ecology of forest ecosystems.
 
Title: Land-atmosphere interaction in sub-seasonal to seasonal timescales
Associate Professor: Tomonori SATO
 
Atmospheric circulation is sensitive to the underlying land surface conditions, such as those reflecting natural variabilities (e.g., soil, snow, and ecosystem) and anthropogenic activities (e.g., land use and land cover changes). This project proposes to investigate the interaction between land and atmosphere, aiming to improve weather and climate predictions in sub-seasonal to seasonal timescales. The successful candidate will use global climate data and conduct climate model simulations. Hence, the background knowledge on atmospheric sciences and programming language is needed.
 
Title: Multi-sensor remote sensing techniques for sustainable plantation management
Assistant Professor: Ram Avtar
 
Geospatial data on plantation health acquired from multi-sensor remote sensing techniques provides valuable information for sustainable plantation management especially in the tropical region. Southeast Asia has a high rate of tropical forests conversion to various types of plantation such as oil palm, rubber and industrial forest where unsustainable practices possess adverse effects on the environment. Therefore, it is crucial to monitor the plantation area closely with the help of multi-sensor remote sensing and geospatial technologies. The study aims to investigate the role of multi-sensor remote sensing data and advanced InSAR and PolSAR techniques to monitor biophysical parameters of oil palm and industrial forest plantations. These techniques shall be able to provide information about plant's biophysical parameters such as height, density, biomass, age, and canopy cover etc. Successful candidates are required to have knowledge also experiences of multi-sensor remote sensing data processing and application in the plantation areas.
 

停電により9月10日(木) 15:00 〜 9月14日(月) 13:00の間、停止します

2020-09-09

北大の電気設備定期点検による全学停電のため、北大のネットワークは下記の日程で停止します。
それにともなって、環境科学院のサイトも停止します。

9月10日(木) 15:00 〜 9月14日(月) 13:00

利用者のみなさんにはご不便をおかけしますが、ご了承願います。

Web管理委員会

The cancellation of 2020 Public Lecture

2020-07-06

例年,8月から9月に開催しております大学院地球環境科学研究院公開講座は、
このたびのコロナウイルス感染症の影響を考慮し、令和2年度は開催を中止いたします。
開催をお待ちいただいていた皆様には大変残念なお知らせではございますが、
何卒ご了承くださいますようお願い申し上げます。

大学院地球環境科学研究院

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