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.
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.
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.
Curriculum vitae with the applicant’s photograph
Academic transcripts
Graduation certificate
A list of publications and presentations in scientific meetings
A 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
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.
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) 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)
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
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。
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.
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.
Curriculum vitae with the applicant’s photograph
Academic transcripts
Graduation certificate
A list of publications and presentations in scientific meetings
A 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
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.
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.
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 / 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.
Curriculum vitae with the applicant’s photograph
Academic transcripts
Graduation certificate
A list of publications and presentations in scientific meetings
A 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
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.
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.
Molecular separation is one of the most energy-intensive industrial processes, primarily due to the inadequate efficacy of current separation methods. This issue becomes critical when it comes to large polymeric compounds. Our group has been focusing on developing new technologies for separating polymers using crystalline nanoporous media, metal–organic frameworks (MOFs). We recently made a discovery that MOFs can adsorb polymers in their nanopores. During the adsorption process, even the slightest differences in polymer structures are recognized, enabling highly precise polymer separation. This has allowed us to distinguish the differences in terminal groups, topology, and even monomer sequences of polymers, which were previously impossible using conventional methods.
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.
Curriculum vitae with the applicant’s photograph
Academic transcripts
Graduation certificate
A list of publications and presentations in scientific meetings
A 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
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.
We will have an EES seminar on 5/16 at 10:30~12:00 as follows. We look forward to your participation.
日時（Date＆time）: 5/16 10:30~12:00
場所（Room）: D201
演者（Presenter）: Dr Andrea S. Griffin（University of Newcastle, Australia）
講演タイトル（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
要旨（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.
演者略歴（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 (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) 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)
(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 / 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.
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
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
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
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.
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.
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
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
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.
【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。
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.
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.
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.
EESセミナーポスター
