Kyudai News No26 page 22/28

Description:
Kyudai News No26

Researchers from Throughout the World 21 Kyudai News No.26 IOd like to start by asking about your background.When I was an undergraduate student at the Indian Institute ofTechnology (IIT), Madras, India, I was looking foropportunities to do research on earthquake engineering, andJapan is certainly the best place for that. I, therefore, came toJapan and completed my master's and PhD in GeotechnicalEarthquake Engineering at Nagoya University.After my Ph.D., I joined a specialized construction ?rm ofGeotechnology in Tokyo for few years. I also worked at the Portand Harbor Research Institute, a premier government researchinstitute, before coming back to academics. us, I got veryunique experiences of working in three di?erent sectors, Privatesector, Academia and Public sector, the so-calledSAN-GAKU-KAN.Please tell us about your job and responsibilities?Besides research and various other administrative andmanagerial duties, I currently teach at School of Engineering,Graduate school of Engineering as well as undergraduatecourses for international students at Faculty of Arts and Science.My responsibilities also include promoting Kyushu University inother countries, which I ?nd quite challenging in terms ofconvincing the young students of another culture andbackground to come, try and develop their career in Japan.However I believe, in the long term, it will bear fruit towardsthe reputation management of Kyushu University.Can you tell us about your research?Developing techniques that can reconcile both disasters andenvironmental sustainability is my research motto.No structures including buildings, roads, bridges and coastalfacilities can be safely built without the knowledge ofGeotechnical Engineering since they all rest on the ground. InJapan, there are many geotechnical natural-disasters such asrain-induced landslides, earthquakes and tsunami. My research,thus, encompasses how to protect human lives, properties andsocial infrastructures during those disasters by improving thefoundations of various structures, so that they can be resilientagainst natural disaster.In the aftermath of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake,within two weeks of the disaster, I visited the Tohoku arealeading a group of researchers and engineers from Kyushu areafor conducting the Geotechnical related survey of the disastera?ected areas. My current research, thus, also focuses on thetechniques of reconstruction in Tohoku area, and developingnew disaster mitigation technology for geotechnical structuresagainst future predicted disasters such as the Nankai troughearthquake and the associated tsunami.How do you find your life at Kyushu University and inJapan? Is there anything that excited you?Living in Japan for more than twenty years, Fukuoka is now mysecond home. Warm and internationally minded people, lovelyfood, comfortable climate and compact and convenient nature ofFukuoka appeal me more than any other cities in Japan that Ilived so far (from North to South of Japan).Working in Kyushu University through great cooperation frommy colleagues, faculty members and administrative sta? have allbeen rewarding experiences for me. I have also many friends inFukuoka, who have always been a source of inspiration of my lifeand work.Please tell us about your future research/educationalactivities plans and vision?My immediate goal is to help accelerating theinternationalization of Kyushu University’s research andeducation.In education front, the new International Education Program inKyushu University that is going to start from 2017 academic yearis expected to be the toughest challenge for me. Being part ofthe ongoing International Undergraduate Program in English(IUPE) of Kyushu University since its inception, I hope toutilize those experiences in contributing towards theinternationalization program of Kyushu University.In research front, my vision is to bridge the gap betweenacademia and industry by involving with more industry speci?cand society oriented research. I would also like to enhance mycontribution towards other Asian countries’ development inresearch and education through my continued involvement withvarious governmental and non-governmental projects.Hemanta Hazarika (India)Professor, Faculty of Engineering