On December 7, Gerd Friedsam, President of the German Federal Agency for Technical Relief (Bundesanstalt Technisches Hilfswerk: THW), visited Tohoku University and paid a courtesy call on President Ohno.
President Ohno began by expressing his appreciation for the rapid assistance THW provided following the Great East Japan Earthquake. He then introduced initiatives being carried out at Tohoku University with respect to disaster prevention and mitigation, including the establishment of an international standard BOSAI ISO for disaster prevention. President Ohno also spoke about the development of robots for use in disaster-affected areas and aspects of the Tohoku University Green Goals Initiative that are supporting reconstruction following the earthquake and tsunami.
President Friedsam spoke about the widespread flooding that occurred in Germany last year, and stated that following a disaster, it is important not only to restore infrastructure but also people’s trust and to improve the resilience of the areas that were affected. He expressed his desire to use the kind of advanced technology and products that are being developed in Japan in the fields of disaster science and disaster prevention.
President Ohno spoke about the university’s support systems for start-ups and introduced its efforts to further the implementing of research results into society, stating that in order to realize a resilient society, what is necessary is a comprehensive approach in which there is no distinction between the work carried out by universities and industry.
President Ohno and President Friedsam ended their meeting by agreeing on the importance of promoting cooperation through projects.
Following their meeting with the president, President Friedsam and his party met with a group of professors, were taken to see Professor Tadokoro’s research on robots, and visited the International Research Institute of Disaster Science.
In this group photograph are (L-R): Executive Vice President Keiichi Sasaki, Professor Kazuya Yoshida, Executive Vice President Toshiya Ueki, President Hideo Ohno, President Gerd Friedsam, Ms. Tiina Ristmäe, Mr. Rene Du Bois, and Professor Satoshi Tadokoro.
President Ohno and President Friedsam exchanged gifts after their meeting
Contact:
Tohoku University Global Engagement Division
Tel: +81 22 217-5578
Email：kokusai-k@grp.tohoku.ac.jp