Opening Ceremony of the Kyoto University On-Site Laboratory
“International Research Laboratory for Earthquake and Tsunami Risk Cognition and Reduction (iLETs)” at the National Autonomous University of Mexico
To commemorate the launch of the Kyoto University On-Site Laboratory, “International Research Laboratory for Earthquake and Tsunami Risk Cognition and Reduction (iLETs),” an opening ceremony was held at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) on November 29, 2024. The establishment of iLETs was officially approved by Kyoto University in September 2024, marking a new phase in international research collaboration. The laboratory is jointly operated at both UNAM and the Disaster Prevention Research Institute (DPRI) of Kyoto University, facilitating researcher exchanges and fostering long-term cooperation between Japan and Mexico.
The ceremony was attended by distinguished guests from both institutions and government agencies. Representing UNAM were Jose Luis Macias Vazquez, Director of the Institute of Geophysics, and Javier Gomez Castellanos, Research Coordinator of the School of Engineering. Officials from Japan and Mexico also joined the event, including Kozo Honsei, Ambassador of Japan to Mexico; Chiaki Kobayashi, Director General of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Mexico Office; Enrique Guevara Ortiz, Director General of the National Disaster Prevention Center (CENAPRED); and Jose Alfredo Galvan Corona, Director General of Project Operations at the Mexican Agency for International Development Cooperation (AMEXCID), under the Secretary of Foreign Affairs. Kyoto University was represented by Yasuyuki Kono, Vice-President for International Strategy, and Tomoharu Hori, Director of DPRI.
Following the opening ceremony, a symposium was held to reflect on past research collaborations and explore future research opportunities. Director Tomoharu Hori delivered opening remarks, followed by presentations from key researchers, including Associate Professor Yoshihiro Ito and Assistant Professor Genta Nakano (DPRI, Kyoto University), as well as Professor Victor Cruz-Atienza and Associate Professor Josue Tago Pacheco (UNAM). They provided an overview of the long-standing collaborative research between UNAM and Kyoto University, which dates back to the 1990s, and expressed their commitment to advancing research on earthquake and tsunami disaster science through iLETs.
The symposium also served as a platform to expand collaboration with other Latin American countries. Invited speakers Ana Milena Prada Uribe (Sub-director of the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management, Colombia), Marino Protti Quesada (National University of Costa Rica), Miguel Angel Hernandez Martinez (El Salvador University), and Marina Manea (UNAM) introduced their respective research activities and discussed potential avenues for future international cooperation.
Through the establishment of iLETs, Kyoto University and UNAM aim to strengthen international research partnerships and contribute to global disaster risk reduction efforts, particularly in subduction zone regions prone to megathrust earthquakes and tsunamis. The laboratory will serve as a hub for interdisciplinary research, researcher exchanges, and joint initiatives with Latin American countries, further enhancing knowledge and preparedness for seismic hazards.
