On Sept. 17, 2009, a delegation of six persons from IRTCES headed by Prof. Dr. HU Chunhong, Secretary General and Deputy Director of the International Research and Training Center on Erosion and Sedimentation (IRTCES) visited the International Centre for Water Hazard and Risk Management (ICHARM) at Tsukuba, Japan. The signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between IRTCES and ICHARM was held. Prof. Dr. HU Chunhong, Secretary General of IRTCES and Prof. Kuniyoshi Takeuchi, Director of ICHARM, signed the MoU representing both sides. Both IRTCES and ICHARM are water-related category Ⅱ centers under the auspices of the UNESCO, focusing on scientific research, information exchange and technology cooperation, training and consultant services in the fields of soil erosion and river sedimentation, water hazard and risk management, respectively. The signing MoU between two centers will open a new page for the cooperation and exchanges between two sides.

In the signing ceremony, Prof. HU Chunhong appraised that ICHARM has carried out lots of meaningful activities, made great influences in the world within a short period of 3 years after its establishment and developed very quickly, and there is much IRTCES could learn from ICHARM. Prof. Kuniyoshi Takeuchi said that IRTCES is the first water-related category Ⅱ center under the auspices of the UNESCO, and IRTCES has gained lots of successful experiences during its 25 years’ development. IRTCES is like an elder brother of ICHARM, and ICHARM should learn from IRTCES. Both sides considered the signing MOU as a good chance to further strengthen scientific research, information exchange and technology cooperation, deepen traditional friendship, and make great contributions together to the UNESCO’s Millennium Development Goals and to the sustainable development of global water resources within the frame of UNESCO-IHP.

Before the signing ceremony, Dr. Tadahiko Sakamoto, Chief Executive of Public Works Research Institute (PWRI) and Executive of ICHARM meet with delegation from IRTCES. Dr. Mr. T. Sakamoto highly appraised the achievements made by IRTCES and great international influences of IRTCES. Prof. HU Chunhong expressed his sincere gratitude to the warm welcome from Dr. T. Sakamoto, and he pointed out that the two centers has similar organizational structures, there are many things to learn from each other, and he hopes to further strengthen cooperation between IRTCES and ICHARM and to seek mutual development, on the basis of strengthening cooperation between PWRI and China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research (IWHR). After the signing ceremony of MOU, a friendly meeting was held. Some mutual understanding such as visit from each other, joint research, jointly organizing international conferences and training courses, technology exchanges and training of staffs from each other, was gained. (by ZHANG Yanjing, IRTCES)

Dr. T. Sakamoto, Chief Executive of PWRI and Executive of ICHARM meet with delegation from IRTCES headed by Prof. HU Chunhong, Secretary General and Deputy Director of the IRTCES

Signing MoU by representatives from both sides

Documents exchange
 

Group photo at the signing ceremony