Activity Report of Open Application Program 2024 vol.2 (Course B)
Joint research program with Universiti Teknologi Malaysia and Malaysia-Japan International Institute of Technology
Report from University of Tsukuba
From September 8 to 17, 2024, nine students (six graduate students, one postdoctoral researcher, and two faculty members) from Malaysia-Japan International Institute of Technology (MJIIT), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) were invited to Japan under the B. Joint Research Activities Course program. Associate Professor MAEDA Yoshiaki (Institute of Life and Environmental Sciences), who belongs to Joint Master's Degree Program in Sustainability and Environmental Sciences (JMSES) between the University of Tsukuba and MJIIT, was in charge of the overall program design and coordination.
Due to climate change, Malaysia in recent years has been facing serious disaster and environmental problems that did not occur in the past. One of these problems is soil runoff and water pollution caused by landslides triggered by heavy rainfall. Once a landslide occurs and vegetation on a mountainside disappears, rainwater concentrates on the slope where soil is exposed, causing the landslide to recur. To solve this issue, the University of Tsukuba and MJIIT have conducted joint research on Biological Soil Crust (BSC) technology, which prevents landslides by applying microalgae biomass to the exposed soil to promote plant growth. In this program, students and young researchers from MJIIT were invited to Japan for practical training in microalgae experiments, laboratory visits, exchanges with Tsukuba University students, and visits to companies to stimulate international joint research between the University of Tsukuba and MJIIT.
The first day of the program was a travel day. The second day consisted of lectures on microalgae and BSC technology, as well as discussions on social implementation of microalgae industry. This was followed by an opinion exchange meeting with halal foods, which deepened exchanges among students, young researchers, and faculty members.
On the third day, the invitees practiced cultivation and monitoring the growth of microalgae, and on the fourth day, they visited Lake Kasumigaura, which used to be heavily polluted by microalgae (cyanobacteria), and then visited the Central Research Institute of Nippon Koei Co. Subsequently, they returned to the University of Tsukuba to learn microalgae isolation techniques using glass micropipettes prepared by themselves.
On the fifth and sixth days, the invitees and the University of Tsukuba students held discussions on the importance of international joint research in environmental sciences. Through these discussions, the invitees learned the importance a broad perspective in solving environmental problems. In addition, the invitees visited the laboratories of faculty members in JMSES at the University of Tsukuba, where they were exposed to cutting-edge research. The invitees were excited by visiting the actual international collaborative research sites. On the seventh day, the invitees visited the Geological Museum in the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), and Sakura Minka-en, a 200-year-old traditional Japanese house in Tsukuba City, to learn about advanced science and Japanese culture. The eighth day was the last day of the program in Tsukuba City, and a presentation was held to report on the growth curves of microalgae and impressions of the program. The invitees appreciated the opportunity to learn disaster prevention, water quality improvement, and microalgae from multiple perspectives in the unique academic city.
The ninth day was a travel day to Tokyo, and on the tenth day, they visited the headquarters of Euglena Co., Ltd. which develops a wide variety of products from euglena algae, a type of microalgae.
After the invitation, we were able to strengthen the cooperative relationship between the University of Tsukuba and MJIIT in this research field. In September 2024, the University of Tsukuba became the first Japanese national university to open an overseas branch campus in Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia. In such circumstance, we hope to solidify our cooperative relationship with MJIIT, which is also located in Kuala Lumpur, and to continue to develop mutually through active joint research and personnel exchange.
[Contact information]
MAEDA Yoshiaki, Associate Professor of Institute of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba
maeda.yoshiaki.ff<at>u.tsukuba.ac.jp (Please replace