Welcome

The twenty-first century has dawned to fears that human life will soon be threatened on a global scale if pressure on the earth’s limited resources continues to increase. In 2001, Kyoto University pledged itself to the pursuit of ‘harmonious coexistence within human and ecological community on this planet’. The pertinence of this mission statement should lend meaning to this symposium’s proceedings: it is more than ever vital that Asia’s academics pool essential knowledge common to the region and search for feasible policies and actions that can be shared across national boundaries.
At this critical juncture in human history, Kyoto University’s seven Centers of Excellence (COEs) jointly organize this symposium as a first step to integrate their activities in accordance with the university’s mission statement. All speakers are committed to sharing their most recent discoveries in the pure natural sciences, state-ofthe- art technologies and social sciences in the interests of furthering cooperation with Kyoto University’s partners in Asia. Topics will include issues on natural disaster, bio-diversity, energy, food, and urban environment. In line with the mission statement, discussions will be guided by one of two general themes: 1) the search for a more sustainable mode of coexistence between nature and humans; or 2) a reappraisal of the relationship between humans and their ‘man-made’ environment.
One year ago, at this same venue in Bangkok, Kyoto University held a symposium on “Coexistence with Nature in a ‘Glocalizing’ World”. The symposium provided a forum for the discussion of field studies carried out across Asia and Africa. This year’s symposium builds on last year’s attainments by promoting as a common goal a more civilized and sustainable role for science and technology within the human and ecological community in Asia.