Tohoku University: UCL Researchers Visit Tohoku University for Field Research and Strengthening Collaboration

Two researchers from the University of College London (UCL) paid a visit to Tohoku University’s International Research Institute of Disaster Science (IRIDeS) as part of a joint research initiative.

David Alexander, from UCL’s Institute for Risk and Disaster Reduction, and Gianluca Pescaroli, an expert in business continuity planning, visited from May 31 to June 5.

UCL and Tohoku University have been working on a COVID-19 project, which aims to improve the international mobility of people despite limitations on travel during the pandemic. The two universities have organized exchange activities, written joint papers, and held online meetings and symposia.

Alexander and Pescaroli went to Fukushima, Miyagi and Iwate prefectures to gain further understanding of the nuclear power situation in the region, as well as see the reconstruction efforts following the Great East Japan Earthquake. They had their eyes peeled for any lessons that can be applied to the future energy challenges stemming from global warning and global conflicts, such as the one in Ukraine.


As part of their visit, the pair met with Tohoku University Executive Vice President Toshiya Ueki, Vice President Masahiro Yamaguchi, IRIDeS Director Fumihiko Imamura, and Shunichi Koshimura from the Co-Creation Center for Disaster Resilience. They discussed further joint research and international collaboration.

During their talks, they also spoke of their desire to broaden collaboration between UCL and Tohoku University through collaborative research. In doing so, they hope to tackle the diverse array of international challenges, such as global warming, conflicts, and natural disasters.