DU delegation joins research symposium in Japan

A six-member delegation from the University of Dhaka (DU), led by Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Academic) Prof Abdus Salam, participated in an international symposium on chemical risk management and environmental protection at Ehime University in Japan from 6 to 8 October.

The JSPS Core-to-Core Symposium on One Health Approaches to Chemical Risk Management brought together researchers from Bangladesh, Japan, the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Mozambique and other countries to discuss research and strategies for protecting public health and ecosystems from chemical pollution.

The delegation included Prof Md Humayun Kabir, dean of the Faculty of Earth and Environmental Sciences; Prof Mohammad Mamun Chowdhury, chairman of the Department of Fisheries; Prof Anwar Hossain and Dr Md Habibullah-Al-Mamun of the Department of Fisheries; and Associate Professor KM Azam Chowdhury of the Department of Oceanography and director of the International Centre for Ocean Governance (ICOG).

The Centre for Marine Environmental Studies (CMES) at Ehime University organised the symposium, with Leading Academia in Marine and Environment Pollution Research (LaMer) as co-organiser and support from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS).

Prof Kozo Watanabe, deputy director of CMES and head of its Office for International and Social Cooperation, initiated the programme and chaired its organising committee.

The symposium focused on research priorities for sustainable development in South and Southeast Asia, particularly ways to reduce the environmental impact of chemicals used in medicine, agriculture, aquaculture and animal husbandry while safeguarding public health and livelihoods.

Participants took part in oral and poster presentations, plenary sessions and special talks.

During the first oral session, Prof Abdus Salam presented an overview of air quality in Bangladesh, discussing its status, sources and effects on human health.

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Prof Humayun Kabir presented a poster on fire hazards associated with chemical warehouses in the Dhaka South City Corporation area.

Prof Mamun Chowdhury presented research on the effects of dietary selenium and zinc nanoparticles on the growth of pangasius in Bangladesh.

Prof Anwar Hossain discussed antibiotic contamination and antimicrobial resistance in Bangladesh's aquatic environments, outlining strategies to mitigate the associated risks.

Meanwhile, Dr KM Azam Chowdhury presented a poster on seasonal variations in dissolved oxygen dynamics and the oxygen minimum zone in the northern Bay of Bengal, based on a study combining modelling and observational data.

Alongside the symposium, ICOG and CMES held a bilateral meeting on 8 October to explore opportunities for academic cooperation and joint research.

Prof Abdus Salam led the meeting, while Prof Xinyu Guo represented CMES. Prof Akihiko Morimoto, director of CMES, also attended.

Dr KM Azam Chowdhury presented ICOG's research activities at the meeting. Prof Abdus Salam emphasised the importance of strengthening ocean research, modelling and forecasting, expressing hope for collaboration with CMES in these areas.

He also highlighted the relevance of CMES's work on physical-ecosystem interactions and pollution-coupling models to the development of Bangladesh's blue economy.

The marine research of Prof Morimoto was also identified as valuable for advancing the country's marine sector.

The two sides exchanged crests and discussed future academic exchanges and joint research initiatives. They also agreed to move forward with a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the University of Dhaka and Ehime University.

The proposed agreement is expected to be signed soon under the supervision of DU Vice-Chancellor Prof ABM Obaidul Islam.

Both sides expressed hope that the MoU would create new opportunities for collaborative research, faculty and student exchanges, and capacity building in marine science, environmental monitoring and public health.