Presentation Award in Grand Renewable Energy 2022 Area 4 Innovative Bioclimatic Architecture

https://www.renewableenergy.jp/council/gre2022/common/date/Honorable_Award_List.pdf?update=202212261230

The ROK-Mekong Youth Group Workshop is organized by the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs for young people in the Mekong region to commemorate the ROK-Mekong Exchange Year. The event was held in South Korea from 17-19 August 2022. 12 students representing Korea and 5 Mekong countries, namely Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar, were selected to participate in the program.

This is the first year that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea has organized a workshop with the hope that the youth of Korea and the five Mekong countries will have the opportunity to experience, study and discuss together to propose solutions for the development of the Mekong region.

Within the framework of the program, the delegation visited the Korea-Mekong Cooperation Research Center for Water Resources Management at Daejeon headquarters of K-Water, Korea Water Resources Corporation; Sejong Smart City. In particular, the members were divided into 3 small groups to discuss and come up with their own ideas and solutions to develop the Mekong region, with the support of Korea.

[http://rok-mekong-youth-group.com/]

From August 1st to 3rd, 2022, Amin attended the IAEE International Conference which took place at GRIPS in Tokyo. Amin presented one of his recent research works. The presented study investigated the effects of the COVID-19 lockdowns on the energy expenditure of college students living independently in Japan. The research was conducted by surveying student households and assessing their attitudes, practices, and energy expenditure during the lockdowns. The study aimed to evaluate the energy poverty rate among the student population, and whether there was a difference in energy poverty rates between Japanese and non-Japanese students. The results showed that the lockdowns led to an increase in energy expenditure for many households, which resulted in financial difficulties for some. The study found that the mean energy poverty rate among student households was equal to the energy poverty threshold. Additionally, the study showed that Japanese students experienced higher energy poverty rates compared to non-Japanese students. Overall, the study provides valuable insights into the impact of COVID-19 on vulnerable households and highlights the importance of addressing energy poverty in Japan. This conference was one of the first since the spread of COVID-19 in which many experts from all around the world attended in person. It was a great opportunity to lead about other topics related to energy, and get acquainted with many researchers in the field.

I joined the United Nations World Food Programme for my internship in October - December 2022, in Tajikistan. 

To summarize, during my internship at the WFP Tajikistan Country Office in Dushanbe, I utilized my skills and knowledge to provide support to all the units within the Country Office as well as the Field Offices in Khujand, Khorugh, Bokhtar, and Gharm. 

While WFP's primary goal is to eradicate hunger and achieve SDG 2, it also emphasizes the importance of sustainable projects to ensure that these goals are met for generations to come. During my internship at WFP, I had the opportunity to work under the guidance of the head of the Programme division and was assigned to the Climate Change and Resilience Building (CCARB) unit. I consider myself fortunate to have learned from some of the most dedicated professionals in the field, and to have been involved in several different tasks. Through this experience, I was able to witness firsthand the leadership role that WFP plays in some of the most challenging environments.

Meanwhile, working with the 'Research, Assessment and Monitoring' unit (RAM) and the 'School Feeding Programme' unit (SFP) had a special meaning for me, as it gave me the opportunity to personally interact with children who were beneficiaries of WFP's aid. Witnessing firsthand the positive impact that the UN was making on these children's lives held a special place in my heart. 

I also took part in a video by the UN WFP to promote days of activism against gender based violence: https://www.facebook.com/WFPTajikistan/videos/845307626739428 

This internship was supported by Tokyo Tech Academy for Leadership (ToTAL), which is a dedicated leadership program that graduate students can enroll in at the Tokyo Tech Academy for Leadership (ToTAL). I joined ToTAL in 2018, and this internship also satisfied the requirements of 4 credits of ‘Off-campus project’.

During the 2nd Energy & Informatics International Forum, I presented my research on "Assessment of Rooftop Solar Photovoltaic Potential based on Machine Learning and GIS Spatial Analysis in Bangkok, Thailand" and collaborated with a group of students on the “Clean Energy Service StartUp project". This experience enhanced my public speaking and international communication skills, and I found it to be a worthwhile opportunity.

Participating in the conference allowed me to attend several lectures on energy science, Machine Learning, and Artificial Intelligence, such as "Real-time distributed and personalized learning with applications to energy" from Prof. Anthony Kuh of the University of Hawaii and "Plasma aided combustion and green manufacturing" from Prof. Yiguang Ju of Princeton University. This exposure to new knowledge and skills, particularly the applications of ICT towards energy issues, is essential for our sustainable energy future.

Additionally, I engaged in discussions with speakers and mentors, which deepened my insight into renewable energy potential assessment and energy policy. The technical tour session at the solar PV and windmill site in Hawaii provided me with practical knowledge, including feasibility studies and environmental impact assessments for renewable energy projects. Overall, this conference provided me with a valuable opportunity to present my work, learn about the work of people in a similar research field, and acquire new perspectives on the advancements and challenges in the energy sector.

In August 2022, I made a presentation titled “Estimation of the Potential for PV Installation in Non-Residential Buildings in Japan” for the IAEE conference held at GRIPs (National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies), and ICAE conference in Japan. 

It was my first face-to-face research presentation and my first international conference, so I practiced presentations and Q&A sessions a lot. I also joined a banquet, which was a very valuable experience.

In January 2022, I have been appointed a voluntary governmental role as a member in the UAE National Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Youth Council. 

In this program, I get the opportunity to participate in decision making, policies, collaborations, youth empowerment, research and implementation of initiatives that support in achieving all the 17 Sustainable Development Goals in the UAE and the world by 2030. 

Initiatives Examples:

Promoting funding in government and non-government business incubators and accelerators for start-ups related to the SDGs.

Supporting university students all over UAE to do undergraduate and graduate research that can serve the SDGs. 

Increasing Private Sector Engagement in supporting SDGs. 

Teaching young kids about the SDGs 

Collaborating with other countries' youth to exchange experience on the SDGs

I am passionate about sustainable development and I want to contribute as much as I could to support reaching a greener world. 

I'm really interested in the Japanese culture which is why I started training for Chado (Japanese Tea Ceremony) at the famous Japanese school of chado "Urasenke." I was blessed to have been given the opportunity later to be one of the exhibitors for INPEX Corporation /Japan Oil Development Co Ltd  (INPEX/JODCO) at Abu Dhabi International Hunting & Equestrian Exhibition (ADIHEX). It was amazing to see so many visitors interested in the Japanese culture where several parts of it was exhibited at the booth. 

That year’s exhibition was special as it commemorates the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relations between the UAE and Japan!

I enjoyed telling visitors about “Chado” (the way of tea) which refer to the Japanese tea ceremony. It was lovely to have them enjoy a heartwarming time over a bowl of matcha tea.

I have a belief that the different cultures in each part of the world is one of the reasons that makes this world beautiful and is one of the enablers for peace! Cultures bring people together and creates respect and harmony even when we have vast differences.

This photo shows Ms. Mako Mizuno in the middle (entered the Ministry of the Environment just after her graduation in 2022), Mr. Hiroto Takagi (right), who is seconded from PCKK to the Ministry of the Environment (graduated in 2018), and Dr. Kawamata (Tokimatsu's high school classmate) who are appointed as their common boss. I felt a miracle that these three people were working together in this way in the same place. I wish some students follow them in the future.

こちらの写真は、真ん中が水野眞子さん（2022年卒業と同時に環境省入省）、右がPCKKから環境省に出向中の髙木寛人（2018年卒業）、左は二人の上司（課長）に相当する川又さん（時松の高校のクラスメート）。この3人が同じ場所でこうして一緒に仕事をしている奇跡を感じました。後進にも続いて欲しいところです。

時松先生

ご無沙汰しております。水野＠COP27出張中です。こちらは本日COP27の延長日、エジプト時間15時をまわったところです。

延長日、会場も閑散としている中ですがやっと、役割の異なる3名のタイミングがあい、集合写真を撮ることができましたのでお送りいたします。

当方の入省前から時松先生につなげていただいたお二方と、環境省というだけでなくCOP会場でも再集結でき、感慨深い思いでいっぱいです。

一先ずは、無事に日本に生きて帰ることを目標に、残り少し頑張ってまいります。