Welcome Message

I am delighted to inform everyone that the 6th International Conference on Urban Earthquake Engineering is to take place in Tokyo on March 3rd and 4th, 2009.  The conference has been held annually since fiscal year 2003, under two consecutive Center of Excellence (COE) programs headquartered at the Center for Urban Earthquake Engineering (CUEE) here at Tokyo Tech.  They are the 21st Century COE program entitled “Evolution of Urban Earthquake Engineering” (FY 2003-2007) and the newly established Global COE program entitled “International Urban Earthquake Engineering Center for Mitigating Seismic Mega Risk” launched in fiscal year 2008.

Our new G-COE program aims not only to promote research to mitigate the seismic mega risk confronting vast modern cities in earthquake regions throughout the world but also to foster the next generation whom we expect to develop new strategies and practices for putting appropriate technologies in place to mitigate these seismic risks in terms of a global reach.  This new G-COE program will continue to stimulate intensive information dissemination and technology transfer, as well as to promote and maintain an international network directed to young researchers through a sustained international collaborative effort and frequent gatherings.

With our renewed aims in mind, the Sixth Conference offers a platform not only to share common interests and new information and technologies in the field of Urban Earthquake Engineering but also to disseminate our research and educational outcomes and to implement a strengthened worldwide network for Earthquake Engineering.  The Conference is to feature state-of-the-art technical presentations on various themes relevant to Urban Earthquake Engineering.  Both oral and poster presentations are planned, with the participation of scientists, engineers, researchers, and planners of divers generations, including both younger researchers as well as graduate students.  Our hope is that the forthcoming Sixth Conference in March will be an excellent opportunity for all of us dedicated to Urban Earthquake Engineering. 

We cordially invite you to participate in the conference and look forward to meeting you in Tokyo in March 2009.

Kohji Tokimatsu
Global COE Program Leader and
Director of CUEE
Tokyo Tech