It is my great pleasure to participate in the International Institute of
Seismology and Earthquake Engineering (IISEE) and to have an opportunity to
make contact with many stakeholders in the world. Since my last task was
coordinator of the Disaster Management Planning Hyogo Office of the United
Nations Centre for Regional Development (UNCRD), I’m deeply impressed that
global earthquake safety became a pressing need under rapid development in
many regions/cities.

Looking back on the history of international training course, it was
established in 1960 based on a discussion and common recognition to provide
training for young researchers of developing countries at the 2nd World
Conference on Earthquake Engineering (WCEE) held in Tokyo. The University of
Tokyo hosted the first training and the Japanese Government
established IISEE at the Building Research Institute (BRI) to carry out the
training from January 1962. Almost 1,500 trainees from 96 countries /regions
have studied in IISEE training courses.

The role of IISEE has been expanding in line with the intention of the
founders. The International Platforms for Reducing Earthquake Disaster
(IPRED) through buildings and housing was currently created with UNESCO as a
global network of research and training as well as an international back-up
system to cooperate each other in case of a huge disaster. (In total 8
countries join as of April 2010.) In addition, the cooperative efforts of
GRIPS and JICA make possible to provide master degree to the graduate
students in the 1 year training course since 2006.

I very much appreciate efforts and understanding of all stakeholders so far
and I would like to ask your continuous supports and considerations to the
participants from all over the world as well as new activities of IISEE that
aim at providing broader opportunities to many countries /regions for
sustainable society through knowledge on seismology and earthquake resistant
buildings and constructions.

Lastly I would like to introduce an effort by Yuji Ishiyama, Anand Arya and
Teddy Boen who created an IAEE guideline for non-engineered construction in
1986. They are trying to revise the guideline and asking your opinion as
indicated in the bottom right of the IISEE web-site.(see IISEE web
https://iisee.kenken.go.jp/en )


Shoichi ANDO,
Director of IISEE, BRI

As of August 1, I was transferred from Director of the IISEE to Research
Coordinator of the BRI
after four years and four months' service. Since I had joined the IISEE
on Oct. 1984, I worked at the IISEE more than a quarter of a century,
which exceeds a half of history of the IISEE established on Jan. 1962.
During last 26 years, I met about 940 IISEE participants including about
540 Regular-Course participants. I could meet many of you again at
international meetings and other opportunities. I appreciate their
hospitality during them. They treated me as a VIP. Although I left the
IISEE,
I'm still in the BRI as a Research Coordinator for Building Technology.
Since one of my duties is to give advise to the IISEE, I'm still involved
in the IISEE training programs.
I'm looking forward to seeing you again in near future.


Nobuo HURUKAWA,
Former Director of IISEE, BRI