Message from the Director
I am delighted to commemorate the formation of the Global Research centre for Advanced Sustainability Science (GRASS) on April 1, 2023. GRASS has emerged through the reorganization of the Center for Far Eastern Studies (CFES), University of Toyama, representing a significant milestone in our pursuit of sustainability. Originally founded CFES, established in April 2001, was dedicated to conducting research in the Northeast Asia region, with the aim of contributing to the realization of a sustainable society that harmonizes the three dimensions of economy, society, and environment. Now, with the advent of GRASS, we are poised to broaden our horizons and extend our research efforts to address global sustainability challenges with renewed strength and expertise.
The acronym GRASS, coincidentally, aligns with the vegetation that encompasses plants such as rice crops. Drawing inspiration from the thriving nature of rice in a paddy field, the Centre aspire to continually expand our activities and promote valuable research outcomes.
While the GRASS is still in its infancy, the Centre possess a robust shared vision and an unwavering passion for addressing the critical challenges that hinder sustainability. To achieve this, the GRASS actively break down traditional research boundaries and fosters a collaborative environment that embraces multi-, inter-, and transdisciplinary approaches. By integrating diverse disciplines, the Centre strive to explore innovative solutions that can be applied in real-world contexts to promote sustainability comprehensively and holistically.
At GRASS, our faculty members possess extensive expertise spanning a variety of fields, including area studies, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and remote sensing, agricultural economics, water resources management, social ecology, and conservation biology. This diverse range of expertise reflects the core ethos of our centre, which is to cultivate interdisciplinary research and foster collaboration among researchers from different disciplines. By synergizing our collective knowledge and expertise, enabling them to address sustainability challenges in a comprehensive and effective manner.
GRASS is firmly committed to serving as a collaborative catalyst for the creation of a more prosperous and sustainable society. To achieve our centre's objectives, the active involvement of individuals from national and international research groups is of paramount importance. We wholeheartedly invite your participation in our research and related activities as we collectively advance the field of sustainability science. Together, we can shape a brighter future and effectively address the pressing challenges of our time.
-------- Prof. Naoya Wada
