Ehime:A six-member delegation from Dhaka University (DU), led by Pro-Vice Chancellor (Academic) Professor Dr. Abdus Salam, took part in the 'JSPS Core-to-Core Symposium on One Health Approaches to Chemical Risk Management' held at Ehime University, Japan, from October 6 to 8.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the delegation included Professor Dr. Md. Humayun Kabir, Dean of the Faculty of Earth and Environmental Sciences; Professor Mohammad Mamun Chowdhury, Chairman of the Department of Fisheries; Professor Dr. Anwar Hossain and Dr. Md. Habibullah-Al-Mamun from the same department; and Dr. K M Azam Chowdhury, Associate Professor of the Department of Oceanography and Director of the International Centre for Ocean Governance (ICOG).
Supported by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), the symposium was organized by the Center for Marine Environmental Studies (CMES) at Ehime University and Leading Academia in Marine and Environment Pollution Research (LaMer). The event gathered researchers from countries including Bangladesh, Japan, the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Mozambique.
The symposium focused on research directions for sustainable development in South and Southeast Asia, particularly addressing the impacts of chemicals used in medicine, agriculture, aquaculture, and animal husbandry on ecosystems and public health.
During the sessions, Prof Dr. Abdus Salam presented on Bangladesh's air quality, its sources, and health impacts. Prof Dr. Md. Humayun Kabir showcased a poster on fire hazard risks from chemical warehouses in Dhaka South City Corporation. Prof Mohammad Mamun Chowdhury discussed research on the effects of dietary selenium and zinc nanoparticles on Pangasius growth.
Additionally, Prof Dr. Anwar Hossain spoke about antibiotic contamination and antimicrobial resistance in Bangladesh's water environments, and Dr. K M Azam Chowdhury presented a poster on seasonal dissolved oxygen dynamics in the northern Bay of Bengal.
On October 8, a bilateral meeting was held between ICOG and CMES, led by Prof Dr. Abdus Salam. CMES was represented by its Director Prof Dr. Akihiko Morimoto and Prof Dr. Xinyu Guo, while Dr. K M Azam Chowdhury highlighted ICOG's research initiatives. The meeting emphasized strengthening ocean research and collaboration to support Bangladesh's blue economy. Both institutions exchanged crests, discussed future academic exchanges, and agreed to finalize a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Dhaka University and Ehime University, anticipated to be signed soon under the supervision of DU Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr. ABM Obaidul Islam.