この度、日本海水学会の会長職を、前任の九州大学教授の後藤雅宏先生から引き継ぐことになりました山口大学の比嘉です。どうぞよろしくお願い申し上げます。
地球は青い水の惑星といわれており、それは豊かな水をたたえた海があるからです。四方を海に囲まれた我国も古代から現代に渡って海から多くの賜物を享受してきました。このような状況にある中でHPの学会紹介にありますように日本塩学会を前身とした日本海水学会が設立され、60年以上の歴史をもっています。英語表記の"The Society of Sea Water Science, Japan"から分かるように、本学会は「海水科学」を共通の基盤とする多くの分野の研究者・技術者が、互いに交流を行うユニークな学会です。この「海水科学」には海水を資源として取り扱う「資源科学分野」、海水と地球環境との関わりを取り扱う「環境科学分野」、海水と生命活動との関わりを取り扱う「生命科学分野」で成り立っています。これらの分野を会員の専門の観点から詳細に探究するために本学会には6つの研究会：「電気透析および膜研究会」、「海水環境構造物腐食防食研究会」、「環境・生物資源研究会」、「塩と食の研究会」、「分析科学研究会」、「海水資源・環境研究会」が存在します。このように海水をベースにして資源、生命科学や食品まで幅広く検討する学会は欧米やアジア諸国にはない独自な学会であり、本学会のさらなる発展の活性化に尽力したいと考えおります。そのために前会長の後藤先生が掲げられた以下の4つの項目について、更に進めて行きたいと考えております。
まず新型コロナが5類に移行され、各種規制が緩和される中、年会や西日本支部、若手会、各種研究会において、ここ数年のオンラインの利点も生かしながら対面での開催を増やして、研究者・技術者の交流を促進していきたいと願っています。
次に本会には和文誌の日本海水学会誌に加えて英文誌のSalt and Seawater Science & Technology(SSST)が刊行されており、これらは編集委員の皆様のご尽力で、大変魅力ある雑誌となっています。日本海水学会誌は今後も原著論文に加えて多くの研究者・技術者に分かり易く「海水科学」に関する魅力あるテーマの総説・解説を掲載し、またSSSTは、インパクトファクターの取得を目標として、多くの原著論文や総説の掲載することで、今後もこの2つの学会誌の内容をさらに充実させたいと考えています。
また海水学会には大学や国立研究機関（アカデミア）の研究者だけではなく、多くの企業研究者が参画しており、これが本学会の大きな特徴でもあります。産学連携の考えを大切にし、さらなる活性化を図ることが重要です。具体的には企業若手研究者の教育の場として、また就職活動を行う学生と企業研究者の交流を深めるなど、アカデミアと企業会員の双方に有益な活動を進めたいと思います。
更に我国が少子高齢化の波にさらされている中で、企業だけではなくアカデミアにおいても技術の継承が危ぶまれています。幸いなことに本会では若手会が活発に活動しています。若手会や各研究会の活動を通して、また「亀の甲より年の功」と言われるようにシニア世代の貴重な知恵や技能を活用する場を設けて、次世代の人材育成に注力したいと考えています。
皆様と一緒にこれから本会の発展に尽力していきたいと思いますので、どうか会員の皆様のご支援とご協力をどうぞよろしくお願い申しあげます。
I am Mitsuru Higa from Yamaguchi University, and I have taken over the presidency of The Society of Sea Water Science, Japan from the previous president, Prof. Goto. I will do my best as president.
The earth is called the planet of blue water because it has oceans filled with abundant water. Surrounded by the sea on all sides, our country has enjoyed many gifts from the sea from ancient times to the present day. Under these circumstances, as you can see in the introduction of the society on the website, the Seawater Society of Japan, which was the predecessor of the Japan Salt Society, was established and has a history of more than 60 years. As you can see from the English notation "The Society of Sea Water Science, Japan", this society is a unique society where researchers and engineers from many fields who share the common foundation of "seawater science" interact with each other. This "seawater science" consists of "resource science," which deals with seawater as a resource, "environmental science," which deals with the relationship between seawater and the global environment, and "life science," which deals with the relationship between seawater and life activities. In order to study these fields in detail from the professional viewpoint of the members, the Society has six research groups: "Research Group on Electrodialysis and Membrane Technology", "Research group on Corrosion and Protection of Structures under seawater environment", "Research Group on Marine Eco-biology", "Research Group on Salt and Food", "Research Group on Analysis of Salt and Sea Water", and "Research Group on Resources and Environment of Seawater". An academic society that studies a wide range of seawater-based resources, life sciences, and food is a unique society not found in Europe, the United States, or Asian countries. To that end, I would like to further advance the following four items that the previous president, Prof. Goto, raised.
First of all, while the COVID-19 has been moved to type 5 and various regulations have been relaxed, I would like to increase the number of face-to-face meetings at annual meetings, West-Japan Branch, Young researcher association, and various study groups while taking advantage of online for the past few years. I hope to promote exchanges between researchers and engineers.
Next, in addition to the Japanese journal, Bulletin of the Sea Water Society, Japan, the Society also publishes the English journal, Salt and Seawater Science & Technology (SSST). Thanks to the efforts of the editorial board members, these journals have become a very attractive publication. Bulletin of the Sea Water Society, Japan will continue to publish review articles and commentaries on attractive themes related to "seawater science" in an easy-to-understand manner for many researchers and engineers, in addition to original papers. In addition, SSST publishes many original papers and reviews with the goal of acquiring an impact factor. I would like to further enhance the content of these two academic journals in the future.
In addition, not only researchers from universities and national research institutes (academia), but also many corporate researchers participate in the society which is a major feature of the society. It is important to cherish the idea of industry-academia collaboration and to further revitalize it. Specifically, we would like to promote activities that are beneficial to both academia and corporate members, such as providing a place for education for young corporate researchers and deepening exchanges between job-hunting students and corporate researchers.
Furthermore, as our country is exposed to the wave of declining birthrate and aging population, the succession of technology is in danger not only in companies but also in academia. Fortunately, the Young researcher association is active in the society. I would like to focus on developing the next generation of human resources through the activities of the Young researcher association and various research groups, and by creating opportunities to utilize the valuable wisdom and skills of the senior generation, as the saying goes, "Senior achievement is more important than turtle shells."
I would like to work together with all of you to contribute to the development of this society, and I would like to ask for the support and cooperation of all members.
July, 2023
日本語
English