On Monday 9 March, representatives from UCL Risk & Disaster Reduction took part in a panel discussion hosted by the Embassy of Japan in London to mark the 15th anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake.
The event, ‘Innovations Emerging from Disasters: Crafts, Arts, and Technologies’, brought together leading academics from Tohoku University and UCL to reflect on progress since 2011 and the innovations that have shaped recovery efforts.
Professors Fumihiko Imamura, David Alexander, Joanna Faure Walker, Hideaki Onodera and Davide Ravasi and Dr Miwako Kitamura, who spoke at the event.
Embassy of Japan in the UK
Audience for the event at the Embassy of Japan in the UK
Embassy of Japan in the UK
Panel discussion at the event, 'Innovations Emerging from Disasters: Crafts, Arts, and Technologies'.
Embassy of Japan in the UK
The reception for speakers and attendees at the Embassy for Japan in the UK.
Embassy of Japan in the UK
Professor Joanna Faure Walker, Head of Department and Professor of Earthquake Geology and Disaster Risk Reduction, and Professor David Alexander, Emeritus Professor of Emergency Planning and Management, joined the panel. Together they discussed lessons learned from the disaster, advances in resilience research, and the importance of international collaboration in disaster risk reduction.
Speakers explored how crafts, arts, and technologies have contributed to community recovery, cultural resilience, and long‑term preparedness. The discussion also highlighted the strategic partnership between UCL and Tohoku University, which continues to advance research and education on disaster science and resilience.
Events like this remind us how essential international collaboration is to understanding disasters and supporting long‑term recovery and, critically, risk reduction in the future.
The innovations emerging from Japan’s experience continue to inform our teaching and research at UCL Risk & Disaster Reduction. It was a privilege to contribute to this important anniversary discussion.”
The event forms part of ongoing collaborations between UCL Risk & Disaster Reduction and Japanese partners, reinforcing the department’s commitment to global engagement and evidence‑based approaches to disaster risk reduction.
Photographs courtesy of the Embassy of Japan in the UK.
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