Spanning from 14-21 October 2023, two postgraduate students - Chin Min Yee and Phuang Zhen Xin - from XMUM School of Energy and Chemical Engineering participated in International Conference on Low Carbon Asia (ICLCA) 2023 as presentation delegates under Ts. Dr. Vincent Woon’s supervision.
Embarked in 2015, ICLCA is a conference aiming to assemble outstanding academic researchers and industrial experts in low carbon development across the world for knowledge sharing and research showcases.
ICLCA 2023 was co-organized by Okayama University and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, with the theme 'Sustainable Transitions towards a Resilient & Carbon-Neutral Future'. Six conference tracks were offered for oral and poster presentation: (1) Urban Planning and Smart Cities, (2) Food, Agriculture and Farming, (3) Green Process, Technology and Material, (4) Sustainable Energy Planning, (5) Sustainable Waste and Water Management, and (6) Carbon Management.
Graced by the presence of Mr. Ryuta Ibaragi (Governor of Okayama Prefecture), Prof. Yasutomo Nasu (President of Okayama University), Prof. Ahmad Fauzi Ismail (Vice Chancellor of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia), Prof. Kazuhiko Takeuchi (President of Institute for Global Environmental Strategies) and Prof. Yoshiteru Sakaguchi (Director of Chugoku-Shikoku Regional Environment Office), the ICLCA’23 marked a grand opening which was followed by keynote and plenary speeches delivered by internationally-renowned researchers and parallel presentation sessions.
This year, the conferences attracted nearly 200 international delegates from various countries, such as Malaysia, Japan, the Philippines, China, Slovakia, Thailand, Indonesia etc. Invited as one of the keynote speakers on the ‘Carbon Management’ track, Ts. Dr. Vincent Woon presented the interesting findings from his research project ‘Pearson Correlation Analysis Between Carbon Dioxide Emissions and Socioeconomic Factors Across Nations' Income Groups’.
During the parallel sessions of the conference track ‘Sustainable Waste and Water Management’, Phuang Zhen Xin and Chin Min Yee presented their research outcomes titled ‘Assessing Plastic Waste Green Economy Management via Integrated Life Cycle Environmental and Costing Framework’ and ‘Circular Economy at Work: Optimizing Waste Treatment in Waste Eco Park’, respectively.
Phuang Zhen Xin was acknowledged as one of the Best Presenters in the ‘Sustainable Waste and Water Management’ track during the conference’s closing ceremony on October 18, out of 60 physical and 170 online presentations.
To allow the international delegates to learn more about circular waste management in Japan, Okayama University then hosted a technical excursion trip on October 19. The delegates were welcomed warmly by the tour coordinators and explored a biodiesel plant owned by Bio Diesel Okayama Co. Ltd. and a waste gasification facility of Mizushima Eco Works Co. Ltd.
The conference trip ends with a campus tour guided by the ICLCA’23 organizing committees at the scenic Okayama University, where the visitors witnessed the lab facilities and in-campus infrastructures.
Chin Min Yee, Master in New Energy Science and Engineering, said: "I want to express my heartfelt thanks to Dr. Vincent and our research collaborator for giving me the chance to be part of this conference trip. It's an incredible opportunity to explore the wealth of knowledge on transitioning to sustainability shared by experts around the world."
Phuang Zhen Xin, Doctor of Philosophy in New Energy Science and Engineering: "I have gained practical and extraordinary outlooks from professional academic and industrial experts throughout the conference trip. On top of that, I managed to befriend research peers from different countries, expanding my research horizon and networking."
ICLCA'23 Conference and Technical Excursion Trip