The Second Civil Engineering Conference in the Asian Region (2 nd CECAR) is scheduled to be held from April 16 to 20, 2001, in Tokyo. The purpose of the conference is to offer an opportunity for the leading people in the industries, governments and academia related to the civil engineering technology and the infrastructure development in the Asian region to get together and exchange information and ideas. The common goal for the Asian countries is the Sustainable Development in the 21st Century. To achieve this goal, the most important and urgent subjects in Asia such as the environment, natural disasters, the urban development, and especially information technology are the conference themes.

The 2 nd CECAR is organized by the Asian Civil Engineering Coordinating Council, ACECC. The objective of the ACECC is to schedule Asian forums where worldwide civil engineering professionals may jointly develop programs of coordination and mutual action in designated matters affecting the interests of civil engineers and related professions. Although the ACECC mainly consists of the civil engineering societies/institutions in the Asian region, it is open to the worldwide societies/institutions of civil engineering that are concerned with sustainable development. As of September 1999 at its inauguration ACECC started with the five initial member societies/institutes; the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), the Chinese Institute of Civil and Hydraulic Engineering (CICHE), the Korean Society of Civil Engineers (KSCE), the Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers (PICE) and Japan Society of Civil Engineers (JSCE). In April 2000, Vietnam Construction Association (VCA) joined ACECC. The Institution of Engineers, Australia (IE-Aust), too, is planning to join ACECC.

The Local Organizing Committee (LOC) for the 2 nd CECAR comprising members from the industries, governments and academia has put forth an all-out effort in order to make the conference a fruitful one. As it is found in the technical program, more than 60 eminent professionals from all over the world will come to Tokyo to present their papers, join in the discussions and meet with you to exchange the latest information. The well-prepared technical visits will follow the sessions and provide an opportunity to view and inspect the state of the art civil engineering projects in Japan.

April is one of the best months for visiting Japan. Countryside is especially beautiful during the month when all is freshly green. In addition, optional spouse programs will provide a visit to the historic town of Kamakura and a visit to down town Tokyo. I look forward to welcoming you to Tokyo and to the 2 nd CECAR that will be technically stimulating and enjoyable for your family as well.

Dr. Yukihiko Sumiyoshi

Chair of the Local Organizing Committee for the 2 nd CECAR

(Executive Counselor, Nippon Steel Corporation)

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