I delivered a special lecture to graduate students (doctoral and master’s students) in the Department of Architectural Engineering at Chungnam National University (CNU), Korea, a partner university of Meijo University. This lecture was part of the exchange program outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding signed between Meijo University and CNU in 2020, and it was conducted as an invited lecture.

The theme of the lecture was “Carbon Reduction and Performance Evaluation of Recycled Aggregate Concrete Technology” in Japan. Concrete is globally recognized as the second most consumed substance after water. Consequently, the recycling of construction materials has become a crucial environmental concern. Addressing issues like waste management is essential for achieving global sustainability.
During the lecture, I presented technical insights into the utilization of alkali-activated materials and recycled aggregate concrete, focusing on resource recycling. Specifically, the lecture discussed the recycling of concrete waste, a substantial contributor to industrial waste, and the use of blast furnace slag fine powder, an industrial by-product. The presentation highlighted their potential for CO2 absorption, emission reduction, and performance evaluation of concrete. The lecture materials, including detailed presentation documents, are accessible via the link below.
Presentation documents: https://researchmap.jp/dosho/others/48906459?lang=en

The event was attended by 18 participants, including 1 professor (Prof. Gyu-yong Kim) and 17 graduate students. The lecture fostered close interaction between the professor, the participating students, and myself. It was evident that the participants considered resource recycling a critical challenge for the sustainable development of their respective countries.

Organized by: Department of Architectural Engineering, CNU (Building Materials and Construction Engineering Laboratory): https://concrete.cnu.ac.kr/concrete/index.do
The Building Materials and Construction Engineering Laboratory in the Department of Architectural Engineering at CNU was established in 1972 by Prof. Emeritus Moo-han Kim (https://concrete.cnu.ac.kr/concrete/member/professor01.do), a pioneer in building materials construction in Korea. Currently, the laboratory is managed by the second generation of scholars, Prof. Kyu-Young Kim and Assoc. Prof. Gyu-yong Nam.
Sponsored by: The National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF), BK21 team, Basic research laboratory team