On September 1st, 18 trainees from 11 countries for the one-year training course conducted by the International Institute of Seismology and Earthquake Engineering (IISEE) of Building Research Institute, the Japan International Cooperation Agency(JICA), and the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies paid Minister Saito a courtesy call.

Minister Saito congratulated the trainees on their completion of the course. The Minister also expressed his wish for the trainees’ success in their careers, both as leaders in disaster risk reduction and as bridges between their countries and Japan.

The trainees answered that not only did they improve their knowledge through the course, but they also became more aware of the importance of disaster mitigation after visiting disaster-affected areas in Japan. They promised to apply the knowledge acquired in the course and contribute to disaster risk reduction.