Ambassador visit to Tokyo

International Ambassador Professor John Burland met with alumni in Tokyo on Wednesday 17 June 2009

On Wednesday 17 June 2009, over 100 alumni and guests in Tokyo were treated to an exclusive insight into how a UNESCO World Heritage Site was saved from toppling over.

International Ambassador, Emeritus Professor John Burland gave his talk Rescuing the Leaning Tower of Pisa - the Inside Story to alumni and guests on his role in the stabilisation of the tower at the Institute of Industrial Science (IIS), University of Tokyo. Attendees were fascinated to learn about the challenges, frustrations and more worrying moments of participating in such a high profile project.

The event was jointly organised by the South Kensington Kai (SKK, the Imperial College Alumni Association of Japan) and the IIS at the University of Tokyo. Professor Shunichi Nakamura (Civil Engineering 1987), the President of SKK and Professor Tomonari Yashiro, Director General of IIS, welcomed guests, among whom was Professor Tom Kimura, former President of the Tokyo Institute of Technology. Chairing the event were former Imperial College visiting Professor, Kenichi Kawaguchi (Civil Engineering 1993) and  alumna, Associate Professor Reiko Kuwano (Civil Engineering 1995), who coincidentally is also a former student of Professor Burland.

The lecture was followed by a lavish buffet party, offering everyone plenty of opportunity to mingle.