Strengthening Ties with Fukushima University: Visit by Dr. Nanba

McMaster University recently welcomed Dr. Kenji Nanba, Professor in the Faculty of Symbiotic Systems Science and Director of the Institute of Environmental Radioactivity at Fukushima University, for a multi-day visit focused on nuclear science, environmental radioactivity, and deepening institutional collaboration. Dr. Nanba, an environmental microbiologist who has led pioneering work on the behavior of radiocesium in the environment since the 2011 Fukushima nuclear power plant accident, spent several days on campus and in the Hamilton region meeting with McMaster researchers and partners.

McMaster University and Fukushima University have an established partnership supported by a Memorandum of Understanding that promotes academic and educational collaboration. As part of this relationship, Fukushima students come to McMaster to join the Office of International Affairs’ summer program, which focuses on English language development and cultural immersion, providing participants with an opportunity to experience Canadian campus and community life while enhancing their global competencies.

Hosted by long-standing collaborators Dr. Carmel Mothersill and Dr. Colin Seymour, Dr. Nanba’s program included visits to research laboratories with Dr. Rhea Desai, a tour of McMaster’s nuclear facilities and reactor, and discussions with Dr. Taiyab on radiation cataractogenesis research. His schedule also featured meetings with industry partner Conexus Nuclear Inc. and a visit to the Provincial Emergency Operations Centre (PEOC), providing an opportunity to connect academic research with emergency management and nuclear sector practice.

A highlight of the visit was Dr. Nanba’s seminar, which summarized more than a decade of work on the long-term environmental behavior of radiocesium in Fukushima’s forests, farmlands, and river systems. Drawing on extensive field surveys and monitoring data, he discussed how radiocesium moves through soils and vegetation, how contamination patterns have changed over time, and what these findings mean for ecosystem recovery, decontamination strategies, and risk communication with local communities. The seminar also emphasized Fukushima’s role as a “living laboratory” for studying environmental radioactivity and underlined the value of international collaboration for improving preparedness and response to future nuclear emergencies.

(Top row from left to right: Dr. Akira Kuriyama, Dr. Xiaopeng Bai, Dr. Naoyuki Kuse, Dr. Kenji Nanba)
Bottom row from left to right: Yuka Kawano McPhee, Dr. Lisa Kaida, Prof. Sonomi Iwata)

During the visit, Dr. Nanba joined a connection building meeting with McMaster visiting researchers and faculty members from Japan, organized by the Office of International Affairs. The gathering provided an opportunity to strengthen relationships within the framework of existing agreements supporting academic collaboration and a summer program for Fukushima University students.