Showcasing Our Research at ICUC12, Rotterdam, the Netherlands

ICUC Venue at the World Trade Center, Rotterdam

The most prestigious conference in the field of urban climate is the International Conference on Urban Climate (ICUC), organized by the International Association for Urban Climate (IAUC). It is held once every three years and brings together academics engaged in city–weather interaction studies, city planners, policy-makers, and other specialists or enthusiasts in the field. Conferences focusing on urban climate have been held since the 1960s.

This year, our laboratory participated in the 12th ICUC, held in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, from July 7 to 11, 2025. The GUC Lab was represented by faculty member Alvin sensei and doctoral students Hiroki Ryoga, JIN XIAO, and Maria Deandra Crisostomo Andal. The Kanda Lab, led by Inagaki sensei, was represented by doctoral student Alexandros Makedono.

During the conference, our group presented the following research topics:

Professor Alvin C.G. Varquez: Integrated assessment model-driven 1-km anthropogenic heat emission generation tool; Effects of spatiotemporal changes in anthropogenic heat emission on 14-km resolution global climate
Hiroki Ryoga: Development of Dynamic Standard Effective Temperature (D-SET) for evaluation of the change in thermal comfort over time
XIAO JIN: Inter-comparison of present and future urban climates of three cities considering multiple CMIP6 scenarios and urbanization
Maria Deandra Crisostomo Andal: Investigating the influence of distributed anthropogenic heating to simulated ozone formation

A Cozy Dinner Party with Japanese Researchers!

In addition to the academic exchanges through keynote presentations, technical sessions, and panel discussions, our participation gave us valuable opportunities to connect with fellow scientists in the same field. Beyond the conference halls, we enjoyed exploring the city of Rotterdam together with members of the Kusaka Lab and shared a lively dinner party with fellow researchers from Japan. These moments of laughter, cultural exchange, and camaraderie made the trip especially memorable. The conference served not only as a platform for presenting our latest research but also as a joyful and rewarding occasion for strengthening friendships and fostering future collaborations within the international urban climate research network.