The Watershed Management Laboratory (Associate Professor Hironori Hayashi) promotes transdisciplinary (TD) research that transcends academic boundaries and collaborates with diverse stakeholders to address increasingly complex societal challenges. By positioning all watershed stakeholders—including researchers, students, local residents, government agencies, companies, and NPOs—as equal partners, the laboratory integrates on-the-ground knowledge with scientific insights to achieve effective and sustainable solutions.
The laboratory places strong emphasis on linking research and education directly to social implementation. Field surveys conducted in actual river basins and hands-on nature restoration practices serve not only as educational platforms but also as sites for real-world implementation, where research findings and student learning outcomes are applied in collaboration with local communities and stakeholders. Through these processes, knowledge generated in research and education is translated into tangible actions and on-the-ground solutions, which are then evaluated, refined, and fed back into academic research and education, creating a continuous cycle that bridges theory and practice.
A further defining feature of the laboratory is its emphasis not only on producing tangible outcomes, but also on ensuring that all participants experience enjoyment and a sense of fulfillment throughout the co-creation process. By fostering meaningful relationships between people and nature, as well as among people themselves, this research approach embodies Kyushu University’s vision of social co-creation and represents a distinctive model of academic practice. The laboratory’s activities have received significant external recognition, including prestigious honors such as the Minister of the Environment Award and the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Award.
