On 8 and 14 December, Kyoto University and the Kyoto Prefectural International Center (KPIC) co-hosted an online lecture on disaster prevention for newly enrolled international students.
The University and KPIC have held disaster-preparedness events every year since 2018 as part of an international student guidance program to help those eligible prepare for the types of natural disasters that can strike Kyoto, such as earthquakes, typhoons, and floods.
The December 2022 lecture, held online due to the Covid-19 pandemic as were the 2020–2021 events, drew a total of 78 participants over two days (50 on the 8th and 28 on the 14th). The topics covered included Japan’s disaster warning system, evacuation centers, emergency calls, emergency kits, and useful resources such as websites and smartphone applications.
Many of the participants expressed satisfaction with the lectures, saying that they now understand the steps they can take to effectively prepare for and respond to emergencies as well as the importance of constantly striving to improve their preparedness.