On 2–3 October 2025, the Graduate School of Engineering at the University of Osaka hosted the international joint research workshop “Sustainable Urban Environment: Technology and Policy in Australia and Japan” in collaboration with the University of Melbourne. The workshop was organized by Professor Masanobu KII and Assistant Professor Chun-Chen CHOU (PI) from the Division of Sustainable Energy and Environmental Engineering, and featured a research seminar on the first day, followed by a site visit to view architectural technologies at the Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan on the second day.

Participants included Dr. Jie Feng (PI), Professor Christhina Candido, and Dr. Xiao Ma from the University of Melbourne, along with one researcher from RMIT University. From the University of Osaka, six faculty members and 17 undergraduate and graduate students took part, bringing the total number of participants to 27. Through the exchange of technical and policy perspectives on urban thermal environments as well as urban activities and travel behavior, the workshop fostered active discussions that clarified research gaps, challenges, and potential areas for future Australia-Japan collaboration.

Prior to the workshop, a joint application had already been submitted to the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) Bilateral Program, and the discussions further strengthened the foundation for building an international research framework and pursuing external funding.