KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Dr. Keisuke Kuroda is Professor at Department of Environmental and Civil Engineering, Toyama Prefectural University, Japan. He received his Ph.D. in Engineering from the University of Tokyo (2010). He was a postdoctoral research fellow at Eawag, Switzerland, and the University of Tokyo, and was a senior scientist at National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES), Japan. His research focuses on the dynamics of various natural and man-made pollutants in water environments and their mitigation technologies. Recent research include novel photocatalytic systems for water treatment, anthropogenic contaminant dynamics in swimming pools, per-and polyfluorinated substances (PFAS) in aquatic systems and drinking water, and risk assessment of emerging antiviral drugs in aquatic systems.

Dr. Achille Ephrem Assogbadjo is born on 03^rd May 1974 at Savalou in Republic of Benin. He is, an agronomist and forester with a special interest in non-timber forest products and orphan crops. He hold a PhD in Applied Biological Sciences (Ghent University, Belgium) and is a Full Professor of Conservation genetics, Forest ecology and Ethnobotany at the University of Abomey-Calavi in Benin. He doubles as a visiting Professor at Université Félix Houphouët Boigny in Côte d’Ivoire, University of Costa Rica in Costa Rica, University of Florianopolis in Brasil and Chuo University in Japan. Professor Achille Ephrem Assogbadjo (https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5985-8800) has earned international renown for his outstanding contributions in biodiversity conservation and sustainable resource management across Africa. With an H index of 45 on google scholar (https://scholar.google.com/citations?view_op=list_works&hl=fr&user=sqqQc0MAAAAJ) and 32 on Scopus (www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=8978006600), the research of Professor Assogbadjo encompasses a wide spectrum, among others utilizing ethnobotanical and conservation genetics methodologies in ecosystems ranging from natural settings to agroforestry and intensive farming practices. As a globally recognized expert in the diversity and utilization of the African baobab (Adansonia digitata L.), he has revealed the intricate interplay between genetics and morphology across varying climatic zones. Professor Assogbadjo's innovative approaches to managing underutilized plants revolve around community engagement and traditional knowledge, emphasizing a holistic approach.