On 15th September 2026, Assistant Professor CAO Vu Quynh Anh, Department of Civil Engineering, received the Deans' Best Poster Award at Asian Deans' Forum 2026 - The Rising Stars Women in Engineering Workshop.
Deans' Best Poster Award
The Deans' Best Poster Award recognises outstanding poster presentations at the Asian Deans' Forum 2026 – The Rising Stars Women in Engineering Workshop. Jointly organised by the engineering schools of seven prestigious universities in the Asia-Pacific region, including the University of Tokyo, the workshop supports the development of future women academic leaders and international research networks. The 2026 workshop was hosted by the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology from September 13 to 15, bringing together nearly 50 early-career women scholars, researchers, and professionals from 14 universities across four continents.
About awarded research
Assistant Professor Cao Vu Quynh Anh examined the gap between the availability of flood early warning systems and municipalities' actual readiness to make protective decisions. Drawing on 20 interviews involving 45 officials from 16 municipalities and four prefectures, followed by a nationwide survey of 504 municipalities across Japan, the study identified distinct profiles of gaps between information considered useful for decision-making and information actually available to decision-makers. The findings show that municipalities have different information needs and that simply improving forecast accuracy or increasing the amount of information is unlikely to address all unmet needs. The study highlights the importance of aligning warning information with the institutional decision-making in responding to floods.
Your Impression & future plan
I am grateful to have participated in this workshop and deeply honoured to receive the Deans’ Best Poster Award among so many excellent research projects. Exchanging ideas with inspiring women across engineering, from early-career researchers to professors and deans, reinforced the value of a supportive academic community. I thank the local government officials and collaborators who made this research possible. Building on these connections, I look forward to advancing research that translates flood early warnings into decisions and actions that protect lives.