Hello! I’m Beppu, a second-year master’s student.

From August 31 to September 2, Assistant Professor Ishida and I traveled to Porto, Portugal, to attend IAGOD 2026 (International Association on the Genesis of Ore Deposits)!

IAGOD is an international conference on geology held once every four years. This time, many researchers gathered in Porto, and presentations and discussions on various topics took place over the course of four days.

At the conference, Assistant Professor Ishida gave an oral presentation in a session on epithermal gold deposits, while I gave a poster presentation in a session on sustainable mine development.

Assistant Professor Ishida delivered his presentation in fluent English, while I used plenty of hand gestures to get my point across!

Discussing our research in an environment different from our usual one provided a valuable opportunity to gain new inspiration! By the way, the poster session was held outdoors, and presenting under the blazing sun was quite an unforgettable experience.

In addition to the conference, I’d like to share some of Porto’s beautiful cityscapes and delicious food!

Historic buildings and structures decorated with colorful “azulejo” tiles line the streets, making it a pleasure just to walk around.

Porto also has many hills, and from certain spots, you can take in a panoramic view of the entire city. 

And when you think of Portugal, you can’t help but think of the food.

I got to enjoy Porto’s famous port wine, as well as egg tarts (Pastel de Nata) and a variety of Portuguese dishes (I even did a tasting comparison!!). There are so many shops throughout the city, and wandering around to find my favorites was one of the joys of visiting Porto!

In the Environmental Geology Lab, we have the opportunity to visit various countries—including Africa, Europe, and Asia—to conduct research and participate in international conferences!

Gaining experiences that you can’t get through research alone is one of the lab’s greatest attractions!

(Beppu)