Prof. Jesus Toribio
University of Salamanca
Bio: Professor Jesus Toribio graduated in Civil Engineering in 1982 and then in Mathematics in 1986. In 1987 he was awarded his PhD in the Polytechnic University of Madrid (UPM) and turned into Associate Professor in that Institution. In 1992 he became Full Professor and Head of the Materials Science Department of the University of La Coruña (at the age of 32, thus being the youngest Full Professor in the area of Materials Science in Spain). In 2000 he moved to the University of Salamanca (USAL) where is currently Full Professor of Materials Science & Engineering and Head of the Fracture & Structural Integrity Research Group (FSIRG) of that Institution.
His research work is mainly concerned with fatigue and fracture mechanics, environmentally assisted cracking, stress corrosion cracking and hydrogen embrittlement/degradation/damage of metals and alloys (mainly cold drawn pearlitic steel wires for civil engineering and austenitic stainless steels for nuclear engineering and energy applications), covering theoretical, computational and experimental aspects. He actively participates in International Scientific Conferences, very often being a member of the International Advisory Committee, organising Special Sessions and Symposia, being Session Chairman or specially delivering Plenary/Keynote/Invited Lectures. Professor Dr. Jesus Toribio has published more than 600 scientific papers, most of them in international books and journals.
Title: Innovative Teaching of Fracture Mechanics in Engineering Education: A Creative Approach Combining Science and Art (A Tribute to Professor Volodymyr Panasyuk)
- Abstract: An innovative experience is described in the matter of teaching fracture mechanics in engineering education at the University of Salamanca (the oldest in Spain, an institution comprising both tradition and innovation). It has been successfully applied in real teaching courses of fracture mechanics and structural integrity in the framework of structural engineering education. The creative and innovative approach combines science and art, including concepts and ideas of visual arts such as painting and sculpture.
With regard to painting, the approach consists of identifying the crack 3D profile exhibited by cold drawn pearlitic steels with painting works by Caspar David Friedrich (romantic), the crack 2D profile with painting works by Picasso (cubist) of Larionov and Goncharova (rayonist), or the crack shape evolution with painting works by Victor Vassarely (kinetic art).
In the matter of sculpture, the approach consists of identifying the fractographies (microscopic fracture modes observed by scanning electron microscopy) in progressively cold drawn pearltic steels tested in the presence of hydrogen with the Donatello Wooden Sculpture Texture (DWST) or the Michelangelo Stone Sculpture Texture (MSST).
Prof. Mitsunori Hirogaki
Kyushu University
Bio: Dr. Mitsunori Hirogaki received his Master’s Degree and Ph.D. in Commerce from Kobe University. He is currently an Associate Professor of Marketing Strategy at Kyushu University, Graduate School of Economics (QBS Business School), where he teaches Marketing Strategy and International Marketing for international students in English-taught programs. He also teaches International Marketing at Fukuoka Jogakuin University. In addition to his teaching and research activities, he serves as the international affairs coordinator for his department, supporting global partnerships, exchange programs, and international academic initiatives. Dr. Hirogaki has held several administrative roles at Kyushu University and has taught in various executive education and professional training programs in marketing and tourism management. His current research focuses on international and cross-cultural consumer behavior, crisis-driven consumer responses, technology acceptance (including AI tools), and food insecurity–related consumer psychology in mature societies. He has published widely in international journals, including the Journal of Marketing Management, International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, International Review of Retail, Distribution and Consumer Research, Progress in Industrial Ecology, International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, Micro and Macro Marketing, International Journal of Technology Transfer and Commercialisation, and the International Journal of Business and Globalisation. He is a member of the Japanese Economic Association, the Japan Society of Marketing and Distribution, the Kyushu Association of Economic Science, and the Japan Association for Consumer Studies.
Title: Information Flows, Stigma, and Access: How Social Narratives Shape Engagement with Food Support Services
- Abstract: This presentation examines how information flows and their transformation within communities influence public engagement with food support services, particularly among individuals experiencing food insecurity. By integrating perspectives from behavioral economics, consumer psychology, and communication studies, the session analyzes how rumors, informal information channels, and evolving social narratives generate stigma and reshape perceptions of eligibility, need, and legitimacy. These processes not only affect panic-driven behaviors during crises but also contribute to persistent barriers that suppress access to food assistance in everyday contexts. The presentation proposes a conceptual model of how information transmission and distortion shape “socially constructed barriers” to the utilization of food support. Implications for public communication strategies, stigma reduction, and the design of inclusive food assistance systems will also be discussed.