Under the MEXT-CASiFiCA project five countries are selected, that is. Japan, China, India, Nepal and Turkey. By definition each “case station” is identified with an academic institution or its equivalent in each country, and each “field campus” is chosen from actual survey fields linked with its local case station. In conjunction with the CASIFiCA there has been a new academic networking community called the “NEXUS-IDRiM” being gradually fostered through series of Annual IIASA-DPRI Forums on IDRiM which has been held since 2001. It is hoped that this networking community will serve as a catalytic function to promote an innovative IDRiM education for young future scientists by enjoining cross-disciplinary advice and guidance from NEXUS-IDRiM member senior researchers.