Tetsuya Sumi graduated from the Department of Civil Engineering, Kyoto University in 1985. He then worked for the Ministry of Construction of the Japanese government for 14 years. In 2009, he became a full Professor at the Water Resources Research Center, Disaster Prevention Research Institute. In 2024, he established a new laboratory focused on dam upgrading and reservoir sedimentation management, in collaboration with hydropower companies, consulting firms, and government research institutes. His research areas include hydraulic engineering and dam engineering, with a particular emphasis on sediment management in rivers and reservoirs, river restoration, and dam operation. He currently serves as Vice President of ICOLD and Chair of the Asia-Pacific Club. He is also President of the Japan Society of Dam Engineers and Chair of the IAHR Japan Chapter.

Wei Wangru is an Associate Professor of Hydraulics and River dynamics at the State Key Laboratory of Hydraulics and Mountain River Engineering, Sichuan University. He has been awarded the Chang Jiang Scholars Program by the Ministry of Education of China. His primary area of expertise lies in hydraulic structures, encompassing both theoretical fundamentals and physical modelling. His research focuses on the complex mechanics of turbulent flows in high-head hydraulic structures, including air-water flow hydraulics, cavitation erosion and aeration protection, and flood discharge energy dissipation. The advanced technologies to which he has contributed, including energy dissipators, aerator devices and structural optimizations, underpin the hydraulic design of current engineering endeavors in China.