Outline
In May 2019, our university joined the United Nations Academic Impact (hereinafter, UNAI).
UNAI is a global initiative to pursue social contributions of universities with an aim to align activities of institutions of higher education around the world with the United Nations.
Since our university conducts various education and research as well as community contributions related to UNAI, we participate in 4 of 10 Principles of the UNAI.
Principle 6: A commitment to encouraging global citizenship through education
Principle 8: A commitment to addressing issues of poverty through education
Principle 9: A commitment to promoting sustainability through education
Principle 10: A commitment to promoting inter-cultural dialogue and understanding, and the unlearning of intolerance, through education
[Reference] United Nations Academic Impact Japan website
These four principles are in line with the founding principles of our university.
Activity report
◆Activity report
UNAI member universities are expected to undertake activities related to at least one of the 10 Principles of the UNAI each academic year and report to the UNAI Secretariat.
◆Iwate Prefectural University Activity Report
Our university compiled an activity report on UNAI-related activities in the 2020 academic year.
1 Childrens study room run by students
Volunteer Circle for Kids "oronko-tai ☆ Mirai
This is a volunteer circle that provides learning support for elementary and junior high school students. This circle supports children in their self-study while respecting what they want to do so that they can recognize the fun of learning. Also, it provides a cozy place where children can feel at ease.
01 UNAI2020_kid'svolunteer.pdf
2 Creating momentum around volunteer activities
Volunteer group"FudoNetR"
The FudoNetR was initially established as a support activity following the Niigata Chuetsu-oki Earthquake in 2007. The group values connection with local residents, and currently undertakes activities such as managing local emergency drills, supporting children's cafeterias and food banks as reconstruction support activities in areas affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami.
02 UNAI2020_fudonetR.pdf
3 International remote lessons (University of North Carolina Wilmington, USA: UNCW)/
Online overseas training (Washington State University, USA: WSU)
Faculty of Nursing
Focusing on global warming and health problems in relation to SDGs Goal 13 "Climate Change", a presentation was made about measures to control" heat stroke risk followed by an exchange of views.
Also, in relation to SDGs Goal 12" Sustainable Consumption & Production" and 13" Climate Change", under the theme of the relationship between water resources, the environment, and health, a presentation was made about Japan's responses and solutions followed by an exchange of views.
03 UNAI2020_distancelearning.pdf
4 International Nursing Theory Seminar "Considering solutions for SDGs"
Faculty of Nursing
The International Nursing Theory Seminar of the Faculty of Nursing aims to enable students to develop a global perspective, take initiative in fin ding and tackling health and nursing issues, and to consider the role of the nursing profession. With these goals, a theme based on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) was chosen and students mainly focused on group work to find solutions by looking at health aspects, which only nursing students can think of.
04 UNAI2020_sdgsgroupwork.pdf
5 Introduction of minors: "Regional Creative Education Program" and "Global Liberal Arts Education Program"
Center for the Advancement of Higher Education
As a part of the Liberal Arts Program, our university offers the following 2 "minors".
(1) The "Regional Development Program" is a program to learn the current state of the local community, knowledge and skills for identifying and solving issues through fieldwork and hands-on experience.
Students who completed the program are awarded the title of "Specialist in Regional Development".
(2) The "International Liberal Arts Program" is a program to learn skills and knowledge including languages, to understand multiple cultures, and to think about the possibility of multicultural symbiosis and help bring it to fruition in a globalized world. Students who completed the program are awarded the title of "Specialist in International Liberal Arts".
05 UNAI2020_submajorcourses.pdf
6 Student-centered activities aimed at gender equality
- Exhibition at the Iwate Gender Equality Festival -
Collaboration between the "Marble" student group and the Department of International Cultural Studies, Morioka Junior College
The Marble student group engages in activities for realizing gender equality. The group collaborated with students studying "Gender Studies" at the Department of International Cultural Studies of Morioka Junior College to exhibit panels at the "Iwate Gender Equality Festival".
06 UNAI2020_jender.pdf
7 Efforts of Iwate Prefectural University to foster a reflective and empathetic conception of cultural understanding.
Morioka Junior College
At the Department of International Cultural Studies, with the aims of elimination of intolerance and promotion of cross-cultural understanding, students are given learning experiences which encourage them to view cultural behaviors not as"right" and "wrong" or "normal" and "abnormal", but to build a more nuanced and empathetic approach to thinking about different opinions and cultural behaviors from various perspectives.
07 UNAI2020_international.pdf
8 Promoting Principle 10 with the Pyramid of Cultural Perspective.
Morioka Junior College
At the Department of International Cultural Studies, for the UNAI's Principle 10 of "A commitment to promoting inter-cultural dialogue and understanding, and the unlearning of intolerance, through education", we provide a learning environment in which students are encouraged to reflect on the nature of culture and diversity across a wide spectrum from universal to personal. This helps them to build up a richer image of cultural understanding and give them an empathetic mindset to serve as a valuable tool against the manifestation of intolerance.
08 UNAI2020_pyramid.pdf
9 Research on the Development of a Study Method of Coastal Marine Debris such as Marine Plastics with the Participation of Citizens
Faculty of Policy Studies, Faculty of Software and Information Science
(Collaboration with the Resource Recycling Promotion Section, Department of Environment and Residential Life, Iwate Prefecture)
As a measure against marine plastic waste, in order to grasp the situation of marine debris on the coast of Iwate Prefecture, a smartphone-based information system to enable citizen's research of coastal marine debris was developed. Also, an environmental education program for elementary schools along the coast of Iwate Prefecture was conducted
09 UNAI2020_marinwreckage.pdf