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 the 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 the 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 2021 academic year.
UNAI Report Iwate-pu 2021 en_introduction.pdf
１ Social Skills Training for Young People
Fuminori Sato, Lecturer, Faculty of Nursing / Student Group HOSSTY
The Faculty of Nursing continuously provides Social Skills Training (hereinafter "SST") program at Iwate prefectural high schools in order to improve interpersonal skills of high school students.
SST is one of the cognitive behavioral therapies developed to improve inter personal skills for people with chronic schizophrenia.Currently, SST for children is held in various p laces such as hospitals, schools and after-school day-care centers.
Also, at the Aiina Campus of our university, monthly SST sessions are held for elementary, junior high and high school students with developmental disorders in order to improve the interpersonal skills of such students.
01 UNAI Report Iwate-pu 2021 en_004.pdf
２ Reproductive Health (Sexual and Reproductive Health) Care for Adolescent Girls in Children's Homes in Iwate Prefecture
Yuko Fukushima, Professor, Saori Ito, Assistant professor, Yuri Yamauchi, Assistant, Faculty of Nursing
At the Faculty of Nursing, we developed and put into practice a reproductive health care model for adolescent girls living in children's homes in Iwate Prefecture from the standpoint of experts in nursing and midwifery.
Girls in children's homes live in an environment where it is difficult for t hem to receive reproductive health knowledge from their mothers, and those girls tend to have psychosocial problems rooted in attachment disorders. Also, they are likely to become sexually active earlier than girls of the same age, which exposes them to Activity report higher risk of unexpected pregnancies, contracting sexually transmitted diseases and becoming a target of sexual violence.
This reproductive health care model is developed for girls who have experienced abuse, etc., to provide them reproductive health knowledge and encourage them to accept themselves as well as their sexuality so that they will be able to acquire sexual autonomy in the future.
02 UNAI Report Iwate-pu 2021 en_005.pdf
３ Workshops on Care for Children with Special Needs and Their Families
Secretariat Manager: Mizue Hara (Associate Professor, Faculty of Nursing)
Secretariat members: Yoshiko Oikawa (Kozukata Kodomoen), Takako Kawamura (Iwate Kenritsu Ryoiku Center), Tsuyoshi Owada (National Hospital Organization Kamaishi Hospital), Yurika Takahashi (Assistant, Faculty of Nursing)
At the Faculty of Nursing, we hold workshops twice a year by incorporating opinions from families who are raising children with special needs, as well as the opinions of medical professionals and social workers who are involved in the care of such children and families in Iwate Prefecture. The purpose of these workshops is to provide an opportunity for families and supporters to exchange opinions, understand the situation of children and families, and each other's care giving situation, and think about how to improve care for children with special needs and their families.
03 UNAI Report Iwate-pu 2021 en_006.pdf
４ Multifaceted Management and Utilization of Rivers through Visualization and 3D Modeling
Program Manager: Akio Doi (Professor, Faculty of Software and Information Science)
Program Members: Mamoru Sai (Nishiwaga Freshwater Fisheries) Cooperative/Environmental Restoration Council), Masahiro Harada (Tac Engineering), Tsuyoshi Kobayashi and Takayuki Yokouchi (Ricoh Japan Corp.), Kenji Sakakibara and Hirotaka Tsukinokizawa (TOKU PCM Co., Ltd.)
Aiming to develop a map that can visualize and display various information on rivers (360-degree images, 3D models, point cloud data, numerical information, etc.), this research project team selected GIS to serve as a platform and acquired data. A basin geometric map was created using the selected ArcGIS, and the data display function was verified.
04 UNAI Report Iwate-pu 2021 en_007-008.pdf
５ Regional Social Theory Seminar: Collaboration with the "Let's Connect with 'Kumo wo Tsumugu' Project" -Hospitality with Well Water and Homespun-
Yosinobu Misuda (Associate Professor, Iwate Prefectural University, Morioka Junior College), Akane Oikawa, Syu Suganuma, Osamu Takaoka, Sae Muramatu (2021 International Cultural Studies students)
The purpose of the "Regional Social Theory Seminar", taken by students during their second year at the Department of International Cultural Studies, Morioka Junior College, is to make and implement a plan in the region and use it for their learning (service learning). In this seminar, we collaborate with the "Let's Connect with 'Kumo wo Tsumugu' Project" currently being implemented by Morioka City and Morioka Machinami Juku, and provide an opportunity for students to think about the attractions and issues of the town through interactions with the town people.
In 2021, we planned to help with well cleaning, making sweets using well water, creating handicrafts, and holding a tea party in Nataya-cho, Morioka City, which is famous for its well water.
05 UNAI Report Iwate-pu 2021 en_009.pdf
６ Promoting Intercultural Understanding in the Rea ding Marathon Room - Understanding Other Cultures Through People & Understanding People Though Books -
Sanae Kumamoto and Aki Yoshihara (Associate Professors, Department of International Cultural Studies, Morioka Junior College), Hamish Smith, Lecturer
The Department of International Cultural Studies, Morioka Junior College, implements the Reading Marathon Room (RMR), a foreign language independent-learning project to strengthen and reinforce "rich and practical communication skills" of students.
In order to foster foreign language skills, a learning environment in which students can study independently is essential. In order to create such a supportive learning environment, the RMR is staffed with Learning Advisor (LA) who is a native speaker, or native speaker level in target foreign languages, and operated in cooperation with the faculty staff and LA.
06 UNAI Report Iwate-pu 2021 en_010.pdf
７ Understanding International Cultures Seminars I/II Korean Language Online Training
Keitaro Ishibashi, Professor, Aki Yoshihara, Associate Professor (Department of International Cultural Studies, Morioka Junior College)
At the Department of International Cultural Studies, Morioka Junior College, for the 1st year students, we offer overseas training program in the United States or South Korea to encourage students broaden their horizons from the region to the world, acquire knowledge as a cosmopolitan, and learn a variety of cultures.
However, due to the spread of COVID-19 we had to cancel the program in 2020. In 2021, in order to ensure that students have the opportunity to learn foreign languages and different cultures, we provided online training and seven students took the Korean short-term online course offered by the Institute of International Education, Kyung Hee University.
07 UNAI Report Iwate-pu 2021 en_011.pdf
８ Initiative to Promote Cross-Cultural Understanding in Miyako Junior College
Takayuki Mimura, Associate Professor, Yoshiyuki Omae, Lecturer, Miyako Junior College
At Miyako Junior College, we hold lectures on international exchange and"English Time" program to promote students' cross-cultural understanding.
In the "Lecture on International Exchange" which was held in December 2021, the Vice-Minister of International Exchange of Miyako City was invited to give a lecture entitled "Current Efforts to Welcome Foreign Residents in Miyako City".
After the lecture, group work on understanding life in foreign countries under the title of "International understanding in each of us" was conducted.
Also, in July and December 2021, an English conversation event "English Time" was held with foreign lecturers in attendance. The participants deepened their international understanding while interacting with the lecturers in English.
08 UNAI Report Iwate-pu 2021 en_012.pdf
９ The Second Hand Ticks Again in the Hearts of Affected People: -Introducing activities of the Student Red Cross Volunteer Corps of Iwate Prefectural University Miyako -
Nobuhiro Tanaka, Professor, Miyako Junior College
Student Group: Student Red Cross Volunteer Corps of Iwate Prefectural University Miyako
In 2008, " Student Red Cross Volunteer Corps of Iwate Prefectural University Miyako" started its activities to deepen understanding of the region through volunteer activities in the region and to contribute to the region.
After the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami, they were involved in sorting relief supplies and cleanup activities for damaged houses and roadside ditches. Ten years have passed since the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami, in order to help the clock in the hearts of the affected people start to tick a gain, the Corps continues to support them through a variety of activities.
09 UNAI Report Iwate-pu 2021 en_013.pdf
10 Holding of LINKtopos2021 - Public University Student Network / LINKtopos2021 in IWATE -
Administration team of Iwate Prefectural University
The national student convention of public universities "LINKtopos" is led by "the Public University Student Network" which was formed in 2012 and originated from the volunteer activities for the Great East Japan Earthquake. The convention is held once a year and university students from all over the nation gather to study hard and interact with each other through workshops, etc. on themes such as disaster relief, disaster prevention, and community activities.
In 2021, the milestone year of the 10th anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake, our university hosted the online convention for 2 days on September 15 and 16, 2021 using Zoom, and the theme was "Since then and from now on". As a main program of the convention, there were workshops focusing on three sub-themes: "Consideration and care," "Reconstruction and local community revitalization", and "Community activities in the midst of the COVID - 1 9 pandemic".
10 UNAI Report Iwate-pu 2021 en_014-015.pdf