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 2022 academic year.
UNAI Report Iwate-pu 2022 en_introduction.pdf
1 Health Promotion Projects with Takizawa City
Faculty of Nursing and Graduate School of Nursing, Iwate Prefectural University
Dean: Yuko Fukushima, Chairperson: Yuri Takahashi, Vice-chairperson: Yoshihito Endo
Project A: Wakako Yachi, Yoshihito Endo, Shoko Kaneya, Ayaka Sobu, Yuri Yamauchi, Yuko Fukushima
Project B: Natsuko Miura, Mariko Takayashiki, Shizuko Angerhofer, Yoko Oikawa
Project C: Yuka Fujisawa, Yuri Takahashi, Miyoko Suzuki, Nozomi Fujisawa, Atsuko Komukai, Natsumi Takaiwa (all of the above are faculty members of the Faculty of Nursing)
Since 2021, the Faculty of Nursing and Graduate School of Nursing, Iwate Prefectural University has been collaborating with Takizawa City and focusing on activities to promote the health of citizens. Five key projects have been launched and three of them are introduced here.
(1) Project A Examination of materials useful for maternal and child health care activities
In Takizawa City, maternal and child health care services have been restricted due to the spread of COVID-19, and there was a need to consider materials to support pregnant and postpartum women who were unable to participate in the baby bathing demonstrations and new parenting classes. In 2021, we collaborated with Takizawa City to create two types of leaflets; one to be distributed when registering a pregnancy and one to be distributed when registering a birth. We also created two baby bathing lesson videos (for bathing steps and bathing basics), and printed a QR code on these leaflets so that the videos can be accessed and watched easily. In 2022, we conducted a questionnaire survey to assess the materials we created.
(2) Project B Activities to promote the chair version of the "INDA" health dance
Takizawa City's "INDA" health dance is a fast-moving dance originally created for people under 60 who don't have a habit of exercising. In 2021, nursing students devised a seated version of "INDA" which can be safely enjoyed by elderly people. In 2022, the activity was promoted under the leadership of students.
(3) Project C Promotion of walking for health
Since 2021, students and faculty of the Faculty of Nursing have voluntarily participated in, planned, and run walking events twice a year to contribute to improvement of the health and QOL of citizens.
In 2022, they successfully brought together 28 Takizawa citizens in a joint event with the "INDA" health dance.
01 UNAI Report Iwate-pu 2022 en04-05.pdf
2 Initiative to Improve the Quality of Care for People with Diabetes/Chronic Diseases and Care of Cancer Patients for Nurses in Iwate Prefecture
Kyoko Utsumi, Mai Hosokawa, Mariko Takayashiki, Yuka Fujisawa, Nobuyo Oikawa, Department of Adult Nursing Course, Faculty of Nursing, Iwate Prefectural University
(1) Initiative to Improve the Quality of Care of People with Diabetes/Chronic Diseases
(a) Training sessions for the care of people with diabetes
In order to provide new knowledge and information related to the care of people with diabetes, and to build a network of nurses and healthcare professionals involved in diabetes care within the prefecture, a number of training sessions have been held. These include the Iwate Prefecture Diabetes Care Training Sessions which began in 2006, the Tohoku Diabetes Staff Education Seminars which began in 2007, and the Iwate Prefecture Diabetes Care Coastal Area Training Sessions which have been running since 2008. The sessions are held for nurses and healthcare professionals involved in the care of people with diabetes.
(b) Training sessions for the care of people with chronic diseases
Tohoku Chronic Disease Care Study Group sessions are held as follow-up training sessions mostly for nurses who have completed the chronic disease clinical nurse specialist (CNS) course in graduate school. These sessions include case studies, and nursing studies provided by chronic disease CNSs for general nurses.
(2) Initiative to Improve the Quality of Care of Cancer Patients
(a) Cancer care consultation station
In order to improve cancer medicine and cancer care in Iwate Prefecture, since 2020, cancer clinical nurse specialists working at our university have operated a cancer care consultation station for healthcare professionals in the Northern Iwate and Sanriku regions and provide remote consultation services twice a month.
(b) Iwate Society of Considering Cancers
In collaboration with clinical nurse specialists and certified nurses in the prefecture, the "Iwate Society of Considering Cancers" was established in 2021, and the Society continuously provides healthcare professionals with training sessions related to palliative care, cancer nursing, clinical ethics, among other things, on the web or on a face-to-face basis.
(c) ELNEC-J (End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium Japan)
ELNEC-J training sessions (4 sessions in total), established as an educational program of the Japanese Society of Palliative Medicine, have been held continuously since 2021 using a remote conference system.
(d) Cancer care training sessions using a remote conference system
From 2022, training sessions have been held for general nurses as a cancer care awareness project.
02 UNAI Report Iwate-pu 2021 en06-07.pdf
3 Development of a System that Serves as a Platform for the Survey of the Actual Conditions of Marine and River Debris
Hiroki Tomizawa, Lecturer, Faculty of Software and Information Science, Iwate Prefectural University
Resource Recycling Promotion Division, Environment and Life Department, Iwate Prefecture
Yuya Tanaka, Representative Director of Badass Co., Ltd.
Kotaro Shibuya, Regional Cooperation Coordinator, Research & Regional Cooperation Information Headquarters, Iwate Prefectural University
Iwate Prefecture formulated the "Second Phase Iwate Prefecture Regional Plan for Promoting Measures against Marine Debris" in March of 2023. In the plan, it is stated that the prefecture aims to build a system to visualize natural environmental conservation activities with the full participation of all citizens of the prefecture. This is because, in order to control the emission of waste plastics into oceans, a cohesive effort of diverse players is needed, and the promotion of environmental cleanup campaigns is necessary, not only in coastal areas, but across the entire prefecture. Together with students from the Faculty of Software and Information Science, the research team is gradually developing a system that will serve as a platform for the surveying of actual conditions of marine and river debris as well as a prototype application for posting data to encourage the participation of citizens of the prefecture. In 2022, based on past research, the team established a system concept, conducted a field survey and created a prototype web-based system for monitoring data collection and visualization. Also, a prototype smartphone application developed to be used for daily data posting to the system was exhibited at "Eco-Products 2022" held at Tokyo Big Sight in December.
03 UNAI Report Iwate-pu 2022 en08-09.pdf
4 Clothing Life Improvement Project for Child Patients with Severe Mental and Physical Disabilities
- Proposal of Hospital Clothing Designs for Cerebral Palsy Patients -
Kyoko Sato, Associate Professor, Ai Saito, Lecturer, Morioka Junior College Iwate Prefectural University
Naoya Koyama, Chief social worker for children, National Hospital Organization Morioka Medical Center
Rena Akimoto, Akari Kamigata, Momoka Takimoto, Miru Chiba, Saki Horiguchi, Sakura Matsumori, 1st-year students, Life Design Major, Life Science Department (2022)
Child patients with severe mental and physical disabilities can have significant physical deformities and contractures. However, as their conditions can vary from person to person, it is not easy to choose clothing that matches the patient's particular condition, age and preferences. For this reason, current clothing options for these children are generally limited to ready-made large-size clothes or home-made clothes tailored to their physical conditions made by their family members. At the request of National Hospital Organization Morioka Medical Center, the Life Design Major, Morioka Junior College Life Science Department, Iwate Prefectural University worked on the design and production of clothing to improve the clothing life of child patients with severe mental and physical disabilities. In this project, six volunteer students studying clothing in the Life Design Major, child social workers, nurses, daycare teachers and teachers of the Medical Center worked together to design and produce care clothing tailored to the individuality and characteristics of patients. The finished products were showcased at a fashion show with doctors and nurses being invited to the ward.
04 UNAI Report Iwate-pu 2022 en010-11.pdf
5 A Collaborative Project between the Marble Student Group and Morioka City to Create a Booklet to promote understanding of sexual and gender diversity
Sanae Kumamoto, Associate Professor, Morioka Junior College, Iwate Prefectural University
Marble, an Iwate Prefectural University student organization that promotes understanding of gender diversity, had their initiative to produce an informative booklet on gender, sexual orientation and gender identity accepted as part of Morioka City's open recruitment collaborative promotion project (predetermined theme project). In collaboration with Morioka City's Gender Equality Office, an awareness-raising booklet on gender, sexual orientation, and gender identity, such as LGBTQ+, was produced and disseminated via social media in order to raise understanding and interest in gender diversity and help eliminate discrimination and prejudice against sexual minorities. In order to make as many people aware of sexual diversity as possible, the students produced a booklet that reflect their belief that "no two people have the same gender identity and gender identity is unique to each person " and easy-to-understand explanations and diagrams of terms related to gender and sexuality were provided. This booklet, made from a young person's perspective, is also intended to eliminate harassment and unconscious discrimination, and promote understanding of sexual minorities. The booklet was is being handed out at public facilities in Morioka City and was also made available for download from the official website of Morioka City.
05 UNAI Report Iwate-pu 2022 en12-13.pdf
6 Restoration and Disaster Prevention Learning Program
Restoration and disaster prevention learning program operations team
Jun Ishido, Kensuke Emura, Center for the Advancement of Higher Education
Kazuya Sugiyasu, Faculty of Policy Studies
Keiko Chiba, Sanae Kumamoto, Aki Yoshihara, Hamish Smith, Patrick Maher, Morioka Junior College
The drinking water bottle distribution activity (commonly known as "MizuBora") was launched when drinking water bottles that were donated to Iwate Prefecture as relief supplies for the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami that occurred in March 2011 were personally delivered to the affected people living in temporary housing.
In 2022, the nature of this activity evolved into the disaster prevention learning activity known as the "Restoration and Disaster Prevention Learning Program"", which focuses on service learning. A total of 70 students and faculty members from four organizations participated in the program held, among other places, at the Takatamatsubara Memorial Park for TSUNAMI Disaster, which was completed approximately 10 years after the disaster.
06 UNAI Report Iwate-pu 2021 en14-15.pdf