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 2023 academic year.
UNAI Report Iwate-pu 2023 en_introduction.pdf
1 Initiatives to increase the technical competency of nurses working in child care centers in Iwate Prefecture
Assistant Professor Aizumi Ikue, Faculty of Nursing, Iwate Prefectural University; Professor Mitsuko Iwabuchi, School of
Nursing, Iwate Medical University; Yoko Kikuchi (Shiraiwa Nursery, Tono-shi); Hiromi Sawaguchi (Motomiya Nursery,
Morioka-shi); Noriko Sodebayashi (Shizukuishi Nursery; Shizukuishi-cho); Makiko Ishida (Day care for sick children; Tonoshi);
Takako Takahashi (Tsubame Nursery; Takizawa-shi); Yu Koizumi (Takkon Nursery School, Ofunato-shi)
In 2013, a graduate of the Prefectural University (3rd year student), and an active nurse working in a nursery school established a group to organize study sessions. The objective of the study session was to "improve the knowledge and skills of specialists involved with children" and "create a network of nursery school nurses in Iwate
Prefecture". The study sessions are designed for active participation from attendees rather than passive. In addition, a future goal is for nurses working in nursery schools to have an active role in planning and managing the study sessions.
01 UNAI Report Iwate-pu 2023 en04-05.pdf
2 Video Conference with University of North Carolina, Wilmington (UNCW)
Shizuko Angerhofer, Associate Professor, Mai Hosokawa, Associate Professor, Iwate Prefectural University, Faculty of Nursing
An agreement with the University of North Carolina, Wilmington (UNCW) in the United States was signed in 2002, with remote lectures between the two institutions beginning in 2005. Since then, the two universities have continued to hold exchanges (mainly
bi-annual online classes). Since 2009, this activity has been part of the Global Nursing Seminar. As part of the online class, students work in groups to select a topic related to health issues and approach it from an international perspective to prepare a
presentation with an awareness of cross-cultural exchange. They translate the results of their research into English, prepare slides, and practice pronunciation with a teacher who is a native speaker.
02 UNAI Report Iwate-pu 2023 en06-07.pdf
3 3-week fieldwork in Korea (Seminar in Understanding Foreign Culture I/II)
Professor Setsuko Onoda and Assistant Professor Aki Yoshihara, Department of International Cultural Studies, Morioka Junior College, Iwate Prefectural University
The objectives of the South Korea program are to learn Hangul, South Korean culture and history, and to understand other cultures through interactions with South Korean students. The four goals of the program are as follows.
・Learn Korean
・Learn South Korean history and culture
・Learn about modern South Korean society
・Interact with South Korean college students
Students were given a placement test, and their classes were decided based on that result. In the morning classes, students learned basic grammar and speaking. In the afternoon classes, students learned about various aspects of South Korean culture such as K-pop, Korean dramas, and Hangul calligraphy. They also visited cultural sites around the city.
03 UNAI Report Iwate-pu 2023 en08-09.pdf
4 Regional Sociology Seminar: Participation observation of the "Megumi" float procession at the Morioka Autumn Festival
Professor Yosinobu Misuda, Iwate Prefectural University, Morioka Junior College
The objective of the "Regional Sociology Seminar" (a class for 2nd years at the Department of International Cultural Studies at Morioka Junior College) is to plan and implement a project in the region and to learn from it in a form of service learning.
In line with this objective, students participated in the festival float procession (September 13th to 16th, 2023) of the Morioka Autumn Festival (Morioka Hachimangu Shrine Annual Festival) carried out by "Megumi" (Morioka City Fire Brigade 2nd
Division) from Nataya-cho, Morioka.
Professor Misuda has a long association with the "Megumi" group. This was the first float procession for the group in 7 years. Based on the experience, students considered the relationship between the festival, the fire brigade and members of the local community and what can be learned in relation to solving local issues.
04 UNAI Report Iwate-pu 2023 en10-11.pdf
5 Restoration and Disaster Prevention Learning Program
Restoration and disaster prevention learning program operations team
Director Jun Ishido; Kensuke Emura, Higher Education Promotion Center; 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") evolved into the disaster prevention learning activity known as the "Restoration and Disaster Prevention Learning Program", which focuses on service learning. The program was restarted in 2022 after a 3-year hiatus due to Covid-19. In 2023, a total of 62 students and faculty members from three organizations participated in the program, which was held, among other places, at the Iwate Prefectural Outdoor Activities Center and Takatamatsubara Memorial Park for TSUNAMI Disaster, which was completed approximately 10 years after the disaster.
05 UNAI Report Iwate-pu 2023 en12-13.pdf
SDGs workshop
Professor Emeritus Kotaro, Shibuya Iwate Prefectural University
Shun Oikawa, Project Controller, Research and Regional Coordination Headquarters at Iwate Prefectural University
Specified non-profit corporation Environmental Partnership Iwate
Since 2021, in cooperation with Iwate Prefecture, our university has participated the "Iwate satellite" in the "'Co-JUNKAN' Platform towards Beyond 'zero-carbon'" research center led by the University of Tokyo. The initiative is under the Japan Science and Technology Agency "Program on Open Innovation Platform for Industry-academia Co-creation (COI-NEXT)". Our main achievements in 2023 were conducting a research
group workshop in Ichinohe Town and an "SDGs workshop" at Kuzumaki High School and Ichinohe High School.
06 UNAI Report Iwate-pu 2023 en14-15.pdf