― What kind of human resources do we want to develop in the collaboration initiative?
The aim of this initiative is the development of human resources who have mastered the ability to collaborate. The ability to collaborate refers to people who can collaborate with people from many occupations to discover and solve issues. Jointly developing these human resources at the four universities in Saitama Prefecture will lead to support for people living in Saitama Prefecture, which is forecast to have the fastest increase in Japan in the number of elderly people and households consisting of elderly people living alone.
― What background issues have made these kinds of human resources necessary?
The birth rate is declining, the population is aging, and social problems such as unattended deaths, etc. are emerging. Furthermore, considering the promotion, etc. of home medicine and long-term care it is necessary to have the broad perspectives for supporting local residents that are cultivated through collaboration with people from specialized fields other than one’s own and the ability to use those broad perspectives to discover problems. When solving the problems, it is necessary to cooperate with people from many occupations while considering and implementing solution methods, and implementation of the education for this purpose is essential.
― Why did these four universities decide to collaborate?
The four universities, Saitama Prefectural University (which develops professionals in the areas of nursing, rehabilitation, social welfare, etc.), Saitama Medical University (which develops physicians, etc.), Josai University (which develops pharmacists, registered nutritionists, etc.), and the Nippon Institute of Technology (which develops living environment professionals such as architects and building engineers, etc.), decided to utilize their respective characteristics in order to collaborate to comprehensively support the lifestyles of the local residents.
― The initiative will be implemented for five years. What kind of plan has been established?
In fiscal year 2012 we will implement trials, etc. for collaboration subjects with a view to teaching subjects in which the students at the four universities will carry out practices, etc. together. We will carry out repeated trials during the support period in order to develop subjects with a greater educational effect. Furthermore, after the end of the period of the initiative we plan to continue implementation, positioning the subjects as regular subjects of each university.
― What new things will the adoption of this project enable to be done in the future?
We will develop and teach collaboration subjects in which the students at the four universities learn together (we plan subjects with an expected enrollment of over 500 students). Furthermore, we will undertake new efforts in the areas of the support of joint volunteers, etc., implementation of interdisciplinary joint research, and returning outcomes to society, such as the region and other universities, etc.
― I understand that this initiative will include some attempts to improve activities that have been implemented by each university, etc. previously. What are these activities?
We will develop collaborative education that supports lifestyles by incorporating the living environment perspective in healthcare and welfare. This cannot be achieved by one university alone, and this education will enable the students at each of the universities to take full advantage of their ability to collaborate to solve issues after they have found jobs and encountered issues that they cannot solve by themselves. Furthermore, by returning the outcomes of the education and research to the region will also enable each university to improve its contribution to society.
― In what form can the outcomes of the collaboration be shown to society? Do you have a clear idea what the specific outcome indicators will be?
This is an initiative that contributes to the development of the human resources that will promote the Saitama Project for Healthy Longevity being promoted by Saitama Prefecture in order to realize a society in which everyone can live vigorous, healthy and long lives. We will actively post the content and outcomes of the initiative on web sites, etc. and endeavor to contribute to the improvement of the initiatives of other universities and regions.
