University Accreditation Results(Results for Certified Evaluation and Accreditation for university)

HOSHI UNIVERSITY

Basic Information of the Institution
Ownership: Private

Location: Tokyo, Japan

Accreditation Status
Year of the Review: 2017
Accreditation Status: accredited （Accreditation Period: April.01.2018 – March.31.2025）

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Certified Evaluation and Accreditation Resultsfor Hoshi University
Overview
Hoshi University (hereafter “the University”) has its origin in the staff education
division of Hoshi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., which was established in 1911, and wasfounded in 1950 with a school philosophy of “Our university is a ‘cradle' in which
talents who will serve the world are fostered through pharmacy.” The University
currently has a campus in Shinagawa Ward, Tokyo, and consists of the School ofPharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences and the Graduate School of PharmaceuticalSciences.
Since its accreditation review by Japan University Accreditation Association(JUAA) in 2010, the Staff Meeting, an advisory body to the President, has played acentral role in not only addressing the issues raised in that review, but also making
several improvements and reforms, and it has achieved results. With respect to thepromotion of international exchanges, which was one of the issues raised in theprevious accreditation review, the University has executed academic exchange
agreements with multiple overseas universities, promoting international exchanges
centering on exchanges of faculty members and students. In particular, the University
has provided Overseas Advanced Practical Training since 2014, seeking to foster
international-minded pharmacists who can respond to globalization. It also clarified thedirection the University should take by formulating Hoshi University Vision2025-2030 in the same year. That vision sets five goals, and the University formulates
business plan each year and reports its actual achievements in written business reports
based on that vision. Those achievements are then verified and reflected in businessplans to be formulated for subsequent years, and this takes place in a cyclical manner.
In particular, it can be highly acclaimed that the Advanced Life Science ResearchCenter established in 2014 based on one of the goals – “to be Japan’s leadingworld-class university specializing in research” – has been producing results such asacquiring significant research funding by creating a cutting-edge research environment
and working to enhance its basic and clinical research.
On the other hand, with respect to the number of professors required inprinciple under the Standards for Establishment of Universities, this accreditation
review found that the University was short by eight professors as of May 1, 2016 and3

at the time of the site visit conducted in September 2017. It was also found that there
was a shortage of several professors over time before that. In response to this, theUniversity implemented the Educational Personnel Challenge Promotion System andother schemes aiming to recruit staff internally, appoint young faculty members andstimulate human resources development, and as a result it has met the required number
as of January 1, 2018. However, the above issue was not recognized until thisaccreditation review and it cannot be said that the University was in compliance withlaws, so the University must keep this in mind. Further, at the Drug Discovery Science
Course of the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, the ratio of student
enrollment to the student enrollment cap and the average of ratios of freshmanenrollment to the freshman enrollment cap over the last five years are high, and there isno limit on the number of credits for which students can register in a year, so thoseissues also need to be rectified.
In the future, under the regime of the new self-study to be implemented in2018, the University is expected to move forward with further improvements andreforms by establishing an internal quality assurance system in which it can conduct
university-wide comprehensive self-study and ensuring that that system functions
properly.
Notable Strengths
Education and Research Organization

Based on one of the five goals set in the Hoshi University Vision 2025-2030 – “tobe Japan’s leading world-class university specializing in research” – the University
established the Advanced Life Science Research Center, and the University is
working to enhance basic and clinical research by creating a cutting-edge research
environment in the Advanced Life Science Research Center within that institute,which allows for cross-disciplinary advanced and integrated research. It iscommendable that, through those efforts, the University has produced results suchas acquiring large-scale project funding including MEXT-Supported Program for
the Strategic Research Foundation at Private Universities and the Project of
NARO Bio-oriented Technology Research Advancement Institution.

4Educational Content, Methods, and Outcome

The University offers Overseas Advanced Practical Training as an optional course
for fifth-year students at the Pharmaceutical Course of the School of Pharmacy andPharmaceutical Sciences for the purpose of broadening their view as medical
professionals and fostering international-minded pharmacists who can respond toglobalization. The students who enroll in this practical training can directly
experience overseas health systems and pharmacist duties by taking part inpractical training for one month in Vancouver, Canada. It is commendable that theUniversity is training students who have a broad perspective and deep knowledge
with an international mindset.

Suggestions for Improvement
Educational Content, Methods, and Outcome

At the Drug Discovery Science Course of the School of Pharmacy andPharmaceutical Sciences, there is no limit on the number of credits for which
students can register in a year. This issue should be addressed in light of thepurpose of the credit system.

Enrollment
There are no separate admission policies for master’s program and doctoral
program at the Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences. This needs to beaddressed.

Area of Serious Concern
Enrollment
At the Drug Discovery Science Course of the School of Pharmacy andPharmaceutical Sciences, the average of ratios of freshman enrollment to thefreshman enrollment cap over the last five years and the ratio of student

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enrollment to the student enrollment cap are high at 1.37 are 1.34, respectively.
This issue must be addressed.