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

Kobe Pharmaceutical University

Basic Information of the Institution
Ownership: Private

Location: Hyogo, Japan

Accreditation Status
Year of the Review: 2022
Accreditation Status: accredited（Accreditation Period: April 1, 2023 – March 31, 2030）

Kobe Pharmaceutical University

Certified Evaluation and Accreditation Resultsfor Kobe Pharmaceutical University
Overview
Kobe Pharmaceutical University sets forth the educational principles of serving as auniversity widely open to society; pursuing both education and research as its
foundation; cultivating pharmacists, educators, and researchers with advanced
knowledge of pharmacy as well as a sense of mission and ethical standards as medical
professionals; and serving as a center that can contribute to the community. TheUniversity has formulated the Third Medium-term Plan (AY2022-AY2026) inaccordance with the Kobe Pharmaceutical University Governance Code establishedin AY2020, and launched a new undergraduate program curriculum in AY2022 witha view to developing human resources who will lead the future of pharmacy.
Regarding the University’s internal quality assurance system, the SelfAssessment Committee serves as a core university-wide organization. Each division
is asked to describe the PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) items using a self-assessment
sheet, and the results are evaluated by the committee. Based on the feedback received,
the divisions hold additional discussions and brief the committee on the outcomes.
To assure the quality of the undergraduate programs, the Comprehensive Education
and Research Center (Administrative Division) was established in AY2020 to play acentral role in designing and implementing new curricula, assuring the quality ofeducational content, and reporting its activities to the Self-Assessment Committee.
This process indicates that the University’s internal quality assurance system isfunctioning properly in general. The graduate school’s PDCA cycle is operated bythe Graduate School Faculty Council, but coordination with the Self-Assessment
Committee is unclear. This issue should be addressed in the years ahead.
As for the University’s education, both undergraduate and graduate
schools have appropriately established and published the diploma and curriculum
policies for each degree to be awarded in their syllabuses and on the University
website. The Comprehensive Education and Research Center (Support Division)plays a leading role in providing effective study support, such as counseling forstudents lacking motivation and offering learning assistance to students repeating theyear. In terms of the University’s principle of pursuing both education and research,“Active Lab” has been introduced as an elective for first- to third-year undergraduate
students, with laboratory experiments offered from the first year. It is highly1

Kobe Pharmaceutical Universitycommendable that this program helps students develop a research mindset andincrease their motivation for pharmacy and graduation research starting in the fourthyear. To understand the student learning outcomes at the time of undergraduate course
completion, the University has introduced a GPA (grade point average) system, andevaluates the achievements of the diploma policy in stages by checking student
attitudes toward graduation research and their presentations. The University also
surveys the graduates on the achievements of the diploma policy to grasp the learning
outcomes. On the other hand, while the graduate school monitors student learning
outcomes based on grades and credit status, the method does not sufficiently measure
the outcomes stated in its diploma policy. This issue should be addressed withmethods and indicators adopted to appropriately monitor and evaluate student
learning outcomes in a multifaceted way.
The University pays attention to local healthcare and environmental issues,and is actively involved in social cooperation and contribution activities based on its
principle of serving as a center contributing to the promotion and maintenance ofgood health. It is highly commendable that the University has undertaken numerous
efforts based on this principle. For example, the Extension Center takes the initiativein providing pharmacists with lifelong training support and offering certificate
training for pharmacists, and the Community Cooperation Satellite Center plays acore role in providing information to local residents. The University also employs auniversity research administrator (URA) to handle tasks related to its intellectual
property as well as promote faculty members’ research concepts when seeking
external funding. The University’s efforts to realize the principle of pursuing botheducation and research are commendable.
However, the University should improve the low ratio of student
enrollment to the student enrollment cap in the master’s course, in addition toaddressing the above issues.
In the coming years, the University is expected to progress as a university
leading the future of pharmacy by stepping up its university-wide internal quality
assurance efforts to resolve the issues in question while promoting more distinctiveinitiatives.
Notable Strengths
Educational Program and Learning Outcomes2

Kobe Pharmaceutical University

Graduation research is positioned as the most important subject for acquiring theabilities stated in the diploma policy. With educational approaches focused on
research since its foundation, the University has introduced “Active Lab” as anelective subject for first- to third-year undergraduate students, allowing them tojoin laboratories in specialized fields of their choice and participate in research
activities from the first year. This program allows students to build thefoundation for setting goals and conducting experiments and studies when
launching graduation research projects; it also helps students develop a researchmindset and increase their motivation for pharmacy and graduation researchstarting in the fourth year. It is commendable that this initiative fosters students’
independence, creativity, and scientific inquiry through research activities.

Social Cooperation and Contribution
The Extension Center, as a knowledge center widely open to society, promotes
lifelong pharmaceutical education support by providing useful and practicallifelong training for pharmacists, including the University’s graduates, working
in healthcare facilities. In the course of its longstanding activities, the Extension
Center has been certified as a training institution for certified pharmacists in thehealth food field, and is working to train more professional pharmacists. Inaddition to lifelong education for pharmacists, the University operates theCommunity Cooperation Satellite Center to promote and maintain the health ofthe local community. The facility holds seminars and other events for the generalpublic, and collaborates with local relevant organizations, government agencies,and educational institutions to offer the community not only knowledge on drug
treatments, but a wide range of medical expertise. It is commendable that theUniversity returns the positive outcomes in line with the Community
Contribution Policy based on its educational principles.

Suggestions for Improvement
Educational Program and Learning Outcomes
The graduate school monitors and evaluates student learning outcomes based on
the screening of dissertations, but this method is insufficient for measuring thelearning outcomes stated in its diploma policy. This issue should be addressed3

Kobe Pharmaceutical University

with methods and indicators adopted to appropriately monitor and evaluate
student learning outcomes in a multifaceted way.
Student Enrollment
The Master’s Course of Pharmaceutical Science, Research Division in Pharmacy
and Pharmaceutical Science, has a low ratio of 0.20 in student enrollment to thestudent enrollment cap. This ratio should be improved with the graduate school’s
student quotas thoroughly managed.

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