Annual Report (2019)
on UN Academic Impact Activities
Iwate Prefectural University

Takizawa Campus

Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. List of Highlights
3. Explanation of Highlights• Principles 6 and 10• Principles 6 and 8• Principle 9

4. Summary

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Miyako Campus

1. Introduction
Iwate Prefectural University joined the United Nation Academic Impact Initiative in May,
2019. From the 10 Academic Impact Principles, we have committed to the following 4:••••

Principle 6: Encouraging global citizenship through education
Principle 8: Addressing issues of poverty through education
Principle 9: Promoting sustainability through education
Principle 10: Promoting inter-cultural dialogue and understanding, andthe “unlearning” of intolerance, through education(https://academicimpact.un.org)

These 4 principles are in harmony with the founding spirit and basic directions of ouruniversity.

Based on this philosophy, we have established the following 5 basic directions for thedevelopment of the university:
•
•
•
•
•

The promotion of compassion and cultivation of a spirit that respects humanity
Distinctive education and research focusing on interdisciplinary fields
Practical education and researchContribution to the local community
Contribution to the international community

Through participating in the United Nation Academic Impact, we are intending to further
contribute to the globalization of our university and the internationalization of the local
community. Also, through practical education and research, we will continue to engage inefforts to address poverty and work towards the realization of a sustainable society.

22. List of Highlights
The report includes information concerning Academic Impact activities undertaken in theJapanese fiscal year of 2019 (April 2019 – March 2020).
The activities undertaken in response to the Academic Impact Principles are as follows:
Principle 6: Encouraging global citizenship through education
Principle 10: Promoting inter-cultural dialogue and understanding, and the“unlearning” of intolerance, through education(1) Events for Understanding Intercultural Exchange(2) Workshop on Intercultural Understanding: January 15th, 2020(3) International Volunteer Project: “Mizubora”(4) Study Abroad Program at Ohio University
Principle 6 : Encouraging global citizenship through education
Principle 8: Addressing issues of poverty through education(1) Learning program to solve social issues by utilizing overseas studies for the wellbeing of local children and families(2) Fieldwork in Christchurch, New Zealand(3) The Children's Cafeteria “Kiwi Cafeteria” in Iwate Prefecture: Holding inclusive
support events for children with various difficulties(4) Publication of learning program results and practical activities(5) Student’s evaluation of their learning

Principle 9 Promoting sustainability through education(1) Discussions about SDGs at The University of Indonesia and Iwate Prefectural
University (November 6th, 2019)(2) SDGs Action Awards 2020 (February 15th, 2020)(3) Awareness-raising and the promotion of activities for Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs)

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3. Explanation of Highlights

Principle 6: Encouraging global citizenship through education

Principle 10: Promoting inter-cultural dialogue and understanding,and the “ unlearning” of intolerance, through education(1) Events for Understanding Intercultural Exchange

Speakers from inside and outside the university shared their experiences overseas, discussed
points of communication with foreigners, and introduced their own culture and the lives ofinternational students.
① “Stories of Volunteering in France”: May 30th, 2019
Lecturer: Mr. Arai, a student of Iwate Prefectural University

Mr. Arai introduced the story of his experience on the CIEE (Council on International
Education Exchange) international volunteer program, in particular, the rebuilding of a church
in France.

② ““Omotenashi” English conversation course” : July 12th, 2019
Lecturer: Ms. Peggy Ishikawa, Iwate International Exchange Association
Drawing on both personal experiences andother examples, participants discussed different
means by which to convey “Omotenashi”(Japanese-style hospitality) when communicatingwith foreigners whom they are meeting for the
first time. They experienced using authenticphrases to introduce oneself and convey
hospitality in true to life role-play scenarios.

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③ “Studying Foreign Languages in Japan”: October 30th, 2019

Lecturers: Associate Prof. H. Takahashi, Associate Prof. Lupusa Cornelia Daniela andProf. Tee Kian Heng of Iwate Prefectural University

This presentation and panel discussion event was held to discuss the study of foreign
languages in Japan. Students shared issues related to language learning and learning methods.
④ “Life in Iwate, Japan from the Perspective of Foreign Students”: December 19th, 2019
Lecturer: Ms. Lee Sou, International Student of Iwate Prefectural University
Ms. Lee introduced her hometown (Shandong Province, China), her life in Japan and her
hobbies (making accessories). She also discussed what she likes about, and doesn't understandabout Japanese people.

5(2) Workshop on Intercultural Understanding : January 15th, 2020①

“The Social Networks of International Students in Japan”
Lecturer: Associate Professor Kumiko Hosogoe, Faculty of Social Welfare,
Iwate Prefectural University

This talk discussed the social networking needs of international students. International
students have two major goals: academic achievement and cultural adaptation. To succeed inboth, they need to develop social networks. There are three types of networks: themonocultural network, which involves relationships with people from one’s own country; thebicultural network, which involves relationships with people from the host country; and themulticultural network, which involves relationships with people from various countries. As
the first step forwards building a stable livelihood, students are required to interact withJapanese people and at the same time to maintain informal relationships within monocultural
or multicultural networks.

②“ Student Life at Ohio University”
Lecturer: Mr. Kenta Takahashi, Student of Faculty of Social Welfare,
Iwate Prefectural University

Mr. Takahashi talked about his study abroad experience at Ohio University, which was
supported by the “Tobitate! Young Ambassador Program.” Giving examples of prejudicefilled conversations he encountered in the U.S., he came to the conclusion that studying
abroad is one of the greatest opportunities to question commonly held beliefs and becomeaware of one’s unconscious prejudices.

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(3) International Volunteer Project : “Mizubora”

Together with students, teachers, and staff from Ohio University in the United States, Iwate
Prefectural University has been engaging in reconstruction support in the disaster-stricken areas of
the Great East Japan Earthquake and subsequent Tsunami that occurred on March 11th, 2011. The
first project was conducted in September, 2011, and the second in September, 2012. From 2013,
students and teachers from Chubu University and Honjo International Scholarship Foundation
recipients have also participated this activity.
This volunteer project, called “Mizubora”, distributes boxes of bottled water to local residents
who have been forced to move into emergency temporary housing or disaster relief public housing.
Having international volunteers not only creates opportunities for residents, particularly elderly
people living alone, to have someone to speak with and feel looked out for, but also energizes
them. The Honjo International Scholarship Foundation provides several thousand 1 liter bottles ofwater every year.
This year, for the ninth time, a total of 90 members from the above universities and the Honjo
International Scholarship Foundation, participated in this activity at the disaster relief public
housing in Rikuzentakata City, Iwate Prefecture. They also took part in cleaning and disinfecting
works at a trout/salmon hatchery. In the past, this project has also carried out various programs in
addition to “Mizubora”, such as exchange activities through local performing arts, tea ceremonies,
and experience lectures on earthquake and tsunami disasters by the story club, etc.
The following is the impression of one of the students from Iwate Prefectural University:“What I felt working together with international students is that there are no borders involunteerism. The international students showed genuine concern about residents and worked hardwith smiles. Seeing this, I realized that the volunteer activity was great in making it possible tocollaborate with people from all over the world. If a disaster occurs in a foreign country, I wish to
go there to lend support.”78

(4) Study Abroad Program at Ohio University

Reporter: Ms. Nanae Maeta, Student of Miyako Junior Colledge

Ever since I was in junior high school, I have been interested in Western movies and music,
and have wanted to go abroad. When I entered Miyako Junior College, I learned about the study
abroad program at Ohio University. Even if it was only for a short period of time, I was eager tolearn English and many other things at a foreign university and I decided to join this program.

At the university, classes were held from9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., six hours a day, andonce a week I had English lessons while
receiving individual instruction in speaking
and writing. After classes, I used to go to thelibrary to work on assignments with otherstudents. When we had time, we spent it
watching basketball and ice hockey games
together. In the dormitory, I shared a roomwith an American student who could not speak
Japanese at all. At first, I was worried about
whether I would be able to have a good time,
but by the time I returned to Japan, we wereable to have a pleasant conversations inEnglish.

[At Ohio University]

During my study abroad, there were many things I didn't know about Japan, and I often had
trouble in responding. As a result, I acquired the habit of immediately looking up things I did notunderstand. I also began to consciously study English and watch world news so that I could makeuse of what I had experienced and learned during my study abroad.
Upon coming back to Japan, I was invited to Miyako Harbor Radio‘s program“Interculturalism”to talk about my study abroad experience and introduce Ohio.
Because I have been interested in hunger and poverty,
since I was a freshman in junior college, I want to go to afour-year university to deepen my understanding ofpoverty and international society. Moreover, in the
future I would like to become a Japan Overseas
Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV) member, JICA staff, oran international NGO staff, to help as many people whoare suffering from hunger and poverty as possible, bothin Japan and abroad.

9[Radio Appearance]Principle 6 : Encouraging global citizenship through education
Principle 8 : Addressing issues of poverty through education(1) Learning Program to Solve Social Issues by Utilizing Overseas Studies for
the Well-being of Local Children and Families① Active learning to Solve Children’s Welfare Issues
Since the 2017 fiscal year, Associate Professor of the Faculty of Social Welfare, Yukie Sakura has
been trialing a learning program in which students can learn independently and through hands-on
experience in social initiatives (activities to create new support). This program aims at solving
welfare issues that threaten children's growth, such as poverty and social exclusion.
② Students’ Learning Goals
Students’ learning goals through this program are as follows:• To be able to consider issues from a comprehensive and multifaceted perspective• To be able to have open dialogue and collaborate with diverse partners• To be able to practice social actions③ 2019 Learning Programs and Practical Activities
In 2019, seven students planned and practiced social activities in the following learning programs:• Student-led pre-study sessions (July 2018 to February 2019)• Fieldwork in Christchurch, New Zealand (March 2019)• Practical activities for supporting children in Takizawa City which is the location of Iwate
Prefectural University (July 2019)(2) Fieldwork in Christchurch, New Zealand① Visiting Education and Welfare Sites: Learning about Early Childhood Education,
Families and Child Welfare, and Support for Special Needs
Students learned Te Whariki (an education curriculum in New Zealand) in an early childhood
education facility, and conducted fieldwork at companies where people with disabilities work, aswell as facilities for children with disabilities that have been established by their parents andgovernment agencies. In addition, they worked hard to interview parents, exchange opinions withhost families, and debate among students.

10Early Childhood Education

Public Library

Inclusive Companies

Student Discussions② Fundraising at Japan Day event in New Zealand for
future activities

Students played a ninja target game at the Great East Japan Earthquake Reconstruction
Support Event (Japan Day) in Christchurch, NZ. At the event, they introduced the intention ofholding the ‟Kodomo Shokudo: Children‘s Cafeteria”, collected donations from visitors, andcarried out fundraising for future activities.

11(3) “Kiwi Cafeteria” in Iwate Prefecture: Holding inclusive support events forchildren with various difficulties
Although the Children’s Cafeteria is named a “cafeteria”, it is not just a place to serve meals.
The “Kiwi Cafeteria” was held as a cafeteria to support children with the aim of social
inclusion. The name “Kiwi” originates from what students learned in New Zealand. In order tosupport single-parent families and children with disabilities, it was planned in cooperation withlocal NPOs, and held using funds raised in New Zealand. The cafeteria invited parents andchildren from single-parent families using the NPO Inkle Iwate, children with disabilities
who attend the day service “Airship” after school, and students from Morioka Minami Special
Needs School. More than 30 participants enjoyed playing sports and games together, making
desserts with recipes learned from New Zealand host families, and smiling. We are convincedthat the joint activities for such diverse people will create powerful bonds within the local
community. This activity was featured in the newspaper, increasing local awareness of
initiatives.

(4) Publication of Learning Program Results and Practical Activities
The learning program and practical activities mentioned
above were introduced to visitors at the New Zealandbooth at the university open campus. They were also
reported at the briefing session of the International
Exchange Program during the university festival. In
addition, at the briefing meeting held in the Faculty ofSocial Welfare, students exchanged opinions with local
residents from the International Association of Takizawa
City.

(5) Student’s evaluation of their learning

In evaluating students’ learning activities, the ICE (Ideas, Connections, Extensions) model
was used. This model focused on: ① New knowledge/concepts and the amount of definitionsand vocabulary acquired, ② The ability to grasp the relationship and connections between newcontent and previously understood concepts, and ③ The ability to apply newly acquired
knowledge into practice, and to create new ideas. The students’ high evaluation scores in all
three areas confirm the students’ development of these very important creative skills.

12Principle 9 : Promoting sustainability through education(1) Discussions about SDGs in University of Indonesia (UI) and
Iwate Prefectural University (IPU) (November 6th , 2019)• Participants:
University of Indonesia
Dr. Ir. Riri Fitri Sari, Professor and Chairperson of UI GreenMetric World University Rankings
Iwate Prefectural University
Dr. Atsuto Suzuki, President
Dr. Kotaro Shibuya, Professor of Faculty of Policy Studies
Dr. Basabi Chakraborty, Professor of Faculty of Software Information
Dr. Prima Oky Dicky Ardiansyah, Associate Professor of Faculty of Software Information
Mr. Nobuyuki Kaneto, Planning Manager of Administrative Office① GreenMetric World University Ranking initiated by University of Indonesia

For the last 9 years, UI GreenMetric has become one of the flagship programs of The University ofIndonesia. It ranks universities around the world based on appointed indicators of campus
environmental issues such as setting and infrastructure, energy, waste management, water,transportation, and education. This ranking system is one of the university’s initiatives to promotesustainability on campuses and involve various stakeholders in efforts to create a sustainable
environment for the world. Currently, the network comprises 719 participating universities from 81
countries located in the dynamic and diverse regions of Asia, Africa, North America and Oceania.
(http://greenmetric.ui.ac.id/what-is-greenmetric/)

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② Implementation of Environment-Focused Measures in Iwate Prefectural University
Iwate Prefectural University was established in 1998. The campus facilities were designed
considering the hilly location and landscape, reducing environmental load, and installing cuttingedge energy-saving technologies. Below are several examples of the effective use of natural energy,
using a passive solar-system.
• Opening and Shutting Skylight
The ceiling of each faculty building has a skylight window which is possible to open and closeelectronically as a natural ventilation window. This window opens automatically when the outside
air temperature and/or the ceiling temperature of the building rises above 20oC with a wind speedof less than 10 m/s. Fig. 1 shows a skylight window as seen from the inside (left) and the outside(right) of a faculty building.
Fig. 1: Skylight windows.

Fig. 2: Natural wind-flow inside a faculty building when a skylight is open.

14• Geothermal Air-conditioning System, Using the Cool/Heat Trench Method
There are two trenches under the floor of each faculty building as shown in Fig.3. Open-air istaken in on one side of the trench, and is cooled/heated via the underground trenches insummer/winter. This air which is pre-cooled/ pre-warmed is utilized for the input of airconditioners in faculty buildings. Thanks to this system, the outside air is cooled down by ~ 6oC insummertime and heated up by ~9oC in wintertime before being sent to air-conditioners. The
cool/heat trench is 2.6 m high and 1.8 m wide. Its total length of the entire faculty building is
1,300 m and its total ground contact area is 4,000 m2, making it the largest system in Japan at thetime of the opening of our university in 1998.
Fig. 3 : Conceptual illustration of the trench mechanism.

• Green-Leaf Curtain
Since 2012, we have installed Green-Leaf
curtains to improve the learning environment insummer. In addition to lowering the temperature,
the cool colors of Green-Leaf curtains are said tohave a positive psychological effect.

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(2) SDGs Action Awards 2020 (February 15th, 2020)

Iwate Prefectural University Students Win Grand Prix at UNIVERSITY SDGs ACTION
AWARDS 2020 (https://www.iwate-pu.ac.jp/information/unai/sdgsawards2020.html)
On February 15th, 2020, in the final stage of the “UNIVERSITY SDGs ACTION!
AWARDS 2020” (sponsored by Asahi Shimbun Newspaper Company), Iwate Prefectural
University students Hayato TAJIRI and Takashi YAMADA (representatives of a non-profit
organization called IRC Project; second-year undergraduates of Department of Software andInformation) won the First Prize (Grand Prix) for their project, “People, Things, andCommunity Development to Create a Super Smart Society”. At the final screening, 12
finalist groups who were selected from more than 100 entries from universities all overJapan, gave thoughtful presentations at the Shibuya QWS Scramble Hall in Tokyo.
The judges gave high evaluations to the IRC Project with remarks such as “Their
presentation is outstanding because the IRC Project tackles its regional/community issues
thoroughly with a down-to-earth approach and their strength is in their understanding of thecommunity challenges as their own.”

Mr. Hayato Tajiri (left) and
Mr. Takashi Yamada (right)

https://www.asahi.com/dialog/articles/13117068

The presentation summary is shown below.

“People, Things, and Community Development
to Create a Super Smart Society”
Today's Iwate: The Place We Live Now
We are active in Takizawa City, Iwate Prefecture, with the aims of “support for the next
generation”, “manufacturing” and “urban development” that contribute to a super-smart society.
A super-smart society is a society in which people can live comfortably by making full use of IT
technology.

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Geographically, Iwate Prefecture is the second largest prefecture in Japan. However, its
population is the third lowest and has been decreasing every year. The main reasons for thisare the shortage of local employment and a lack of workplaces in which we can maximize
our abilities. In FY2017 data, the average annual income in Iwate Prefecture was the fifthworst in Japan.
While the overconcentration of people and work is becoming a remarkable issue in Tokyo
other major metropolitan areas, the vast area of land in Iwate Prefecture provides the ideal
place for agriculture. This spacious landscape cannot be found in Tokyo. Still, we areconcerned that the number of people who engage in agriculture/farming is decreasing andthat the survival of the Iwate agricultural sector itself is at risk.
Classroom Robotics: “Iwate Future Academy” and Nurturing the Next Generation
Classroom Robotics for school children will contribute to the realization of goals 4, 8, 9,
and 11 among the Sustainable Development Goals. Below is a depiction of the way that wevisualize the future of Takizawa City in 2030.

First of all, with regard to nurturing human resources, we would like to foster children’s
skills and encourage them to choose to work for companies in Takizawa City and Iwate
Prefecture, or to start their own businesses here in the future. Therefore, we established the
NPO IRC Project and started the robot classroom “Iwate Future Academy” with the aim ofhelping children develop specialized skills from childhood. Nine children are currently
attending.
In addition, in order to learn about manufacturing sites, we conduct factory tours with thecooperation of local companies. Creating a community in which it is easy to raise andeducate children will also lead to the creation of a city where people can continue to live.
The NPO IRC Project is striving to make use of the entire area and community for education.

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Autonomous Mobile Robots: Burden Reduction on Community Problems
If we can actualize an effective cycle of manufacturing and community development in the
future, then we will see more people become entrepreneurs in Takizawa city and create a
support system for future entrepreneurship.
If we can achieve this, we believe that this cycle will lead to sustainable economic growth.
In addition, when employment is created, it is also expected to promote further innovation at
its heart. If this cycle of manufacturing and urban development can contribute to theresolution of the issues in Iwate Prefecture, we will move closer to the realization of a supersmart society.
As the first step, we have paid attention to apple farmers. Apple farming incorporates manydifferent types of work including harvesting, pesticide spraying, transport, and the detectionof disease. In light of a declining farming population that is also increasing in age, thefarmers’ work will become increasingly hard. Particularly in expansive areas of land likethose in Iwate Prefecture. In order to reduce the burden on agriculture, we are engaging inresearch and development with the desire to solve this problem using autonomous mobile
robots. In the future, we hope to realize a cycle of manufacturing and urban development bystarting business ventures based on this research and the development of agricultural robots.
Making Iwate the Place Where We Want to Work and LiveIn the Department of Software and Information Studies of Iwate Prefectural University,
many of our graduates find jobs not in Iwate Prefecture, but in the Tokyo metropolitan area.
However, we want our students to work in Iwate Prefecture, which is rich in nature andcomfortable to live in. Through our activities, we will continue to create an Iwate in which
future generations will want to live and work.

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(3) Awareness-Raising and the Promotion of Activities
for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Lecturer: Professor Khotaro Shibuya, Faculty of Policy Studies,
Iwate Prefectural University

Although the SDGs launched by the United Nations in 2015, are an important challengethat the world is working on in order to create a sustainable society, Iwate prefecture has
low awareness of them and is lagging in its efforts. Given this, awareness-raising and thepromotion of activities related to the SDGs have been carried out in various sectors such as
government, companies, schools, and the community. These initiatives have been
implemented in response to the promotion of sustainability in Principle 9 of the United
Nations Academic Impact.
Specifically, in order to introduce the SDGs, workshops using the “2030 SDGs Card
Game” were carried out as lectures and exercises for people in the above sectors. We also
undertook workshops using the “SDGs de Regional Revitalization Card Game” with thetheme being more focused on regional revitalization. In addition, an open lecture for thegeneral public was held at Iwate Prefectural University on the theme of “Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs)” on July 27th, 2019.
As a result of these activities, interest in the SDGs is gradually increasing in Iwate
Prefecture, and requests for workshops have been raised from various sectors.

June 16th, 2019

“SDGs Card Game”
Oct. 27th, 2019Nov. 9th, 2019

4. Summary
We embarked on a new step towards SDGs, joining the United Nation Academic Impact inMay, 2019. Although each activity step is small, we encourage various grassroots activities
related to SDGs.
On top of that, in cooperating with overseas universities through the United Nation Academic
Impact initiative, we are taking on the virtuous challenge of creating a sustainable Earth onwhich to live.

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