2011 Program for Leading Graduate Schools by MEXT

Phoenix Leader Education Program(Hiroshima Initiative)
for Renaissance from Radiation Disaster
FY2017

Self Study Report－Hiroshima University－

Introduction
Since its adoption for the 2011 Program for Leading Graduate Schools by the Ministry of Education,
Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), Hiroshima University Graduate School Phoenix
Leader Education Program (Hiroshima Initiative) for Renaissance from Radiation Disaster (hereinafter,“Phoenix Leader Education Program”) has aimed to foster global leaders (Phoenix Leaders) who canproperly address radiation disaster based on extensive interdisciplinary expertise, and lead recovery
efforts based on appropriate judgment and action, as well as a clear vision, and play leading roles in theinternational community. Since FY2017 sees the expiration of the seven-year support period by MEXT
for the Program for Leading Graduate Schools, in FY2018 and beyond Hiroshima University willcontinue to operate the Program at its own expense.

Thus far, the Program has benefited from the many improvements made based on the evaluations andadvice from the External Evaluation Committee members. As a result, last year the Program earned ahigh rating of 3.88 on the four-point scale in the external evaluation. This year, too, the Program hasachieved many positive results, through which we are able to confirm that the Program has achieved its
purpose. In FY2017, we saw seven students complete the Program. Currently, these graduates, as well as
two alumni who graduated in FY2016, are fulfilling their roles with a sense of mission as Phoenix
Leaders. We have also established a system under which Program graduates and third to fifth year
students accompany second-year students to the Short-term Fieldwork in Fukushima, to provide
instruction and guidance to these current students. In this manner, human resources nurtured through theProgram now participate in education for the next-generation Phoenix Leader candidates. This is one of
the most important achievements of the Program. The Program accepted a total of seven new enrollees
from Indonesia, the Philippines, and Japan: two on the Radiation Disaster Medicine Course; three on theRadioactivity Environmental Protection Course; and two on the Radioactivity Social Recovery Course.
These enrollees include practicing medical doctors, as in the previous fiscal year. We are confident that
the Program will be able to continue producing diverse human resources who can widely contribute to theworld, while remaining committed to strengthening radiation protection and preparedness especially inAsia.

We have also further promoted exchanges with international institutes and overseas organizations. In
February 2017, Hiroshima University struck an academic and educational exchange agreement with “LeCentre d'étude sur l'Evaluation de la Protection dans le domaine Nucléaire” (CEPN), or the Nuclear
Protection Evaluation Centre, France, which was followed by the opening of the CEPN - Hiroshima
University Radiation Disaster Recovery International Cooperation Center. In November of the same year,
our University concluded a comprehensive agreement on academic and educational exchange with the
University of California, Berkley. Additionally, we signed a memorandum of agreement (MoA) with
ICRP, establishing a system to mutually promote education regarding radiation protection activities.
Furthermore, we had many more occasions to explain the Program to university delegations coming fromoverseas countries to Hiroshima University, resulting in the admission of one enrollee from among thedelegations. Also in Japan, we were pleased to receive plenty of support based on agreements withvarious institutes and entities, including Fukushima University, Fukushima Medical University, Nagasaki
University, the Radiation Effects Research Foundation, the National Institutes for Quantum andRadiological Science and Technology, the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science andTechnology, and Minamisoma City. Thanks to their support, the Program students have found many
opportunities to access up-to-date information on radiation disasters.

This Self Study Report describes the results of the self-evaluation of Program activities, according to
22 points of nine criteria, as well as progress and improvements we have made to address the issues
identified in the previous year’s external evaluation. As for Point  of Criterion 5, although it earned aperfect rating of 4 out of 4 in the external evaluation last year, we received a great deal of advice andsuggestions on it. We therefore voluntarily identified issues and strived to make further improvements to
the Program. We sincerely hope that the External Evaluation Committee members will offer us soundadvice based on this Report. While heeding this valuable advice, we intend to further improve this humanresource development program in a manner that can live up to the expectations of stakeholders around theworld. We look forward to your unreserved evaluation and advice.

January 2018
Kenji Kamiya
Program Director of the Phoenix Leader Education Program (Hiroshima Initiative) for
Renaissance from Radiation Disaster, Hiroshima University Graduate Schools
Vice President of Hiroshima University

Contents
I.

List of Issues from results of External Evaluation last year ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・II.

Evaluation of individual criteria

1

Criterion 1. Purpose of the Program
Point: Does the purpose of the Phoenix Leader Education Program（Hiroshima Initiative）for
Renaissance from Radiation Disaster （hereafter “the Program”）comply with the purposeof the Leading Program in Doctoral Education, sponsored by the Ministry of Education,
Culture, Sports, Science and Technology（MEXT） : fostering leaders who have a broad
perspective and creativity and who will be active in global academic, industrial, andgovernmental arenas?

4

Criterion 2. Implementation Structure
Point ①

Does the Program have guidance and student-support systems appropriate forachieving its purpose?

5

Point ②

Does the Program have planning, operating, and partnership-building systems
appropriate for achieving its purpose? (Issue 1-4)

7

Criterion 3. Program Members and Education Supporters
Point ①

Does the Program have a clear policy to build an organization of faculty members?
Does it clarify the responsibilities of respective members for education and research
activities?
Point ② Does the Program have faculty members capable of achieving the purpose of theProgram: to foster Phoenix Leaders, who will conduct interdisciplinary and integrated
management of recovery programs in regions suffering from complex damage causedby radiation disasters?

12

13

Criterion 4. Status of Accepting Students
Point ① Does the Program have a definite policy and criteria for admitting students? Does the
University Publicize those criteria?

14

Point ② Does the Program employ an appropriate system to select students according to its
admission policy? Does the system function well?

16

Point ③ Does the Program have a system to verify that screening methods comply with theadmissions policy? Are verification results reflected in improving the screening
methods?

17

Criterion 5. Content and Means of Education
Point ① Does the Program have systematic curricula appropriate to fulfill its goal and suitablefor granting academic degrees? Are the subjects to be taught well arranged in line withthe purpose of the Program? (Issue 5-12)

18

Point ② Does the Program have means to guide students of diverse backgrounds to the goal of
obtaining degrees? Does the Program have means to allow students to confirm theirachievement levels? (Issue 13)

23

Point ③

Does the Program have advanced educational functions sufficient to offer high-level
practical curricula?

25

Point ④

Does the Program have a mechanism to develop students’ communication andnegotiation abilities so as to foster active leaders who will address global challenges?

27

Point ⑤ Does the Program have appropriate syllabi in adherence with the spirit of curriculumorganization and a system to use them effectively?

29

Point ⑥Is the Program organized with due consideration given to students’ autonomy andstudents who take courses outside their own fields?

30

Point ⑦

Does the Program have and use appropriate means of education for adult students inremote locations, etc., such as conducting classes using printed learning material(including corrections by mail), broadcasting classes, interview classes (including
face-to-face classes), and classes using IT media?

31

Criterion 6 Outcomes of Education
Point ① Does the Program have an appropriate system to evaluate students’ achievement levels
in terms of their academic performances and credentials, as well as their progress
toward the goal of developing abilities required for Phoenix Leaders?
Point ②

From an analysis of the results of hearing students’ opinions, including questionnaires,
can it be concluded that the Program has produced favorable educational outcomes?

32

33

Criterion 7. Student Support Systems
Point ① Does the Program offer an ideal environment where excellent students can inspire andcompete with each other?

34

Point ②

Does the Program offer financial support to students to enable them to concentrate
their efforts and time on studies and research activities?

36

Point ③

Does the Program support students in preparing and carrying out their autonomousand original research plans?

37

Criterion 8. Facilities and Equipment
Point: Does the University have facilities and equipment sufficient for educational and research
activities of the Program, and suitable for providing the curriculums?

38

Criterion 9. System for Quality Enhancement and Improvement of Education
Point: Does the Program have an appropriate system to evaluate its implementation processes?

39

I. List of Issues from results of External Evaluation in
Last year
We extracted four issues referred to in Point ② of Criterion 2 that had scored an average rating
below 3.5 out of 4 in the Phoenix Leader Evaluation Program External Evaluation FY2016, basedon comments made by evaluators. We then attempted to improve the Program’s activities related
to these issues in FY2017. This year, although the average rating for Criterion 5 was very high, we
received a lot of advice and suggestions on this point. We therefore voluntarily identified issues
based on evaluators’ comments on Point ① of Criterion 5 as well as the Overview, and madeimprovements to address these issues to enable further development of the Program. The status of
improvement for each issue is described in the section on the related point for each criterion.

Issues related to criteria and points that received a rating below 3.5
No

Issue

Criterion

Page

1

To improve the international recognition of the value of an academic
degree from this program.

Criterion 2
Point ②7

2

To organize a long term support structure (career path, place forexchanging information) for graduates.

Criterion 2
Point ②

7

3

To encourage the acquisition of licenses, certifications, etc., that areissued and recognized by public organizations both inside and outside of
the country. These qualifications would be of help to students inselecting a career path after their graduation.

Criterion 2
Point ②

7

4

A contingency plan should be in place in case the funding for the newprogram is not immediately approved.

Criterion 2
Point ②

7

Voluntarily identified issues
No

Issue

Criterion

Page

5Internships need to be designed as on-site education to provide students
the opportunities to clearly understand that the purpose of the Phoenix
Leader Education Program is to nurture leaders who are able to promoteradiation disaster recovery efforts.

Criterion 5
Point ①18

6

To adopt more practical internship opportunities that will enhance thecareer options of the students (on site for disaster recovery, government
offices responsible for disaster prevention, etc.).

Criterion 5
Point ①18

7

To create opportunities for students to make presentations about theirresearch results to the general public using language that can beunderstood by everyone.

Criterion 5
Point ①

18

－1－

8

9

10

To improve students’ ability to engage in dialogue with the local
inhabitants affected by the Fukushima accident.
To collate a list of target institutions and employers that may offer
positive career opportunities for program graduates. Once this list iscompiled, identify the requirements for jobs at these institutions andmake this available for current students. This would include a list of
ddi i l li
lifi ii
To improve internship benefits for the students by coordinating in
advance their participation at a time that coincides with any major
training, conference and/or projects occurring at the institution where
they will be interning.

Criterion 5
Point ①

18

Criterion 5
Point ①

18

Criterion 5
Point ①18

11

To plan discussions and seminars on both international and domestic
law.

Criterion 5
Point ①

18

12

The students should attend/observe a large national or international
nuclear power plant exercise.

Criterion 5
Point ①

18

13

To promote research with a transdisciplinary approach.

Criterion 5
Point ②23

－2－

II. Evaluation of individual criteria
In this self-evaluation report, the activities and achievements of the Program are evaluated based on
specific points set under nine criteria. With regard to the 13 issues identified by the External
Evaluation FY2016 (described earlier), the status of improvement is reported in connection with therelated points of each criterion. The description of each evaluation is followed by a list of major
reference materials, which are provided as concrete grounds for the evaluation. These referencematerials are contained in “Reference Materials for Self-Study Report FY2017”. The numbers of the“major reference materials” listed in this self-evaluation report corresponds to those in the“Reference Materials for Self-Evaluation Report FY2016”.

－3－

Criterion 1. Purpose of the Program

Criterion 1. Purpose of the Program
Point: Does the purpose of the Phoenix Leader Education Program（Hiroshima Initiative）
for Renaissance from Radiation Disaster （hereafter “the Program”）comply withthe purpose of the Leading Program in Doctoral Education, sponsored by the Ministryof Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology（MEXT） : fostering leaders
who have a broad perspective and creativity and who will be active in global academic,
industrial, and governmental arenas?
【Explanation and Analyze the Situation】
Since its adoption by the MEXT “Program for Leading Graduate Schools,” the Program has
aimed to develop “Phoenix Leaders,” or global leaders who have the judgment and behavioral
abilities to take appropriate action in circumstances of radiation disaster and lead recovery with aclear philosophy and innovative knowledge across disciplines. To this end, we have established a
new academic field called “Radiation Disaster Recovery Studies,” which enables a multidisciplinary
approach ranging from medicine to environmental studies, engineering, science, social science,education and psychology.
In FY2014, this Program, which was accepted as one of the 2011 Programs for Leading Graduate
School, underwent an interim evaluation by the JSPS* Committee for Program for Leading Graduate
Schools. In March 2015, the Program was assessed as “Category A: Efforts have been made inaccordance with the plan and if ongoing efforts are continued, it is expected to achieve the purposeof the Program”.
Since then we have continued working to embody a transdisciplinary approach to cultivating
human resources who can improve the collaboration during recovery from a radiation disasterbetween the people involved, including stakeholders, beyond the boundaries of academic fields andacross the industrial, academic and governmental sectors. Since September 2016, the Program has
produced graduates who are playing active roles that meet the purpose of the Leading Program in
Doctoral Education: fostering leaders who have a broad perspective and creativity and who will be
active globally in academic, industrial, and governmental arenas. This exemplifies the Program’sachievements made through the above efforts. These alumni are now giving back to society what
they learned through the Program by, for instance, serving as lecturers at symposiums and otherevents hosted by the Program, and participating in providing guidance for current students in the
Program.
In FY2017 the program also underwent a post-project evaluation carried out by JSPS, which
resulted in the proposal that was released in December 2017. It was a “Category A: Original plan has
certainly been implemented and completion of purpose of the program is recognized with clear
achievement.”【Reference Materials】
21 Interim evaluation results
41 Presentation material of graduate－4－Criterion 2. Implementation Structure

Criterion 2. Implementation Structure
Point ①

Does the Program have guidance and student-support systems appropriate forachieving its purpose?

【Explanation and Analyze the Situation】
To offer interdisciplinary research guidance, the Program has a guidance system
whereby each student has at least four advisors: one primary advisor and at least one
co-advisor from each of the three courses.
Additionally, the Program provides students with opportunities to receive guidance
and advice on daily occasions such as classes and report meetings, with theparticipation of researchers from institutes outside the University as Program
members including Fukushima University, Fukushima Medical University, Nagasaki
University, Tohoku University, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological
Science and Technology, and Radiation Effects Research Foundation. This guidancesystem based on cooperation across different graduate schools and organizations has
enabled the Program to offer education that complies with its purpose of fostering“excellent students who are both highly creative and internationally attuned, and who
will play leading roles in the academic, industrial and governmental sectors across theglobe,” through interdisciplinary omnibus lectures and practical training.
Moreover, the Program aims to establish Radiation Disaster Recovery Studies, which
is a new interdisciplinary academic field transcending the conventional framework ofacademic disciplines, and to foster specialists in this new field. To this end, experts who
are active on the front lines in radiation disaster recovery are invited as visiting faculty
members to teach compulsory subjects and compulsory elective subjects, both of which
form common studies for students on the three courses in the Program.
The Program also offers substantial guidance from leading experts working in theinternational arena. Distinguished visiting professors have delivered classes andseminars, specifically: Dr. Rethy Kieth Chhem (since FY2014), the then Director of theDivision of Human Health at the International Atomic Energy Agency (hereafter,“IAEA”) and current Executive Director of the Cambodia Development Resources
Institute, Dr. May Abdel-Wahab (since FY2016), the current Director of the Division of
Human Health at IAEA, and Dr. Jacques Lochard, Vice Chair of the Main Commissionof the International Commission on Radiological Protection (hereafter, “ICRP”).
In FY2017, we appointed an expert from Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation as avisiting professor, thereby strengthening the system under which students can learn
through joint research with a company. We are planning to expand and reinforce thissystem.
Also in the same fiscal year, four experts working at the forefront of disaster－5－

Criterion 2. Implementation Structure
recovery in Fukushima were invited as visiting faculty members to provide guidance in
Short-term Fieldwork, which is compulsory for first-year students. Dr. Momo Kurihara(Phoenix Leader Education Program Alumna, and Post-Doctoral Researcher at the
National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology [AIST]) provided
guidance as a visiting lecturer. In this way, we have established a system under which
experts in Radiation Disaster Recovery Studies nurtured by the Program can participated ingiving students guidance, to utilize the Program’s educational outcomes, in turn, to
educate people of the next generation. We believe that the establishment of this system
indicates that the Program has reached a certain point of completion.
While setting up the guidance and support system that enables the Program toachieve the above purposes, we have maintained a system to carefully support thegrowth of every student. The Program has supported students’ interdisciplinary
learning activities by adopting a system in FY2014 whereby teaching mentors,
student's consultant mentors (staff members) and SENPAI (senior student) mentors
provide individual consultations, and by starting to hold lunch meetings with mentors
and students in FY2015. Worthy of special note is that, in October 2017 in anticipationof the conclusion of MEXT funding support for the Program at the end of FY2017, we
held a briefing on the Program for students and a follow-up lunch meeting. These
events were intended to allow students to continue learning on this Program withstable future prospects even after April 2018.

【Reference Materials】
23 List of Academic Advisers
22 List of the faculty members (★ for the new members)
24 List of Part-Time Lecturer (★ for the new members)
33 List of Lunch Meeting
10 Short-term Fieldwork program
48 Mentor Handbook 2017

－6－

Criterion 2. Implementation Structure
Point ②

Does the Program have planning, operating, and partnership-building systems
appropriate for achieving its purpose?
Issue 1: To improve the international recognition of the value of an academic
degree from this program.
Issue 2: To organize a long term support structure (career path, place forexchanging information) for graduates.
Issue 3: To encourage the acquisition of licenses, certifications, etc., that are issued
and recognized by public organizations both inside and outside of thecountry. These qualifications would be of help to students in selecting acareer path after their graduation.
Issue 4: A contingency plan should be in place in case the funding for the newprogram is not immediately approved.

【Explanation and Analyze the Situation】
The Hiroshima University Leading Program Organization (hereinafter, “theOrganization”), with the University’s President as Director, has succeeded incontinuing to systematically manage and operate the Program. The Leading Program
Organization Steering Committees as the Organization’s consultation body, with theparticipation of all the graduate school deans of Hiroshima University, is in charge ofmaking decisions on important issues, including successful examinees in entrance
examinations, Qualifying Examinations (hereinafter “QE”), successful candidates for
program completion, and financial aid measures for students .
The Program has nine committees that are responsible for designing andimplementing plans and other matters related to the planning and operation of theProgram. Before the plans designed by each committee are implemented, their contents
are discussed in accordance with the relevant rules at the Program Members' General
Meeting, in which all Program faculty members participate. In FY2017, as in the past,
all committees proposed many issues at the Program Members' General Meeting, andthe approved plans were executed in a consistent manner. Participants in these ninecommittees and the Program Members' General Meeting included members from thesix external institutes mentioned in the section on Point ② of Criterion 2, ensuring
open implementation of the Program.
In response to Issue 1, “To improve the international recognition,” the Program
continues to strengthen its international cooperation system. To begin with, Hiroshima
University participated in an international joint research project funded by theEuropeanCommission,

Improvementofcalled“SHAMISEN—Nuclear

MedicalandEmergency

HealthSituations:
Surveillance”(http://www.crealradiation.com/index.php/en/shamisen-home). In May, our University
served as a host institute for an IAEA international conference, “Consultancy Meetingon Science, Technology and Society Perspectives on Nuclear Science, Radiation and－7－

Criterion 2. Implementation Structure
Human Health – The International Perspective.” We have also been active inpromoting collaboration with institutes outside Japan. In February 2017, Hiroshima
University signed an agreement on academic and educational exchange with Le Centred'étude sur l'Evaluation de la Protection dans le domaine Nucléaire (hereafter, CEPN),France’s Nuclear Protection Evaluation Centre. Based on the agreement, the CEPN Hiroshima University Radiation Disaster Recovery International Cooperation Center
was set up, which functions as the base for human resources development in France. In
November 2017, Hiroshima University concluded a comprehensive agreement with the
University of California Berkeley, with which the University has a previous history of
research and academic exchange, to reconfirm continued collaboration in education andresearch. Additionally, our University signed memorandums of agreement (MoAs) with
ICRP, Fukushima Medical University and Nagasaki University to ascertain that the
University and these institutes would maintain and develop their collaboration. We
also intensified our efforts to recruit overseas students, primarily from Asia. In FY2017,
we accepted a delegation comprising 23 students and two faculty members from La
Trobe University in Australia, and a delegation of four faculty members from
Politeknik Harapan Bersama, a private institute of technology in Indonesia. Our
faculty members and students deepened their interactions with their counterparts
from these foreign institutes. These delegations were given explanations about theProgram and its entrance examination procedures. Furthermore, to ensure theprogram’s growing prestige nothing could be more effective than to have graduatesfrom the Program actively working around the globe. These graduates are proving thevalue of an academic degree from this program with its ability to open up career paths
beyond national borders.

With the above steady record of accomplishment, theProgram succeeded in improving its international recognition.
With regard to Issue 2 “To organize a long-term support structure (career path, placefor exchanging information) for graduates,” we provided Program graduates with
opportunities to continue to exchange information with participants from major
institutes involved in radiation disaster-related issues in Japan and overseas atinternational symposiums hosted by the Program. For example, Program graduates
participated as invited speakers at the 6th International Symposium in February 2017and in the 3rd International Symposium of Phoenix Leader Education Program
Industry-Academia-Government Consortium for Human Resource Development in
September 2017. We also gave Program students the opportunity to take part in the
7th International Symposium in January 2018 as speakers and commentators, and toenjoy interaction with experts from various fields. These symposiums furnished
precious occasions to demonstrate the significance and strength of the Program and the－8－Criterion 2. Implementation Structure
achievements made by its graduates and current graduate students. In fact, these
events served as a catalyst for some graduates to find employment. As part of our daily
support for Program graduates, we support them in registering their profiles in online
databases of PhD holders. Since FY2017, all current graduate students and graduatesof the Program have registered their profiles in the Young Researchers’ Portfolio(HIRAKU-PF) run by the Hiroshima University Global Career Design Center jointlywith other universities and companies, and in the Doctoral Human Resources
Database (JGRAD) operated by MEXT. In this way, the Program facilitates matching
between former and current Program students and companies and institutes in need of
doctoral human resources.
Issue 3 is “To encourage the acquisition of licenses, certifications, etc., that are issued
and recognized by public organizations both inside and outside of the country.” Most
enrollees in the Radiation Disaster Medicine Course have already been state-certified
as medical doctors, dentists, medical physicists, etc. Moreover, faulty members on eachcourse have encouraged their students to acquire licenses and certifications that are
deemed to be helpful in building up their career paths after graduation and provided
them with relevant guidance. Some students on the Radioactivity Environmental
Protection Course succeeded in acquiring certification as first-class radiation protection
supervisors, and others passed national service examinations. Students on theRadioactivity Social Recovery Course are working to obtain qualifications as JPA
Certified Psychologists.
Issue 4 states “A contingency plan should be in place in case the funding for the newprogram is not immediately approved.” In view of the conclusion of MEXT funding
support for the Program in March 2018, we are making preparations to apply for theiCODE Program (Program for inter-institutional, inter-sectional Collaboration on
innovative Doctoral Education) (provisional), a new competitive funding scheme. On
the other hand, we have developed an operating policy that will enable the Program tocontinue running within the University’s budget. As new support measures, Hiroshima
University is planning to inaugurate a scholarship program and a system that willallow reductions in and exemption from tuition fees that have been collected so far.
Also, the Program will continue to provide housing support for students, and assist
them in participating in practical education, by covering travel expenses for fieldwork
and internship programs, which are compulsory subjects. We will secure the Program’s
dedicated teaching staff from within the faculty of the University, and establish theguidance and support system to continue to foster Phoenix Leaders from a long-term
perspective, based on our achievements.
In FY2017 the Program was able to improve the education it offers, with greater－9－Criterion 2. Implementation Structure
support than before from partner organizations. We have close coordination with the
Research Base for Radiation Accidents and Medical Science, jointly set up by three
universities ― Fukushima Medical University, Nagasaki University, and Hiroshima
University, the last of which serves as the central institute. Program students
participated in symposiums hosted by the Research Base, at which they deepened
exchange with participating experts. Even outside the University, many opportunities
were given to Program students. In April 2017, based on the past exchange trackrecord, two students were invited by Colorado State University to participate in theCentral Rocky Mountain Chapter of the Health Physics Society annual technicalmeeting, held in the United States. In August, first-year students gained an
opportunity to present their achievement in the compulsory subject “Short-term
Fieldwork” at an international conference hosted by IAEA and Fukushima Medical
University. In organizing the fieldwork, Minamisoma City, with which the University
has concluded an agreement, helped us with coordination and liaison, and provided us
with the workshop venues and accommodation for students. In September, we received
financial assistance from Chiyoda Technol Corporation to send one of its employees
who is studying as a student on the Program to IAEA to undergo a six-monthinternship. In November, Program students attended the Dialogue, an assembly to talkwith local residents, held by the NPO “Ethos in Fukushima,” ICRP, etc. Participating
students had opportunities to learn about situations involved in recovery from theradiation disaster from meeting in person with many experts and stakeholders
engaged in reconstruction efforts in Fukushima. We believe that we can continue tooffer our students many opportunities under this collaboration system in the future.

【Reference Materials】
25 Annual Plan FY2017
26 Agenda List of the Hiroshima University LP Organization Steering Committee
27 Agenda List of the Program Members' General Meeting
31 STS Meeting Agenda (May, 2017)29 Exchange Meeting Report (La Trobe University)
30 Exchange Meeting Report (Politeknik Harapan Bersama)
43 List of employment and target employers
55 Flyer & Program_the 6th International Symposium
57 Flyer & Program_the 7th International Symposium
54 Program, 3rd Symposium for Industry-Academia-Government Consortium
42

Webpage screenshot on Young Researchers Portfolio, "HIRAKU-PF"－10－

Criterion 2. Implementation Structure28

Handouts of Explanatory Meeting for Financial Support

11

Short-term Fieldwork report

62

The 18th SFV，9thGFV Report－11－Criterion 3. Program Members and Education Supporters

Criterion 3. Program Members and Education Supporters
Point ①

Does the Program have a clear policy to build an organization of faculty
members? Does it clarify the responsibilities of respective members for education
and research activities?

【Explanation and Analyze the Situation】
The Program maintains a research guidance system whereby every student has atleast four advisors comprising one primary advisor and at least one from each course(including advisors other than Program Members), and an education system for
implementing the curricula with the participation of external partner academic
institutions and organizations.
The Program also offers classes taught by leading researchers and professionals inradiation disaster recovery from outside the University, who serve as part-time
lecturers in the Program. To help these external lecturers share understanding of thepositioning and goals of their classes with each other, in FY2015 we improved the
Teaching Handbook and added to it a Curriculum Map, which clearly illustrates thelearning objectives and goals of each class. Additionally, in FY2016, we revised the
Teaching Handbook again in the wake of the curriculum revision, and reconfirmed thepositioning of each class and the systematic structure of the curricula at the 8th
Education Seminar.
In FY2017, we appointed new faculty members to the Program to provide more
support for students’ research contents and hopes for their future career paths.
Specifically, teaching staff from the Graduate School of Biosphere Science wereassigned to the Radioactivity Environmental Protection Course, and teaching staff
from the Graduate School of Social Sciences and the Graduate School of Biomedical &Health Sciences to the Radioactivity Social Recovery Course. These new faculty
members are now responsible for providing guidance to students, as primary advisors
or co-advisors.

【Reference Materials】
23 List of Academic Advisers
22 List of the faculty members (★ for the new members)
59

Flyer_ the 8th Educational Seminar

05 Teaching Handbook 2017－12－

Criterion 3. Program Members and Education Supporters
Point ②

Does the Program have faculty members capable of achieving the purpose of theProgram: to foster Phoenix Leaders, Who will conduct interdisciplinary andintegrated management of recovery programs in regions suffering from complex
damage caused by radiation disasters?

【Explanation and Analyze the Situation】
In addition to establishing an interdisciplinary guidance system within the
University, the Program provides students with the guidance of external experts inradiation and radiation disaster recovery across different organizations and countries.
Annual international symposiums, which unite these experts, offer opportunities toconfirm the achievements of the Program through presentations made by students andspeakers’ discussions.
The Program offers classes and seminars delivered directly by world-class experts
in the fields of radiation disaster medicine and radiation protection. Chief among themare Dr. Rethy Kieth Chhem (former Director of the Division of Human Health at the
IAEA, and the Executive Director of the Cambodian Development Resources Institute),
Dr. May Abdel-Wahab (current Director of the Division of Human Health at the IAEA),
and Dr. Jacques Lochard (Vice Chair, the Main Commission of ICRP), who are allserving as visiting professors. Learning firsthand from these international leaders inradiation disaster recovery has motivated students not only to acquire valuableknowledge, but also to clarify their own objectives and the tasks to be addressed.
Following the 2nd International Symposium of the Phoenix Leader Education
ProgramIndustry-Academia-Government

Consortium

for

Human

Resource

Development in February 2017, the 3rd event of its kind, was held in September in thesame year. We invited a divisional director from Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation
to give a lecture at the 3rd Symposium. He was then appointed as a visiting professor in
the Program. These activities strengthened our education and research system as wellas our students’ career development support system, based on collaboration between
industry, academia and government.

【Reference Materials】
57 Flyer & Program_the 7th International Symposium
22 List of the faculty members (★ for the new members)
24 List of Part-Time Lecturer (★ for the new members)
54

Program, 3rd Symposium for Industry-Academia-Government Consortium－13－

Criterion 4. Status of Accepting Students

Criterion 4. Status of Accepting Students
Point ①

Does the Program have a definite policy and criteria for admitting students?
Does the University Publicize those criteria?

【Explanation and Analyze the Situation】
We created a student recruitment pamphlet and application guide for admission for
October 2017 enrollees (for the secondary registration) and October 2018 enrollees,
which spell out the educational goals of this Program, what type of students we seek,
our basic policy for student selection, and our admissions policy. We not only sent these
documents to universities in Japan and abroad, related organizations and Program
Members but also posted them on the Internet to broadly share information aboutadmissions. We also conducted domestic PR activities, including briefings on the
Program and the entrance exam, at the University and its Tokyo office.
Efforts are also underway to develop human resources, an activity that the Program
should put special emphasis on. In FY2016, we set up the Special Quota of PhysiciansProtecting Human Lives from Radiation Disaster, to nurture doctors who can takecharge of radiation disaster medicine. We also sent the student recruitment documents
to faculty members of the Division of Disaster and Radiation Medical Sciences(Master’s Degree) to inform its Master’s students and graduates of the Phoenix Leader
Education Program. This Division is a joint graduate school that was established by
Nagasaki University and Fukushima Medical University for radiological technologists,hygienists and nurses. In HU, we appointed a professor from the Division of Nursing
Science in the Graduate School of Biomedical & Health Sciences as a new faculty
member in the Program, bolstering collaboration with the field of nursing science.
We accepted three Indonesian delegates (with a total of 46 members) to the
University in FY2016 to strengthen our educational efforts to cultivate experts inradiation disaster recovery in Asia, and held briefing meetings with them, resulting in
the admission of one enrollee. In FY2017, while continuing to accept Indonesian
visitors, we also called for applicants for the Program at an event to deepen exchange
between Hiroshima University and La Trobe University, Australia.

【Reference Materials】
35 Flyer_Application Guide for Admission
36 Application Guide for 2018 Enrollment
37 Application Guide for Recommendation Entrance Examination
38 List of Briefing Sessions
40 Questionnaire (media research)－14－

Criterion 4. Status of Accepting Students
29 Exchange Meeting Report (La Trobe University)
46 List of Research Grant Payments－15－

Criterion 4. Status of Accepting Students
Point ②

Does the Program employ an appropriate system to select students according to
its admission policy? Does the system function well?

【Explanation and Analyze the Situation】
We administered entrance examinations for the primary and secondary registration
to select October 2017 enrollees (sixth-term students).
The Program offers matching opportunities between prospective students andfaculty members. Before applying, those who are interested can talk in detail with theProgram Members they would like to be their primary advisors about their researchplan, its validity and so on. We had 31 requests for this opportunity from prospective
students, nine of whom applied for the Program.
In the first selection, the documents submitted by applicants (their research plan,
academic transcript, grade/score certificate for the Practical English Proficiency Test orother examinations, etc.) were examined. The document screening was conducted bythree faculty members, with the Program Members that the examinee would like to be
their primary advisor serving as the chief examiner, and the other two as sub
examiners. The second selection was made through an oral examination held in
English. Applicants gave their presentations on a theme given in advance, andunderwent an individual interview and a group interview.

The interviews wereadministered by seven or eight internal members of the Selection Committee andexternal members from Chugoku Electric Power Co., Inc., and Mitsubishi Heavy
Industries, Ltd.
As a result of these selections, three applicants out of four passed from the firstregistration, and four applicants out of five passed from the second registration.
Specifically, the Program admitted a total of seven students: six through the generaladmissions procedures and one as part of the Special Quota of Physicians Protecting
Human Lives from Radiation Disaster. The Radiation Disaster Medicine Course
accepted two students, the Radioactivity Environmental Protection Course accepted
three students, and the Radioactivity Social Recovery Course accepted two students.
Thus, each course was able to admit roughly the same number of students. By
nationality, three students hail from Indonesia, two from the Philippines, and two fromJapan, so that the Program was able to maintain its diversity.

【Reference Materials】
39 List of Students and Attendees to Briefing Sessions
37 Application Guide for Recommendation Entrance Examination－16－

Criterion 4. Status of Accepting Students
Point ③

Does the Program have a system to verify that screening methods comply with theadmissions policy? Are verification results reflected in improving the screening
methods?

【Explanation and Analyze the Situation】
The Entrance Examination Committee of the Program verifies each fiscal year that students are
accepted appropriately in accordance with the purpose of the Program, and identifies areas for
improvement. Verification results are reflected, as needed, in improving the screening methods andPR activities for the following fiscal year.
In FY2016, the Program introduced a recommendation-based exam quota called the“Special Quota of Physicians Protecting Human Lives from Radiation Disaster.”Through this new quota exam system up to October 2017, the Program has admitted
two Japanese doctors who are currently employed in the Division of Emergency
Medicine at Hiroshima University Hospital, as well as one Japanese dentist. Of thesesuccessful applicants, one Japanese medical doctor was accepted via a new system
under which the Program selects its October enrollees from among students admitted
to the Biomedical Sciences Major at Hiroshima University Graduate School of
Biomedical & Health Sciences in April. This student began studying in the Program in
October, 2017.

【Reference Materials】
37 Application Guide for Recommendation Entrance Examination
38 List of Briefing Sessions－17－

Criterion 5. Content and Means of Education

Criterion 5. Content and Means of Education
Point ①

Does the Program have systematic curricula appropriate to fulfill its goal andsuitable for granting academic degrees? Are the subjects to be taught wellarranged in line with the purpose of the Program?
Issue 5: Internships need to be designed as on-site education to provide students theopportunities to clearly understand that the purpose of the Phoenix Leader
Education Program is to nurture leaders who are able to promote radiation
disaster recovery efforts.
Issue 6: To adopt more practical internship opportunities that will enhance thecareer options of the students (on site for disaster recovery, government
offices responsible for disaster prevention, etc.).
Issue 7: To create opportunities for students to make presentations about theirresearch results to the general public using language that can beunderstood by everyone.
Issue 8: To improve students’ ability to engage in dialogue with the local
inhabitants affected by the Fukushima accident.
Issue 9: To collate a list of target institutions that may offer positive opportunities
for employment for program graduates. Once this list is compiled,identify the requirements for jobs at these institutions and make thisavailable for current students. This would include a list of additional
license or qualification requirements.
Issue 10: To improve internship benefits for the students by coordinating in
advance their participation at a time that coincides with any major
training, conference and/or projects occurring at the institution where
they will be interning.
Issue 11: To plan discussions and seminars on both international and domestic law.
Issue 12: The students should attend/observe a large national or international
nuclear power plant exercise.

【Explanation and Analyze the Situation】
Last year, Point ① of Criterion 5 was given a perfect rating of 4 out of 4 by all
evaluation committee members. We consider this indicates that the Program has
fulfilled its educational goals. However, many pieces of advice and suggestions relating
to Point ① of Criterion were received from evaluators. We interpreted this as theirhope that the Program will continue to develop. Based on the advice and suggestions
received, we identified issues to be addressed and took countermeasures.
The Program has organized systematic curricula to ensure that students canacquire the abilities required for Phoenix Leaders through their study subjects. Class
instructors design and teach classes referring to the Teaching Handbook and using theCurriculum Map and Rubric (guidelines for achievement criteria) to confirm thepositioning of each class and evaluation criteria. We revised the curricula in FY2016
and FY2017, aiming to maintain and develop the Program after MEXT ends its support,－18－

Criterion 5. Content and Means of Education
and added three special subjects to the Radioactivity Social Recovery Course. The
revisions and additions were promptly reflected in the Curriculum Map and the
Teaching Handbook.
In addressing Issue 5, we have increased the number of internships at companies
and other organizations that contribute to recovery from radiation disasters to provide
students with opportunities to clearly understand for whom their work is being
performed, based on one of the Program’s stated purposes－To nurture leaders who
promote radiation disaster recovery efforts. Thus far, Program students have gained
experience in activities related to recovery from the Fukushima nuclear power plant
disaster through internships: two students on the Radioactivity Environmental
Protection Course have done their internships at Chiyoda Technol Corporation, one
student on the Radioactivity Environmental Protection Course at Penta-Ocean
Construction Co., Ltd., and one student on the Radioactivity Social Recovery Course at
the Minamisoma City General Hospital. Additionally, one student on the Radioactivity
Environmental Protection Course participated in organizing an international
conference hosted by ICRP as well as the Dialogue event held in Fukushima. Being
involved in the activities of an international organization helps students to learn how
to communicate more efficiently with local residents in the affected areas.
In response to Issue 6, “To adopt more practical internship opportunities that will
enhance the career options of the students,” one Program student who works for
Chiyoda Technol Corporation was given the opportunity for a long-term internship at
IAEA, funded by their company. We will continue to develop internships that match theaccepting organization’s expectations of the Program, and this will lead to enhanced
career options for the students.
Issue 7 is “To create opportunities for students to make presentations about theirresearch results to the general public using language that can be understood byeveryone.” In response, the Program trains students to convey specialized knowledge toeveryone on various occasions. In October 2017, the 4th Cross-disciplinary Exchange
Forum of the Program for Leading Graduate Schools was held, with the participation of
graduate students from outside the Program, from Hiroshima University and otheruniversities. At the forum, discussions took place on the theme of “Industry-AcademiaGovernment-Citizen Collaboration in Disaster Recovery.” The forum was followed by aretreat, at which each individual student presented their ideas on collaboration withdifferent fields. In this way, Program students are required to hold discussions acrossthe borders of their specialized fields, practicing how to convey their views to theircounterparts in an easy-to-understand manner. Radiation Disaster Recovery Studies is
a compulsory subject that is regarded as the culmination of the Program studies.

－19－

Criterion 5. Content and Means of Education
Ultimately students are required to present their research achievements at thedebriefing session and the doctoral degree examination in a way that will allow them tobe understood even by examiners in fields other than their own.
In response to Issue 8 “To improve students’ ability to engage in dialogue with thelocal inhabitants affected by the Fukushima accident,” Program advisors have advised
us that the content of the Short-term Fieldwork, which is compulsory for first-year
students, should be improved to enable them to learn more from local residents in theaffected areas. Following this advice, in FY2017 we revised the content to place thefocus on regional surveys, including dialogue with local inhabitants. Specifically, before
the fieldwork, students learned basic knowledge, such as the situation in Fukushima
and how to interview local inhabitants, through lectures held in Hiroshima. On thefieldwork site, students were divided into three groups, each of which visited different
areas for two days, and concentrated on surveys primarily through dialogue with local
residents. Experts and NPO staff members with a wealth of experience joined the onsite guidance for students, enabling them to learn practical interview methods thatwere appropriate to the situation. After these surveys, the three groups of students
listened to the results together several times, and reflected upon their own
achievements. Wrapping up the Short-term Fieldwork under the guidance of Dr.
Jacques Lochard of ICRP, students held discussions in the manner of a Dialogue, anassembly organized by ICRP to talk with local residents. In so doing, students wereable to learn empirically about the ideal form of local resident-centered dialogue.
Issue 9 is “To collate a list of target employers that may offer positive opportunities
for employment for program graduates. Once this list is compiled, identify therequirements for jobs at these institutions and make this available for current students.
This would include a list of additional license or qualification requirements.” In
response to this issue, the Career Path Committee played a central role in creating thelist, by collecting and collating relevant information, together with instructors fromeach course. Information on future career paths will be provided to students via Bb9,
which is the Learning Management System of the University, and by other means. In
addition, Hiroshima University has set up a Global Career Design Center, which
supports doctoral course students in finding employment from a university-widestandpoint. The University also serves as the Lead Partner Organization for Home forInnovative Researchers and Academic Knowledge Users (HIRAKU) ― an industrygovernment-academia consortium comprising national, prefectural, municipal andprivate universities as well as companies in the Chugoku and Shikoku regions ―established under a MEXT program with the goal of promoting the effective use of
doctoral program graduates in real-world settings. Capitalizing on the university-wide－20－

Criterion 5. Content and Means of Education
career support system, we provide Program graduates with continuous support indesigning their careers.
In addressing the need to “coordinate in advance students’ participation at a timethat coincides with any major training, conference and/or projects occurring at theinstitution where they will be interning” stated in Issue 10, students are given various
opportunities by those institutions. In FY2017, during the CEPN internship, students
were given opportunities to participate in seminars and international symposiums
organized by CEPN, the European Committee, and ICRP. These students were awarethat they acquired information sources that would be important for their future careers.
During their internship in IAEA, one student underwent a one-month internship(August 28 to September 29) at the Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques inFood and Agriculture, with the chance to be involved in the development of DSS4NAFA(Decision Support System for Nuclear Emergencies Affecting Food and Agriculture), a
decision-making support system on the Internet. The student also took part in the
Climate-Proofing Rice Production Systems: Nuclear Techniques for Climate Change
Adaptation, which was a side event at the 61st IAEA General Conference. At this event,
the student, who hailed from Vietnam, became acquainted with the Director General of
the Vietnam Atomic Energy Agency. After returning home, the student was invited to aworkshop hosted by the Agency.
In response to Issue 11 “To plan discussions and seminars on both international anddomestic law,” in March 2017 the Program organized a seminar titled “The work of the
Nuclear Regulation Authority, IRRS (Integrated Regulatory Review Service) held inJanuary 2016 by IAEA, and measures to be taken including amendments to legislation,”
inviting Mr. Masatsugu Isse, Senior Specialist for international Radiation Policy at the
Nuclear Regulation Agency, as the lecturer.
To address Issue 12 which points out that “The students should attend/observe alarge national or international nuclear power plant exercise,” we implement continual
field visits, etc. Every year, we hold a two-day tour to see the facilities of the Japan
Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA). At its Oarai Research and Development Center,
students study the structures of three types of testing reactors: the JOYO experimental
fast reactor, the High Temperature Engineering Test Reactor (HTTR), and the Japan
Materials Testing Reactor (JMTR). During the study tour, they also experiencesimulated station blackout conditions. During the visit to JAEA’s Nuclear Emergency
Assistance and Training Center, we offer them the opportunity to learn about thesystem to convene nuclear specialists in the event of an emergency to cope with adisaster in cooperation with central government agencies and disaster response experts.
From the next fiscal year we are planning for students to participate in the nuclear－21－

Criterion 5. Content and Means of Education
emergency drill conducted by Shimane Prefecture, which is home to the Shimane
Nuclear Power Station, so that they will be able to experience a more practical andlarge-scale exercise. The Program continues to offer students training in nuclear
disaster emergency medicine at the Radiation Emergency Assistance Center/Training
Site (hereafter, REAC/TS), the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education. In
FY2017, six students participated in the training.

【Reference Materials】
05 Teaching Handbook 201702 Code on the Curriculum Map for the Phoenix Leader Education Program
03 Effort and Achievement Rubric for the Phoenix Leader Education Program
01 By-Laws for the Completion of the Phoenix Leader Education Program
09

Short-term Fieldwork Schedule11

Short-term Fieldwork report

43 List of employment and target employers
12

List of Internship63

The 20th SFV Guide－22－

Criterion 5. Content and Means of Education
Point ②

Does the Program have means to guide students of diverse backgrounds to thegoal of obtaining degrees? Does the Program have means to allow students toconfirm their achievement levels?
Issue 13: To promote research with a transdisciplinary approach.

【Explanation and Analyze the Situation】
We have an online system for supervising interdisciplinary coursework(systematic subject registration) and research work under the guidance of instructors
in different fields. Assignments of all classes are given and performed via the class
support system Bb9. We also distribute learning e-portfolios to students, to supervise
their achievements towards their goals and objectives. The learning e-portfolio,
designed based on the Curriculum Map and Rubric, shows each student’s level ofachievement based on his/her academic record, the number of earned credits, and thepapers he/she has written. Students can upload their assignment papers for classes via
Bb9 onto the Learning e-Portfolio. This entire online system helps each student
manage his/her own learning, and enables his/her primary advisor and co-advisors toprovide him/her with effective and efficient guidance, while checking his/her level ofgoal achievement.
One of the main features of our learning process supervision system of degree
conferment, is the manner in which we administer the QE in the third semester for
four-year-course students and in the fourth semester for five-year-course students.
These results are used to measure their levels of achievement and decide whether they
are qualified to continue attending the Program. We have administered eight QEs as of
September 2017, and all 29 examinees have successfully passed. The QE contains
written tests on expertise in multiple disciplines, an oral exam in English on each
student’s written research project, and an aptitude and capability test based on thelearning e-portfolio.
From FY2016, we decided that students in “Radiation Disaster Recovery Studies,”
which is a compulsory subject in the final stage of the Program, must write a“Radiation Disaster Recovery Studies Report” as the final product of their studies in
the Program, and make a presentation at the Radiation Disaster Recovery Studies
Report Meeting, which effectively serves as an examination in public for the program
completion, the results of which are used as a requirement for the credits in the subject.
Up to September 2017, nine students have earned credits in Radiation Disaster Recovery
Studies, and obtained doctoral degrees. All the Radiation Disaster Recovery Studies Reports
writtenby

these

students

have

been

publishedonthewebsite(http://phoenixprogramlp.hiroshima-u.ac.jp/en/activity-reports/) .
In addressing Issue 13, “To promote research with a transdisciplinary approach,”－23－

Criterion 5. Content and Means of Education
the Program has since its inception offered multidisciplinary curricula to students inall three courses by making it compulsory for students to take classes related toradiation biology, environmental sciences, management, and the like. The Program has
also developed based on a transdisciplinary approach to ensure that we can nurture
human resources who are able to collaborate with others across the boundaries ofacademic disciplines and across the borders of industry, academia, government andsociety. To be more specific, the Program organized teams each of which compriseseveral students from different fields. These teams were given an opportunity toexperience confronting various complex challenges related to radiation disasterrecovery, and identifying and discussing them to find a solution. Students were thenrequired to report on what they experienced to other students and faculty members invarious fields. Students use the feedback from these reports to reflect on their handlingof the issues and deepen their understanding of the challenges facing radiation disasterrecovery and the solutions to them. This method was introduced primarily in Shortterm Fieldwork, a compulsory Program subject. In the process of planning andimplementing the fieldwork, we received extended advice from Visiting Professor
Jacques Lochard from ICRP. After more than ten or so hours of preliminary studies
involving attending preparatory seminars and making fieldwork plans, participating
students started gathering information in Fukushima, including interviewing local
residents and conducting environmental surveys.

【Reference Materials】
05 Teaching Handbook 201702 Code on the Curriculum Map for the Phoenix Leader Education Program
03 Effort and Achievement Rubric for the Phoenix Leader Education Program
01 By-Laws for the Completion of the Phoenix Leader Education Program
06 Guideline on the Learning e-Portfolio Operations
08 Qualifying Examination Implementation Procedures
07 Guide to Implementing Qualifying Examination
14 Code on Implementing Radiation Disaster Recovery Studies
15 Syllabus of Radiation Disaster Recovery Studies
10

Short-term Fieldwork program

11

Short-term Fieldwork report－24－Criterion 5. Content and Means of Education
Point ③

Does the Program have advanced educational functions sufficient to offer highlevel practical curricula?

【Explanation and Analyze the Situation】
This Program offers education based on the latest results of the most advanced research andpractices in the field of radiation disaster recovery through classes taught by not only the university’sfaculty members but also external researchers and professionals appointed as part-time lecturers, allof whom lead this field. In FY2017, we succeeded in providing students with the opportunity todirectly learn about reconstruction efforts by inviting Dr. Jacques Lochard, Vice-Chair of ICRP Main
Commission, to teach a class on the compulsory subject “Large-scale disaster and international
cooperation” as a Visiting Professor.
The Program also continuously offers learning opportunities at important research institutions
specializing in radiation and radiation disaster recovery and in disaster-affected areas. For example,
we continue to send students to the REAC/TS to receive advanced practical training and we sent six
students in FY2017. Field visits to nuclear power stations and radiation-related research institutes
serve as important learning opportunities for students. We also invite experts in the industrial,academic or governmental sectors to speak at retreats or seminars and directly communicate withstudents. The Program also provides students with financial aid to cover travel and other expenses
necessary for participating in domestic and overseas academic conferences, in order to encourage
students to learn the most advanced research achievements on their own initiative.
To cap each year’s education, this Program holds an annual international symposium. Students
play the role of members of the working group for organizing this symposium, and participate inmanaging it with high motivation. This enables students to acquire skills in international conference
management. They can also experience opportunities to not only learn from participating experts
about the achievements of advanced research and practices, but also receive feedback on their oral
and poster presentations. On the other hand, this symposium functions as a milestone in establishing“Radiation Disaster Recovery Studies” as a new academic field, and has developed to encompass awider variety of stakeholders from many different fields. Moreover, this symposium gives students achance to deepen their understanding of radiation disaster recovery and to increase their motivation
to be involved in reconstruction.
In FY2017, we expanded Short-term Fieldwork, a compulsory subject, with support from ourpartner organizations in Japan and abroad. In preparation for the fieldwork, we held five lectures andone study tour to help student to understand the situation in Fukushima and how to interview
affected inhabitants. After their preparatory studies, students participated in the fieldwork. In
Fukushima, they were divided into three groups, working to clarify the actual situation, identify
problems and consider solutions to these problems. They achieved this mainly through interviews
with the residents of the areas affected by the nuclear power plant accident, and by other means, suchas making radiation measurements, touring the local community, supporting farming, and holding－25－

Criterion 5. Content and Means of Education
workshops for high-school students. During the Short-term Fieldwork, each group had an
opportunity to present their findings at the Consultancy Meeting on Review and Future of
Science and Technology Studies (STS) Curriculum in Japan, co-organized by IAEA andFukushima Medical University in Fukushima.

【Reference Materials】
13 Syllabus, History of Hiroshima Restoration
52

Application Guide for Training Course of REACTS

60

List of Field visits

64 List of Retreat
58 List of Seminars
57 Flyer & Program_the 7th International Symposium
10 Short-term Fieldwork program
11 Short-term Fieldwork report－26－

Criterion 5. Content and Means of Education
Point ④

Does the Program have a mechanism to develop students’ communication andnegotiation abilities so as to foster active leaders who will address global
challenges?

【Explanation and Analyze the Situation】
All compulsory subjects in this Program are taught in English, so students are
required to be always ready to communicate with others in English. Additionally, withoverseas internship programs and training at REAC/TS, etc., our educational system
works well in motivating students to test their own international communication andnegotiation abilities and devote their effort to further improving such abilities.
To enhance students’ English communication abilities, the program offers the
subjects of Scientific English, English Communication, English Rhetoric (scientificwriting), and Academic English Presentation, taught by a native English speaking
lecturer. These courses are designed to allow students the opportunity to experience
contextualized and explicit English content-based language instruction in realistic
settings that help prepare our graduate students for communication in a global society.
Our full-time lecturer offers all of these classes at the two campuses to which the
Phoenix Program students belong. These small group, student-focused and studentdriven classes deal with subject specific issues based on the initiative of theparticipating students.
Building on a foundation of previous successes, the efforts by the Phoenix Leader
Education program to ensure that students’ English communication ability shows
ongoing progress and improvement continue to bear fruit. Some of the more concrete
examples of this English language development include: 1) an increase in conference
oral and poster presentations; 2) program professors reporting an increase inconversation participation, students’ willingness to communicate as well as anobserved increase in speaking confidence; 3) a measurable improvement in graduate
students’ ability to parse and summarize academic papers; and finally 4) students’specific desire to improve the “process” of their writing via the creation of “researcharea” and “laboratory” specific journal writing templates and vocabulary databases.
From FY2015, students are required to prove their English proficiency with theirscores on English proficiency tests or other means, to participate in training orinternship programs abroad. This has helped increase students’ motivation to learn
English, resulting in many students meeting the requirement.

【Reference Materials】
12 List of Internship
16 Syllabi of Lectures in English－27－

Criterion 5. Content and Means of Education
17 Phoenix Leader Education Program English Outcomes Report
04 Handling of Evaluation of Learning Achievement of English Education
53 Policies on the language requirements for overseas training－28－

Criterion 5. Content and Means of Education
Point ⑤

Does the Program have appropriate syllabi in adherence with the spirit ofcurriculum organization and a system to use them effectively?

【Explanation and Analyze the Situation】
The syllabi of all the subjects are appropriately prepared, and are shown tostudents not only on the class support system Bb9 but also on the Hiroshima
University website since FY2016, in both Japanese and English. On the occasion of thecurriculum revision in 2016, we revised the Teaching Handbook, and reconfirmed theconnection between classes and the direction of the new curricula at the 8th Education
Seminar. In FY2017, we continued to make effective use of the Teaching Handbook toensure that classes were delivered systematically and in the most appropriate
sequence.

【Reference Materials】
59 Flyer_ the 8th Educational Seminar
05 Teaching Handbook 2017－29－

Criterion 5. Content and Means of Education
Point ⑥Is the Program organized with due consideration given to students’ autonomy
and students who take courses outside their own fields?

【Explanation and Analyze the Situation】
The Program has a thorough learning support system, whereby students cancommunicate with their advisor and class instructors using the class support system or
Learning e-Portfolio wherever and whenever they want. The Program also has asystem that enables students to receive advice about their troubles in learning fromteaching mentors and senior-student mentors across the course boundaries.
As a form of consideration for Phoenix Program students undertaking independent
study, we have rooms with Internet connection and furniture for graduate students’
exclusive use. Additionally, to meet the needs of advanced-class students, who seldom
have to attend common classes, in October 2016 we opened an Interactive Lab withbooths exclusive to individual students, as spaces where students can study hard infriendly rivalry. These exclusive booths are used by students on the Radioactivity
Environmental Protection Course for data analysis. Some students use the spaces tovoluntarily organize interactive seminars to promote research exchange.
In October each year, we organize a Cross-disciplinary Exchange Forum. At thisforum, new students admitted in October listen to lectures given by experts working on
the forefront of radiation disaster recovery, and exchange views with other students in
the Program and from different universities, transcending the boundaries between
academic fields. The forum therefore serves as a venue for new students to understandthe purpose and significance of the Program. In FY2017, we invited Dr. Yoshiya
Shimada (Executive Director at the National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological
Science and Technology) as the lecturer at the 4th Cross-disciplinary Exchange Forum.
Three graduate students studying in the Inter-Graduate School Doctoral Degree
Program on Science for Global Safety at Tohoku University, and two graduate students
studying on the TAOYAKA Program for Creating a Flexible, Enduring, Peaceful Society
participated in the event. The forum was followed by a retreat held the next day, inwhich students stayed together under one roof and enjoyed interdisciplinary
discussions.

【Reference Materials】
48

Mentor Handbook 2017

49 Current Situation and Improvement of Student-Owned Space
65 Implementation Procedure_Cross-disciplinary Exchange Forum & Retreat－30－

Criterion 5. Content and Means of Education
Point ⑦

Does the Program have and use appropriate means of education for adult students
in remote locations, etc., such as conducting classes using printed learningmaterial (including corrections by mail), broadcasting classes, interview classes(including face-to-face classes), and classes using IT media?

【Explanation and Analyze the Situation】
This Program has built a system for continuously supporting students who study in
the Program in remote locations while working there. Students living in the Tokyo
metropolitan area can attend classes given mainly at Hiroshima University’s Tokyo
office. To offer tele-education-based classes, we prepared necessary equipment before
the Program started: for example, a teleconferencing system for establishing audiovisual connection mainly between Hiroshima University’s Higashi-Hiroshima andKasumi Campuses on the one hand and partner organizations such as Fukushima
University, Tohoku University, and the National Institute of Radiological Sciences on
the other, and a document camera and other related devices useful for administering
written examinations for students in remote locations and other purposes. Additionally,
aiming to appropriately assist students in remote locations in independent study before
and after their classes, we have provided interactive class education targeted at them,using a content recording and distribution system, which helps these students prepare
for and review their classes.
In July 2015, one student on the Program working at a company and living in Tokyoearned the required credits by attending classes via videoconferencing at the Tokyo
Office, and taking English classes taught by local part-time instructors. The student
received classes and research guidance at Hiroshima University, with financial aid tocover his travel expenses. He also completed the compulsory Short-term Internshipwhile he was on leave through coordination between the Program and the collaboratingcompany. In FY2016, the student completed the Long-term Fieldwork in his spare time,and his advisors accompanied him to the fieldwork site where they provided him withguidance. He then wrote a fieldwork report and gave a presentation at the reportmeeting. His report content and presentation skills were both highly evaluated. With
the above support, the student wrote a doctoral dissertation and a Radiation Disaster
Recovery Studies Report, and gave an oral presentation at the Radiation Disaster
Recovery Studies Report Meeting. In September 2017, he completed the Program andearned his PhD.

【Reference Materials】
51 Device List for Remote Teaching System
20 List of Long-term Fieldwork－31－

Criterion 6. Outcomes of Education

Criterion 6. Outcomes of Education
Point ①

Does the Program have an appropriate system to evaluate students’ achievementlevels in terms of their academic performances and credentials, as well as theirprogress toward the goal of developing abilities required for Phoenix Leaders?

【Explanation and Analyze the Situation】
This Program has the clearly defined learning objectives and a system forevaluating students’ achievement levels based on the outcomes of their learning, andhas used this system for the QE.
We use the Curriculum Map and Rubric to evaluate students’ levels ofachievement of the Program goals, and integrate the entire system ranging from classdesign to evaluation. Regarding common goals, students are required to reach thesecond stage of the achievement standards specified in the Rubric by their QE, and toreach the fourth stage by their Program completion.
In FY2016, to promote the achievements of students in the Program, we added thesection “Results of students’ research” which showcases the research achievements ofstudents

onthe

Programonits

website(http://phoenixprogramlp.hiroshima-u.ac.jp/en/activity-reports/), and published academic papers authored by students inthe section. In FY2017, along with 27 academic papers, Radiation Disaster Recovery
Studies

Reports

writtenby

nine

students

wereposted,demonstrating

theachievements of the Program.
We have also conducted surveys of Program graduates to identify the postgraduation paths of individual students. Graduates’ profiles have been registered in
the online system so that, even after graduation, the Program uses the resources ofHiroshima University to help students to achieve their desired career paths.

【Reference Materials】
05 Teaching Handbook 201702 Code on the Curriculum Map for the Phoenix Leader Education Program
03 Effort and Achievement Rubric for the Phoenix Leader Education Program
18 Student Outcome (website)
42

Webpage screenshot on Young Researchers Portfolio, "HIRAKU-PF"－32－

Criterion 6. Outcomes of Education
Point ②

From an analysis of the results of hearing students’ opinions, including
questionnaires, can it be concluded that the Program has produced favorable
educational outcomes?

【Explanation and Analyze the Situation】
We ask students to evaluate the classes provided under this Program, using
Hiroshima University’s Class Improvement Questionnaire system.
Besides the questionnaire above mentioned, in FY 2017 another questionnaire
was sent to students by the JSPS (Japan Society for the Promotion of Science) in
conjunction with the post-project evaluation for MEXT’s Program for Leading Graduate
Schools and results have been made open to HU. Generally, students gave positive
opinions of the Program’s achievements required by MEXT. However, one concern isthat more than half of the students replied to the question on “Laboratory Rotation”
that they were not given the opportunity. This is presumably because the title“Laboratory Rotation” may be somewhat misleading, so that its purpose, which is tooffer “opportunities to gain specialized knowledge in other fields,” was not fully
understood. In practice, the curriculum requires students to study special subjects inother academic fields as compulsory subjects, and students are given opportunities toacquire a variety of specialized knowledge through seminars and field visits.
Nevertheless, the above concern indicates that the Program has not yet established acommon understanding among students that they have opportunities to obtainknowledge in other specialized fields by studying special subjects in different areas andcapitalizing on learning occasions outside their classes. In the future, when we offer“opportunities to gain specialized knowledge in other fields” to students, we will always
remind them of the purpose, and motivate them to capitalize on these opportunities toacquire knowledge in fields other than their specialty.

【Reference Materials】
34 Questionnaire results on SFW 2016, 2017－33－

Criterion 7. Student Support Systems

Criterion 7. Student Support Systems
Point ① Does the Program offer an ideal environment where excellent students can inspireand compete with each other?
【Explanation and Analyze the Situation】
The Program offers an environment where not only students of the Program but
also those from other universities can inspire and compete with each other. Notably,
during the compulsory Short-term Fieldwork, students share activities for about one
week in Fukushima Prefecture and exchange views. In FY2017, students were divided
into three small groups, each of which were accompanied by Program graduates andthird to fifth year students, who served as part-time lecturers and TAs. They worked to
examine and compile the collected information, even at night. In addition, during thefieldwork period, each group of students had the chance to report on their activities at
the international conference organized by IAEA at Fukushima Medical University. To
prepare for their presentations, each group worked hard on its own initiative.
Participants in the fieldwork included one student from the University of California,
Berkeley, and two graduate students from the Hiroshima University TAOYAKA
Program for Creating a Flexible, Enduring, Peaceful Society, which was adopted as one
of MEXT’s Programs for Leading Graduate Schools, as was our Program. The fieldwork
served as a venue for mutual inspiration and competition between students.
Students from the University of California, Berkeley, and from Colorado State
University participated in the poster session organized by students at the international
symposium held in February 2017. Participating students competed for the awards
bestowed on the top three presentations as judged by the symposium participants. In
October, the 4th Cross-disciplinary Exchange Forum was held. In addition to Program
students, two graduate students studying on the TAOYAKA Program for Creating a
Flexible, Enduring, Peaceful Society, and three graduate students studying on theInter-Graduate School Doctoral Degree Program on Science for Global Safety at Tohoku
University participated in the event. The forum participants were divided into fivegroups, each of which presented their discussion results.
By establishing a number of systems to promote teamwork and friendly competition
between students, the Program has succeeded in creating an environment thatfacilitates mutual growth, transcending the boundaries between academic disciplinesand differences in language and culture.

【Reference Materials】
65

Implementation Procedure_Cross-disciplinary Exchange Forum & Retreat56

the 6th International Symposium Report－34－

Criterion 7. Student Support Systems
10

Short-term Fieldwork program66

The 4th Cross-disciplinary Exchange Forum Report－35－

Criterion 7. Student Support Systems
Point ②

Does the Program offer financial support to students to enable them toconcentrate their efforts and time on studies and research activities?

【Explanation and Analyze the Situation】
Since its launch, the Program has offered students an environment where they
can concentrate their efforts and time on studies and research activities without
financial concern, through various support measures, including a monthly grant of
180,000 to 200,000 yen, housing support, the lending of laptops, financial aid forresearch activities, and participation in domestic and overseas academic conferences.
We also have rooms for the exclusive use of Program graduate students at both theHigashi-Hiroshima and Kasumi Campuses, so that they can freely use these rooms forvarious purposes, such as individual studies or academic journal club meetings.
Additionally, to address problems that can disturb students’ studies and research
activities in a timely manner, we monitor the situations faced by students using thementor system and regular Faculty and Student Opinion Exchange Meetings.
Moreover, in FY2015, we began to hold regular lunch meetings where students, faculty
members and staff members could frankly communicate with each other, to prepare
themselves to promptly handle the troubles that students face in their lives, etc.
In FY2017, the final year in which the Program can receive financial support from
MEXT, the University established its policy for managing the Program in FY2018 andonward. We will introduce new financial support measures, including tuition fee
exemption and a scholarship system for excellent students. We have also established asource of financing to continue providing housing support, and to cover the expenses
related to compulsory subjects, such as Short-term Fieldwork and Long-term
Fieldwork/Internship, to allow students to pursue their studies without paying thesecosts, in principle. To provide detailed information, we held briefings and question-andanswer sessions to develop a common understanding between students and teaching
staff, so that we will be able to implement the Program in FY2018 and after in a stablemanner. Subsequently, we held lunch meetings and other events to talk with students
in an informal atmosphere. Through these activities, we are preparing an environment
in which students can study with peace of mind.

【Reference Materials】
44 List of Substantial Support
32 Code on Faculty and Student Opinion Exchange Meeting
28

Handouts of Explanatory Meeting for Financial Support

33 List of Lunch Meeting－36－

Criterion 7. Student Support Systems
Point ③

Does the Program support students in preparing and carrying out theirautonomous and original research plans?

【Explanation and Analyze the Situation】
This Program has established the foundations for creative research throughinterdisciplinary, cross-organizational, and international education, which is clearly
distinguished from conventional graduate education. The Program also has a system
for facilitating each student’s research activities through such measures as financial
aid for students’ participation in academic conferences, compensation of long-term
fieldwork/internships costs, and financial aid for post-QE students’ research activities.
In particular, the Program provides students with many opportunities to carry out
their own more substantial fieldwork by accessing the latest information on recovery
from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident. For their Short-term
Fieldwork, students stayed in areas where the evacuation order had been lifted, todeepen their understanding of the actual situation in these areas. In FY2017, we joined
ICRP, Fukushima Medical University and the National Institute of Advanced
Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) in managing the Dialogue, an assembly fortalking with local residents in Fukushima. While involved in on-site management
support, Program students were able to consider in depth the relationship between
their own research and society.
From FY2018, we will abolish financial aid to support individual students inparticipating in academic conferences and with their research activities. However, we
will continue to provide support for Long-term Fieldwork/Long-term Internships.
Additionally, we will enable students to participate in seminars and symposia to beheld by the Research Base for Radiation Accidents and Medical Science, which was set
up in the Hiroshima University Research Institute for Radiation Biology and Medicine
in FY2016, jointly by Hiroshima University, Fukushima Medical University andNagasaki University. Attending these events will give students increased opportunities
to access the latest information relevant to their own research interests.

【Reference Materials】
19 List of Research Topic
47 List of Supporting Participation in Academic Meetings
45 Guide to Research Grant
46 List of Research Grant Payments
61 The 18th SFV, 9th GFV Guide
62 The 18th SFV，9thGFV Report－37－Criterion 8. Facilities and Equipment

Criterion 8. Facilities and Equipment
Point: Does the University have facilities and equipment sufficient for educational andresearch activities of the Program, and suitable for providing the curriculums?
【Explanation and Analyze the Situation】
With regard to the above equipment and facilities, we have rooms that Program
graduate students are free to use for individual studies and seminars, and interactive
laboratories equipped with PCs and other devices. We have used the Program funding
to improve the equipment in the two RI facilities at Hiroshima University. Thesefacilities now function as the Hiroshima Phoenix Training Center. At the center,
students can use portable whole body counters, low-background Ge-detectors, wholebody decontamination shower devices, imaging analyzers, high volume air samplers,
Geiger-Muller (GM) counters, and NaI scintillation survey meters, and other devices.
In FY2017, we conducted a survey of the research results achieved using thisequipment and these devices, and reported the academic papers and other documentsthat were written by students using this equipment to MEXT.

【Reference Materials】
50

Device list of Hiroshima Phoenix Training Center－38－

Criterion 9. System for Quality Enhancement and Improvement of Education

Criterion 9. System for Quality Enhancement and Improvement of
Education
Point:

Does the Program have an appropriate system to evaluate its implementation
processes?

【Explanation and Analyze the Situation】
Since this Program’s launch in 2011, a PDCA cycle has been working well throughthe activities of the relevant Committees and Councils, including the Evaluation
Committee. In FY2017 as well, these Committees and Councils proposed plans andimprovements, many of which were carried out.
In FY2017, based on the advice of External Evaluation Committee members andstudents’ questionnaire responses mainly for Short-Term Fieldwork, we changed themethod used for fieldwork. Under the new method, students received lectures that
previously had been given on-site during the Short-term Fieldwork, in Hiroshima
before starting their fieldwork. In the field, students were divided into three groups
and took part in detailed information gathering activities through dialogue with thelocal inhabitants and regional surveys. As a result of this change, the students’
responses to the questionnaire revealed a higher level of satisfaction regarding
information collection in the disaster area. On the other hand, some students
commented that making use of the opportunity to participate in an international
conference and present their research findings on-site placed too heavy a burden on
them. If we continue to provide them with this opportunity next fiscal year, we need toestablish a common understanding of what it means for students to present their study
achievements. There is therefore room to make continuous improvements to thefieldwork to make it a more effective study subject.
In conjunction with the post-project evaluation of MEXT’s Program for Leading
Graduate Schools, in FY2017, the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science
distributed questionnaires to students. We identified some issues from the results,
which have already been shared in the Program.

The students surveyed mostly

responded positively to the questionnaire, as described in the section on Point② of
Criteria 6.
In FY2017, the final year of MEXT financial support, we focused on establishing asystem aimed at further developing the Program in FY2018 and beyond, whileobtaining a common understanding among the people involved, including students. In
September 2017, we held a briefing session for faculty members on the financial
foundation and the educational system for the next fiscal year. In October, a briefing
session was held for students, in which we had detailed discussions on next year’s
situation with the Program Director and Coordinator. The views put forward during－39－

Criterion 9. System for Quality Enhancement and Improvement of Educationthese discussions gave us grounds for further deliberation on how to ensure that theProgram could obtain the necessary support. Many informal dialogues took place atlunch meetings between students and their mentors, and on other occasions. These
endeavors have enabled us to establish a common understanding of how we cancontinue with the Program and what improvements need to be made, creating positive
prospects for the future.
We held External Evaluation Committee meetings in FY2017 as in the past, tosolicit advice from those members on how to develop the Program.

【Reference Materials】
34

Questionnaire results on SFW 2016, 201728

Handouts of Explanatory Meeting for Financial Support

33

List of Lunch Meeting－40－Conclusion
For this fiscal year again, based on the nine criteria, we carefully examined the Program
activities and achievements, which are reported in this document. Of particular importance isto have been able to confirm the Program’s outcomes in FY2017, in light of the achievements
accomplished by its graduates. They also participate in and contribute to the Program’s
education. This fact represents a milestone for the Program, which we consider has attained acertain level of completion. Meanwhile, concerning Point  of Criterion 5, although it earned
a perfect rating of 4 out of 4 last year, we voluntarily identified issues aiming at further
development based on the advice and suggestions specific to this Point that we received fromthe External Evaluation Committee members. As a result, we were able to obtain many
positive results.
To ensure that the Program continues to develop, we will deliberate on issues we yet needto address closer towards the beginning of the next fiscal year. We will take into account theupcoming reports to be submitted by the respective members of the External Evaluation
Committee.
Evaluation Committee,
Phoenix Leader Education Program (Hiroshima Initiative) for Renaissance from Radiation
Disaster, Hiroshima University Graduate Schools
Member of Evaluation Committee
Post

Name

Affiliation

Responsibility in Program

Vice President

Kenji Kamiya

Reconstruction Support/Radiation
Medicine

Professor

Masao Kobayashi

Institute of Biomedical & Health
Sciences

Professor

Tetsuji Okamoto

Institute of Biomedical & Health
Sciences

Radiation Disaster Medicine
CourseProfessor

Makoto Iwanaga

Graduate School of Integrated Arts
and Sciences

Radioactivity Social Recovery
CourseProfessor (Special
Appointment)

Kiyoshi Shizuma

Institute of Engineering

Radioactivity Environmental
Protection Course

Student

Chryzel Angelica
Babaan Gonzales

Graduate School of Biomedical& Health Sciences

Radiation Disaster Medicine
CourseStudent

Basuki Triyono

Graduate School of Science

Radioactivity Environmental
Protection Course

Student

Yuji Hirano

Graduate School of LettersRadioactivity Social Recovery
CourseProgram Director
Radiation Disaster Medicine
CourseProgram Coordinator
Radiation Disaster Medicine
Course【Inquiries】
The Organization of Leading Graduate Education Program, Hiroshima University
Collaboration Office of Education and International Office
1-1-1 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima, 739-8524
TEL：082-424-4689・4638
E-Mail：phoenix-program@office.hiroshima-u.ac.jp