Accreditation Results(Accreditation Results for School of Veterinary Medicine)Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology
Faculty of Agriculture
Cooperative Department of Veterinary Medicine

Basic Information of the Institution
Ownership: National

Location: Tokyo, Japan

Accreditation Status
Year of the Review: 2021
Accreditation Status: accredited （Accreditation Period: April.1.2022– March.31.2029）

Iwate University, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology
Faculty of Agriculture
Cooperative Department of Veterinary Medicine

Accreditation Results for
Iwate University, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology
Faculty of Agriculture Cooperative Department of VeterinaryMedicine

The Cooperative Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Agriculture, Iwate
University (undergraduate program) and the Cooperative Department of Veterinary
Medicine, Faculty of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology(undergraduate program) state as their educational objective to “train individuals witha global mindset who can, in accordance with the principle that veterinarians should
contribute to human and animal health and welfare, provide advanced veterinary
medicine as well as contribute to human health, food safety, and the advancement ofbioscientific research.” This objective is made widely known to the general public viathe websites of the respective Cooperative Departments of Veterinary Medicine, among
other means. Iwate University has a system and environment that enable advanced
veterinary medicine education regarding industrial animals, while Tokyo University ofAgriculture and Technology focuses on practical companion animal medicine
education primarily in the Metropolitan area. In accordance with the educational
objective, the two universities conduct education and research activities based on a joint
curriculum in which they supplement each other’s educational resources, humanresources, and facilities.
Specifically, in the general participatory clinical training program, students
engage in clinical training at the respective veterinary teaching hospitals of the twouniversities. In addition, Iwate University holds training programs in cooperation with
agricultural mutual aid association medical facilities in which students gain sufficientexperience in cases. These endeavors are expected to generate synergies witheducational activities. The two universities also hold academic courses, training
programs, and other events for vets at their respective veterinary teaching hospitals,
thereby contributing to professional lifelong education. Going forward, the universities
are expected to offer their contributions to society in general, including local residents.
Furthermore, the universities leverage their distinctive features to promoteresearch in veterinary medicine. In order to address various issues that arise between
humans and animals, such as food safety, Iwate University has established the Food
Animal Medicine & Food Safety Research Center (FAMS) as a hub for fundamental
and application research for animal bioscience, conducting interdisciplinary surveys
and research on animal-based foods to achieve food safety. The Center for Infectious
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Iwate University, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology
Faculty of Agriculture
Cooperative Department of Veterinary Medicine

Disease Epidemiology and Prevention Research at Tokyo University of Agriculture andTechnology engages in joint studies on preventing significant infectious diseases withforeign universities and research organizations, as well as conducting surveys andresearch on significant infectious diseases such as foot‐and‐mouth disease. Theuniversities allow their students to participate in the surveys and research activities
conducted by the two centers to promote education, which is considered a distinctivefeature.
However, even though the universities conduct activities such as those describedabove, multiple issues were identified in the current review.
The main educational issues common to both universities are as follows: ensuring
rigorous assessment of academic achievement, establishing requirements foradvancement, and identifying/evaluating learning outcomes. First, the syllabuses ofsome subjects are inadequate as they do not clearly present the criteria for assessmentof academic achievement, and there are cases where identical assessments and grades
are given to all participants in the results of assessment of academic achievement.
Therefore, the universities should verify the appropriateness of assessment of academicachievement to ensure rigorous and fair assessment of academic achievement. Next,
even though the universities present the conditions that must be met by the third year
to take Graduate Research and related seminar subjects, students can advance to thosesubjects without satisfying the conditions. Therefore, guidance should be provided toensure that students take subjects in a stepwise manner. Furthermore, the universities
need to develop a system for objectively identifying and evaluating the extent to which
students have acquired the knowledge and skills necessary for veterinarians through thegeneral participatory clinical training program, which is an important element in thevisualization of learning outcomes.
As the development of faculty and an education and research environment is vitalfor conducting research, the universities should ensure a sufficient number of full-timeteaching staff corresponding to the number of students. In addition, the universities areexpected to consider the gender balance among full-time faculty. In order to enhancethe educational effects of the general participatory clinical training program held at theveterinary teaching hospitals, Iwate University needs to ensure a sufficient number offull-time teaching staff, clinical teaching staff, hospital full-time teaching staff, andassistance staff (e.g., trainee vets, animal nurses, pharmacists), and Tokyo Universityof Agriculture and Technology needs to ensure a sufficient number of clericaladministrators. Regarding facilities and equipment, the animal experiment facilities andveterinary teaching hospital equipment are insufficient at both universities. Therefore,2

Iwate University, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology
Faculty of Agriculture
Cooperative Department of Veterinary Medicine

both universities should ensure the facilities necessary for veterinary medicine
educational and research activities, as well as developing a management manual andsystem for various types of experiments.
Finally, in order to solve these issues, it is essential that both universities work
together to ensure the quality of education. Currently, each university conducts selfstudies and makes improvements individually. However, as the two degree programs
award the same degree, the universities should develop a joint system for self-study,
exchange information on a regular basis, and engage in extensive discussion to work
toward conducting appropriate education and establishing the environment necessary
to achieve this. The JUAA hopes the joint degree program leverages the resources of
the two universities even further to provide a distinctive veterinary medicine educationthat leads to enhanced educational effects.

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