Hokkaido Bunkyo University was founded in 1999, but its origins date back eight decades to the establishment of the Hokkaido Women’s Nutrition School in 1942.
Could you give us a quick introduction to your university?
Based on the spirit of active learning, I became the president in 2018 and currently we have three faculties and seven departments. The students enrolled in the Faculty of International Studies visit Australian and Canadian universities for short term study. In our Faculty of Health Science and Education, we provide health and nutrition education, child development education, as well as urban development education. The purpose is to help students acquire national certification to become nutritionists and kindergarten teachers. Our third faculty is our Faculty of Health Sciences, which allows students to acquire certification to work in hospitals and nursing facilities.
As for our globalization policy, we are in line for the government’s call for more international students. Our target is to incorporate more Asian and African students to enroll in our departments, especially those that are looking to become Japanese national certified nutritionists, physiotherapists, and nurses.
The main target of our education is to provide practical learning on-site. For foreign students, rather than asking them to study Japanese first, we have instead changed our structure so students can gain practical knowledge alongside language skills. Essentially, it is now training and language together.
We are actively engaged in partnerships, especially domestically. We have over 100 companies in Japan with memorandums of understanding (MOU) and also overseas we are now expanding into countries like Vietnam and Sri Lanka.
Japan today is facing a number of challenges including a lack of labor force globalization in comparison to other countries. Additionally, with Japan’s decline in population, there is increased pressure on the global workforce. It is estimated that in 2040, Japan will face a shortfall of 10 million workers. To try to address this challenge, the government is setting ambitious targets of attracting over 400,000 students from overseas to Japan to study. What role do you believe Japanese colleges can play in trying to address these challenges that Japan is facing?
The Japanese national exam has often been seen as a hurdle for international students, so we are providing an educational program that gives non-Japanese students the chance to be enrolled. The process also includes national certification. In the past, international students had to learn Japanese first in order to learn the contents, but as I mentioned, we have changed our structure. Students can then recognize if they are apt for the fields of interest they have or not before discussing if their Japanese level needs to be improved. It gives more flexibility to non-Japanese speakers to learn firsthand about possible careers in Japan. From here due to our partnerships, we are then able to introduce students to potential employers.
Japan should be an attractive place for students to come, yet the numbers show it isn’t reaching its potential. It has world-class facilities and education, with an ever-increasing availability of English language courses and programs. If we look at the total number of international students, it is at about 5%, quite low compared to the UK and the US at between 20-30%. Are there any particular ways you think that universities should be doing this? Are there any strategies you’ve implemented at your university to attract more foreign students to study here?
The key is to appeal to students by demonstrating the attractiveness of Japan. Therefore we can set a clear path of how their lives would be better by coming and studying in Japan, ultimately leading to employment in Japan. In particular, in Hokkaido I think it is important that universities team up and promote the advantages that come from studying and living in Hokkaido.
Hokkaido is known globally for its powder snow. We want to slowly push this charm of nature that can only be experienced here. Also, our university has a high level of standardized education for nursing and physiotherapy. Rather than focus on the requirement of Japanese language skills which may hinder foreign students, we want to stress more practical, hands-on learning experiences. Through this we can provide a holistic Japanese education to our students.
Your university features a Faculty of International Studies, which consists of two departments: the Department of International Liberal Arts and the Department of International Communication. This aligns with your institution’s broader objective of fostering an international mindset through its educational programs. What do these departments offer, and what would you like students to gain from these programs upon graduation?
Our Department of International Studies has students from both Japan and overseas, and the purpose is to foster local as well as international knowledge. International students can learn about the beauty of Hokkaido, and of course, the charm of Japan is important. To this end, we conduct field studies and classroom programs about Japanese and global cultures. This bridges the gap between different cultures, creating harmony. By fostering those with an international mindset, we hope to drive globalization and harmony. We also hope that those who graduate from our university can also go on to work for an overseas company, or to study at graduate schools overseas.
Your Faculty of Medical Health Science consists of two departments, the Department of Nursing and the Department of Rehabilitation. These two departments combine a curriculum that aims to develop leaders who can respond to a rapidly aging society in the region. How do these programs help students prepare for a health care role in an aging society here in Japan?
In our Faculty of Medical Health Science we have standardized our education away from a traditional treatment mindset to a preventative one. This is particularly important in an aging society where lifespans can exceed 100 years, so maintaining a longer healthy lifespan is key. To do so we are providing educational programs so that students are equipped with the skills and knowledge necessary to thrive in a preventative society. We hope that our graduates will contribute to supporting this aging society in the future.
This year you established your Department of Regional Development within your Faculty of Health Science and Education. The department was created with the aim of nurturing future leaders who will shape the future through initiatives like urban development that leverages regional characteristics and the creation of new value by utilizing local resources, building and supporting a sustainable society. Why did you open this department, and can you give us some insight into what potential students can expect?
This department was established with the purpose to learn about specific regional areas and observe the issues that the area is experiencing. Through classroom studies and seminars, we can grasp the issues and communicate with the outside world in order to find solutions that alleviate them. These local issues are issues seen in other places around the world, so seeing it from a global perspective is very important. The combination of global and local is what we are trying to achieve among our students. We want our students to provide solutions and connect with other people.
DX and the integration of advanced technologies such as generative AI and language learning models have significantly impacted the education world. In addition, the Japanese government has been recommending that humanities departments and universities teach the basics of technology use on top of normal humanities curricula. This is part of a larger transition towards a more technologically integrated society. How does evolving technology affect the education you offer? How are you preparing students for a technologically integrated society?
We are currently strengthening our DX approach by partnering with a specialized DX company and we have received a specialist, hence our DX initiatives. With the advent of ChatGPT and generative AI, the situation surrounding the environment has greatly changed. We are trying to keep ourselves up to date with these technologies and finding the best utilization of AI in our education program.
As part of your 100-year vision, you have set ambitious goals of increasing your student body to 3,000 students. This target reflects your commitment to expanding educational opportunities, enhancing the learning environment, and fostering a flourishing academic community that aligns with your long-term objectives for institutional growth and excellence. How do you plan to attract more students, particularly international students, in order to reach this goal of 3,000?
The goal we have is to increase the number of students to 3,000 within the next four years. We currently have 2,200 students, so we are looking to attract 800 more. The strategy we are employing is strengthening our graduate level as well as our undergraduate programs. We are also thinking about establishing a Department of Semiconductors so that we can provide an education that links with the semiconductor industry here in Hokkaido. With the decreasing demography, it is important that our university reaches out to international students, particularly Asian prospective students.
Your university describes itself as a hub of open knowledge that responds to the needs of the local community. This is done through collaboration research with the government, active engagement with businesses, and a commitment to lifelong learning. How does your university contribute to local society in a positive way? What can international students learn by being involved in the local community here?We value partnerships with university counterparts, local communities, and local companies. The purpose is to nurture human personnel with deep practical knowledge and an ability to contribute to society. Our main target is to have students with more tangible, practical learning experiences. This isn’t only domestically but also overseas.
If you were to send a message about your university to the world, what would that message be?
In the eyes of the global community, I want Hokkaido Bunkyo University to be seen as a university that raises the standard of professionals, nurturing people with practical, hands-on skills.
To read more about Hokkaido Bunkyo University, check out this article about them
For information, visit: www.do-bunkyodai.ac.jp/en
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