(IAMZ-CIHEAM, Spain 15-17 June 2015 ) Are current agricultural educational models suitable to meet global challenges? Case study: Japan Agricultural Higher Education in the 21st Century A global challenge in knowledge transfer to meet world demands for food security and sustainability (Zaragoza, Spain, 15-17 June 2015) Shuichi Asanuma International Cooperation Center for Agricultural Education (ICCAE), Nagoya University (shuichiasanuma@gmail.com)
Contents (of my report) 1. Overview of farm workforce and food production in Japan Population and farm workforce Agricultural production and food-self sufficiency rate 2. Agricultural higher education in Japan High school Undergraduate and graduate university programs Situation of present agricultural education at most universities in Japan How can students have interests in agriculture? 3. New approaches towards education of practical agricultural study Overseas study tour of undergraduate students Education through the overseas research collaboration between Japan and developing countries: (SATREPS) 4. Towards human capacity development for meeting global challenges
High school students 1955-2014 Vocational-1: agriculture, engineering, commercial, fisheries, homemaking, nursery, information, welfare Vocational-2: science/mathematics, gymnastics, music, art, foreign languages, international relations, etc. Integrated: mixture of comprehensive and vocational (Totally 3,324,615 students in 6,789 high schools In 2014 3 )
Vocational high school students, 2014 Figure 7. Students (%) in various vocational high schools in 2014. Source: Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan. Basic Statistics of Schools 1948-2014. 4
High school number and students, 1955-2014 Figure 8. High school number and proportion of agricultural high schools, 1955-2014. Source: Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan. Basic Statistics of Schools 1948-2014. Figure 9. Total high school students and proportion of agricultural students, 1955-2014. Source: Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan. Basic Statistics of Schools 1948-2014. 5
University students, 1955-2014 Figure 10. Total university students and proportion of agricultural students, 1955-2014. Source: Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan. Basic Statistics of Schools 1948-2014. Figure 11. Agricultural graduate students and its proportion to total graduate students, 1955-2014. Source: Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan. Basic Statistics of Schools 1948-2014. 6
School of Agricultural Sciences/Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University a. Undergraduate b. Master s c. Doctoral Figure 12. Various tracks for the graduates of agricultural undergraduate and graduate programs of Nagoya University (Percent (%) of means for 2005-2014). a. Undergraduate program; b. Master s program and c. Doctoral program Source: Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, 2015. Student Statistics 2005-2014. 7
High School and National University Agricultural High School ( ex. Hyogo Prefecture) Agronomy Horticulture Animal science Food science Agricultural environment engineering Gardening Bio-engineering National University (Undergraduate School or Faculty) Agriculture Agricultural Sciences Agriculture and Life Science Applied Biological Science(s) Life and Environmental Science Bioresources Horticulture (Graduate School) Agriculture Agricultural Science(S) Agriculture and Life Science Agricultural and Life Sciences Applied Biological Science(s) Bioagricultural Sciences Bioresources and Bioenvironmental Sciences Life and Environmental Science Bioresources Biosphere Science Horticulture 8
Nagoya University School of Agricultural Sciences Department : Bioenvironmental Sciences Bioresource Sciences Applied Biosciences Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences Department: Biosphere Resources Science Biological Mechanisms and Functions Applied Molecular Biosciences Bioengineering Sciences Division: International Cooperation in Agricultural Sciences (ICCAE) 9
Situation of present agricultural education at most universities in Japan Education at the university through research, basic science or practical science Agriculture: Practical science led to the development of agricultural technologies by its nature and expected to solve the practical farming and livestock problems Cf. a. practice of farming and science of farming (Longman Advance American Dictionary, 2000) b. the science or art of cultivating the soil, producing crops, and raising livestock and in varying degrees the preparation of these products for man s use and their disposal (as by marketing) (Webster s New Collegiate Dictionary, 1979) However, Agriculture has extended from practical science to rather basic science and nowadays more and more researchers of universities and agricultural research institutions particularly in Japan are tended to engage in basic science research As a results, Students may lose interests or can not intrigue interests in agricultural studies.
How can students have interests in Agriculture? From basic science to practical science of agriculture to meet urgent needs in solving the problems in improvement of agricultural production Exposing young people to current and real situations to understand various problems to be solved urgently in farming and agriculture through visiting villages and interviewing farmers Role of teachers/researchers engaging in higher education to guide and lead young students to field study New approaches: 1. Overseas study tour of undergraduate students 2. Education through the overseas research collaboration between Japan and developing countries: (SATREPS)
Joint Training Program for Undergraduate Students Royal University of Agriculture (RUA), Cambodia Kasetsart University (KU), Thailand Nagoya University (NU), Japan 12
The Objectives of Joint Training Program Agriculture is the most important primary industry and should be placed in the front line of the development for food security. Target Undergraduate students (mainly third-year students) who are studying agriculture from Royal University of Agriculture (RUA), Kasetsart University (KU) and Nagoya University (NU) Purpose To understand the agriculture in different countries (Cambodia, Thailand and Japan) having different culture and nature To observe the reality of agriculture and its related industries with a scientific eye 13
The Objectives of Joint Training Program Characteristics Joint training program in Cambodia, Thailand and Japan. The NU third-year students form groups with same numbers of RUA or KU counterpart students to witness the reality of agricultural production in the rural area. They have several projects on rice production, horticulture, animal production, food processing and water management etc. Each group has wrap-up presentations on their own projects. Students earn credit for the program in each university (RUA, KU, NU). 14
= Science and Technology Research Partnership For Sustainable Development SYNERGY SATREPS 15
SATREPS program structure MEXT/ JST Collaboration MOFA/ JICA R&D Support International Joint Research Technical Cooperation ODA Research Institutions in Japan Research Partnership Research Institutions in Developing Countries SATREPS 16
Objectives of SATREPS Copyright2014 JST 17
Copyright2014 JST Research Areas Adaptation to or mitigation of climate change Energy systems for low carbon society The resolution of global-scale environmental issues Sustainable utilization of bio-resources Natural disaster prevention measures Infectious diseases control Total Selected Projects Asia Region Afric a Other s 47 20 20 FY 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 201 3 2014 4 4 0 4 3 1 1 2 3 2 4 1 2 3 1 6 5 2 3 1 2 3 4 2 2 1 2 2 2 4 2 2 1 3 3 12 20 17 10 8 10 10 87 18 As of Apr 2014
SATREPS Projects around the World 87 projects in 41 countries since 2008 up to 2014 Copyright2014 JST 19
SATREPS in Kenya Project Title: The project on rice research for tailor-made breeding and cultivation technology development in Kenya Project Period: 2013/05/22~2018/05/21 Project Purpose: A base of rice breeding and cultivation technology development is built. 20
5 major constraints to be addressed by the project Drought-water saving Blast Rainfed Irrigated Cold weather Low fertility Salinity 21
Towards human capacity development for meeting food security and global challenges From basic science to practical science of agriculture to meet urgent needs in solving the problems in improvement of agricultural production Exposing young people to current and real situations to understand various problems in farming and agriculture Role of teachers/researchers engaging in higher education to guide and lead young students to field study New approaches Overseas study tour of undergraduate students SATREPS (Science and Technology Research Partnership for Sustainable Development) AIMS (ASEAN International Mobility for Student Program) Agricultural technology is locally specific by its nature and so the development of new adaptive technologies in the locality or the adaptation of available technologies to that particular locality must be tested in the developing countries.
ICCAE International Cooperation Center for Agricultural Education Think globally, act locally,,,,,,,,,,,,glocal,,,, Thank you for your attention. 23