At professional universities, it is obligatory to assign at least 4% of full-time faculty members to "practitioner faculty members".The definition of a practitioner teacher is to have more than 5 years of work experience in a specialized field and to have a high level of work ability.The existence of such practitioner faculty is one of the major educational features that shows that professional universities are different from existing universities.
With the world changing rapidly due to globalization, the development of AI / ICT technology, and the recent epidemic of the new coronavirus infection, improving the quality of human resource development in Japan has long been a concern.Most of the existing universities are "researcher faculty members" who have accumulated careers mainly in the field of academic research, and are composed of an educational system aimed at deeply studying a specific academic field. While the results of academic pursuit can be obtained with the conventional curriculum, the situation such as being unable to meet the rapidly changing needs of the real world as mentioned above has become more and more problematic these days.
Therefore, at professional universities, in addition to "researcher faculty members" who have pursued theories in their specialized fields, "practitioner faculty members" who have the knowledge, skills, and experience that can be utilized in the field, both professional and practical. We will provide "two-sword style" education to acquire knowledge through both theory and skill.By building such a hybrid learning environment, we aim to acquire the high expertise required by each industry and develop human resources who will lead the industry.
Education by practitioner teachers has two major advantages.
The first point is that you can directly learn the knowledge and views of each person that you can have because you have practical experience.For example, at a professional university where you can study the fields of ICT and information, faculty members involved in network development and system construction in companies, and in the fields of management and business, faculty members who actually establish a company and serve as directors, art, design, and content In the field, faculty members who are experts in various fields, such as active manga artists, designers, directors of animation works, etc., directly guide students.
Even during times other than lectures, communication can be fostered with a sense of distance unique to small-group education, and “living” such as on-site issues, required abilities / qualities, and industry trends that cannot be known without experiencing work in a specific field. It is possible to learn "knowledge".The problem-solving ability and empirical rules acquired by dealing with human resources development and management in companies, business decision-making, etc., which are taken for granted by working people every day, are the weapons of practitioner teachers. And it's all practical knowledge that is very useful for inexperienced students.
The second point is that through collaboration between industry and universities, students will experience and know practical work in the industry of their choice, with more than 2 hours of in-house training while still in school.
"Problem finding / solving ability" and "communication ability" through "living learning" such as practical industry knowledge brought by practitioner teachers who serve as a bridge between "learning" and "society" and cooperation and cooperation with industry. Students can experience, understand, and acquire "basic skills for working adults" such as "" while in school.It is also expected that the learning and accumulation of such experiences unique to professional universities will be useful in selecting employment destinations and deciding career paths after graduation.
To develop human resources with flexibility and creativity who can respond to any changes in a highly specialized industry by utilizing the acquired abilities in the real world.And, by producing such human resources, we will make a great contribution to various industries that continue to grow in Japan and the world.This is what a professional university is aiming for, and I think it can be said that modern society has a role to expect from a professional university.
