Effects of Black Soldier Fly Larvae Supplementation in Ac Chickens' Feed: Impact on Meat Yield and Quality

Alexandria Journal of Agricultural Sciences


Menstruation-Related Symptoms and Associated Factors among Female University Students in Vietnam

Menstruation and menstrual-related symptoms, stress, and lifestyle factors can significantly affect the health and academic lives of university students. This study aimed to explore menstruation-related symptoms and associated factors among female university students in Vietnam. This study used a cross-sectional design. Data from 349 students were analyzed for menstrual and menstrual-related symptoms using the Menstrual Distress Questionnaire (MDQ). We found that 92.0% and 98.9% of the students had menstrual-related symptoms in the pre- and intra-menstrual phases, respectively. The most common symptoms in each phase were backache (71.1%) in the pre-menstrual phase and fatigue (90.3%) in the intra-menstrual phase. Menstruation-related symptoms were associated with stress. These results contribute significantly to our understanding of menstrual health among Vietnamese university students. These findings imply the need to strengthen support systems for university students, especially by providing proper information about menstruation and managing stress.


Genetic diversity of black soldier flies in Vietnam based on DNA COI sequence

Biodiversitas : Journal of Biological Diversity


Modern Anecdotes: A Potential Tool for Teaching Cross-Cultural Issues


The Changes in Menstrual and Menstrual-Related Symptoms among Japanese Female University Students: A Prospective Cohort Study from Three Months to Nine Months after Admission

Menstrual and menstrual-related symptoms can significantly impact an individuals physical and psychological health. Understanding how these symptoms evolve over time is crucial to provide appropriate support and healthcare services to young women. This study aimed to investigate changes in menstrual and menstrual-related symptoms among first-year female university students. A prospective longitudinal design was used to compare the symptom profiles between two time points (three and nine months after admission). Out of 100 female university students, 30 responses were analyzed. Data on menstrual and menstrual-related symptoms were collected using standardized questionnaires focusing on menstrual status and the Menstrual Distress Questionnaire (MDQ); no notable changes occurred between the time points. Approximately half reported having irregular menstruation during the three time periods. Among the sub-scales, premenstrual impaired concentration showed a tendency to be lower, whereas menstrual water retention tended to be higher in timepoint 2 compared to timepoint 1. Distractible was found to be significantly lower in timepoint 2 compared to timepoint 1. There was a significant association between a sleep duration of <7 h and worsened MDQ scores. These findings may underscore the importance of providing comprehensive lifestyle and menstrual education to new university students, along with access to appropriate medical care.


Menstrual Abnormalities in Female International Students in Japan: Changes during Pre-Arrival, Difficult, and Current Periods

European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education


Exploring Perceived Speaking Skills, Motives, and Communication Needs of Undergraduate Students Studying Japanese Language


Students' Perceived Well-Being and Online Preference: Evidence from Two Universities in Vietnam during COVID-19

University education is still being impacted two years after the COVID-19 outbreak. We performed a rapid survey in February 2022 at two public universities in Vietnam to examine the effects of the pandemic on well-being and the factors that may associate with online class preference among university students as well as to investigate the need for support to improve resilience. A web-based survey included 1589 undergraduate students in total. Both quantitative and qualitative data analysis was carried out. Overall, approximately a quarter of respondents said that they perceived an influence on their health, 42.9% expressed stress, and more than 70% reported worrying about the future. In total, 61.9% of the respondents reported having satisfaction with online classes, while over half of them preferred a program of 50% online classes. Students who live in an urban area, are female, have had pre-COVID-19 campus life experience, have decreased income, and/or experience low online satisfaction and over-information may be in need of more support. The results show implications for universities to consider policies addressing well-being and post-pandemic online education. Providing support to university students to improve their resilience against the impact on their studying, campus life, health, and well-being should be prioritized during and post-pandemic.

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health


Differences in Menstruation-Related Symptoms of University Students Depending on their Living Status in Japan

Mothers and family members of young female students play important roles for guiding their self-care strategies for menstruation-related symptoms; which often affect their daily life and academic life. The aim of this study is to clarify the differences in menstruation-related symptoms before and during menstruation in university students living alone and university students living with their family in Japan. We conducted a cross-sectional online survey to assess menstruation-related symptoms before and during menstruation using the menstrual distress questionnaire (MDQ). Among 135 students; the proportion of students living alone was 60.7% and the proportion of students living with their family was 39.3%. Before menstruation; the MDQ total score and the scores for negative affect and behavior change were significantly higher in students living alone than in students living with their family. During menstruation; scores for negative affect and impaired concentration were also significantly higher in students living alone. In addition; before menstruation; scores for an increase in appetite and craving for sweets were significantly higher in students living alone. Thus; living alone affected the psychological aspects of menstruation-related symptoms in young women. The results suggest that university students who live alone should be aware of the importance of talking about their menstruation problems with family members and seeking their advice.


Comparison of Menstruation-Related Symptoms Before and During Menstruation of University Students in Japan, a Year after the COVID-19 Pandemic


Nucling, a novel protein associated with NF-B, regulates endotoxin-induced apoptosis in vivo

Nucling is a proapoptotic protein that regulates the apoptosome and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-B) signalling pathways. Strong stimuli, such as Gram-negative bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS), induce the simultaneous secretion of cytokines following the activation of NF-B. Proinflammatory cytokines can induce liver damage through several mechanisms such as increases in oxidative stress and apoptotic reactions leading to tissue necrosis. Herein, we show that Nucling-knockout (KO) mice are resistant to LPS that consistently caused mortality in wild-type (WT) counterparts. Although serum levels of cytokines such as tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-, interleukin (IL)-1 and IL-6 did not differ significantly between WT and Nucling-KO mice after the LPS challenge, hepatocytes of Nucling-KO mice were refractory to LPS- or TNF--induced cell death. These results were consistent with the decreased expression of proapoptotic proteins including apoptosis-inducing factor and cleaved form of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end-labelling positive cells in the liver of Nucling-KO mice after the administration of a lethal dose of LPS. Moreover, the upregulation of NF-B-regulated anti-apoptotic molecules including cellular inhibitor of apoptosis (cIAP) 1 and cIAP2 was observed in the liver of Nucling-KO mice after LPS treatment. These findings indicate that the Nucling deficiency leads to resistance to apoptosis in liver. We propose that Nucling is important for the induction of apoptosis in cells damaged by cytotoxic stressors through the NF-B signalling pathway.


NF-κB regulates the expression of Nucling, a novel apoptosis regulator, with involvement of proteasome and caspase for its degradation

Nucling is identified as a novel regulator of apoptosis. In this study, we investigated the nuclear factor-B (NF-B)-dependent mechanism of Nucling expression, as well as the degradation pathways mediated by proteasome system and caspase activation. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation assay in wild-type mouse embryonic fibroblasts (WT MEFs), we found that NF-B p65 could bind to the B motifs in the promoter regions of Nucling gene at four putative-binding sites. By real-time PCR and immunoblot, we confirmed that Nucling expression was up-regulated by tumour necrosis factor- (TNF-) stimulation in WT MEFs, but not in NF-B p50 knockout MEFs. On the other hand, we investigated the degradation of Nucling in connection with proteasome and caspase by using cycloheximide chase. The results showed that Nucling is a short-lived protein, and its degradation was recovered by proteasome inhibitor MG132. Moreover, under TNF- stimulation, degradation of Nucling was recovered by pan-caspase inhibitor zVAD-fmk. Taken together, we propose a mechanism of Nucling intracellular metabolism. Nucling expression is induced by canonical NF-B signalling pathway, whereas Nucling is undergoing proteasome degradation, as well as being cleaved by caspase system under stress conditions. This opens a new perspective for studying the NF-B dependent regulation mechanism of cell death and survival.


Inflammatory disease and cancer with a decrease in Kupffer cell numbers in Nucling-knockout mice.

Nucling is a stress-inducible protein associated with apoptosomes. The cytochrome c-triggered formation of apoptosomes represents a key-initiating event in apoptosis. We have recently reported that Nucling regulates the apoptotic pathway by controlling the activation of NF-kappaB as well. Here we show that hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) arising spontaneously against a background of hepatitis occurred more frequently in Nucling-knockout (KO) mice than wild-type (WT) mice. Biochemical serum testing revealed potential liver dysfunction with hypercholesterolemia in Nucling-KO males. In the background of Nucling-KO mice, we observed the up-regulation of TNFalpha, spontaneous NF-kappaB-activation and the induction of galectin-3 expression in liver. In addition, we observed a decrease in the number of Kupffer cells (KCs) in the KO mice. KCs are important for the hepatic immune system, acting as phagocytes or antigen-presenting cells (APCs). We found that KCs in Nucling-KO mice were apoptotic possibly through the up-regulation of TNFalpha. These observations indicate that Nucling is important for the regulation of NF-kappaB signals in liver. We propose that Nucling deficiency could be a powerful tool to reveal the NF-kappaB-related molecular networks leading to hepatitis and HCC development.


Nucling interacts with nuclear factor-B, regulating its cellular distribution

Nucling is an Apaf1-binding proapoptotic protein involved in apoptosome-mediated apoptosis. Luciferase assays have revealed that the activation of nuclear factor-kappaB induced by tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-1beta and lipopolysaccharide is downregulated by the overexpression of Nucling in HEK293 cells. Moreover, the expression of endogenous cyclooxygenase 2, tumor necrosis factor-alpha and galectin-3, the end-point molecules in the pathway for the activation of nuclear factor-kappaB, as well as nuclear factor-kappaB (p65) itself, is upregulated in Nucling gene-deficient mouse embryonic fibroblasts, suggesting that nuclear factor-kappaB is a target of Nucling. Subsequent study has revealed that Nucling physically interacts with nuclear factor-kappaB (p65 and p50) and that the binding domain of Nucling is its amino-terminal region (amino acids 1-466) containing ankyrin repeats. Overexpression of Nucling prevents the translocation of nuclear factor-kappaB into the nucleus. In addition, the cytoplasmic retention of endogenous nuclear factor-kappaB in resting cells is not observed in Nucling gene-deficient mouse embryonic fibroblasts. These results reveal a novel function of Nucling as a suppressor of nuclear factor-kappaB, mediated by its cytoplasmic retention through physical interaction.


Assessing Interest and Educational Gaps in AI and Robotics Applications for Elderly Care Among Healthcare Students


Foreign Language Learning and Career Aspirations Among Nursing Undergraduates Enrolled in JLSP

The current study examines the comparison of the attitudes towards foreign language learning and career aspirations among Vietnamese undergraduate nursing students in the Japanese Language Special Program (JLSP) and the regular program (RP). Data were collected via an online questionnaire administered to students in Vietnam during spring 2023. Results reveal that JLSP students invest more time and effort into in-class language study and self-study compared to RP students, leading to higher perceived proficiency levels. Notably, JLSP students show an inclination towards pursuing job opportunities in Japan, particularly in the caregiving and nursing sectors, while RP students tend to prefer staying in Vietnam. It has become clear that learning attitudes and career aspirations vary greatly depending on the language chosen.

本稿は，ベトナムでの看護学部生の日本語特別プログラム(JLSP)と通常プログラム(RP)における外国語学習への態度とキャリア志向比較調査した．データは，2023年春にオンラインで収集された．結果として，JLSP学生はRP学生よりも，語学授業や自己学習により多くの時間と努力を費やし，より高い能力レベル向上に対する認識が示された．特に，JLSP学生は，介護や看護分野での日本での就職に対する意向がある一方，RP学生はベトナムでの就職に対する意向があった．つまり，選択する言語によって，学習態度やキャリア志向が大きく異なることが明らかとなった．

徳島大学高等教育研究センター学修支援部門国際教育推進班紀要年報

徳島大学高等教育研究センター学修支援部門国際教育推進班紀要年報


International Student Policies: Perspectives from the United States, Europe, China, and Japan

International student mobility has become a significant aspect of higher education policies worldwide, contributing to cultural exchange, economic growth, and knowledge sharing. We conducted a comparative analysis of international student policies in four major regions: the United States, Europe, China, and Japan. This paper aims to offer insights into the diverse approaches taken by these regions to attract and retain international students.

留学生の流動性は世界中の高等教育政策の重要な側面となっており，文化交流，経済成長，知識の共有に貢献しています． そこで，米国，ヨーロッパ，中国，日本の 4 つの主要地域における留学生政策の比較分析を実施した．留学生を引き付け，維持するためにこれらの地域がとっている多様なアプローチから，これら政策の戦略，課題，成果を考察した．

徳島大学高等教育研究センター学修支援部門国際教育推進班紀要年報

徳島大学高等教育研究センター学修支援部門国際教育推進班紀要年報


Examining the Nursing Workforce Shortage in Vietnam: Implications for Nursing Education

The IAFOR International Conference on Education in Hawaii 2024 Official Conference Proceedings


Attitudes and Preferences of Nursing Undergraduates Towards Working Abroad: A Cross-Sectional Study in Vietnam

This cross-sectional study investigates the attitudes of undergraduate nursing students in Vietnam towards international study and work opportunities, as well as the factors influencing their preferences. Data was collected through a web-survey questionnaire in April 2023, targeting students from a university in Vietnam, including participants in the Japanese language special program and regular program. The study findings emphasize the significance of international experiences, particularly in enhancing communication and cross-culturalskills, fostering personal development, and improving career prospects for nursing undergraduates. Moreover, students in the special program revealed distinct preferences when considering their ideal destinations for studying or working abroad. They placed a greater emphasis on factors like a clean and beautiful living environment, long-term job prospects, and festivities. Additionally, for those interested in pursuing postgraduate study abroad, the students favored universities that offered job hunting support, tuition exemption, and modern infrastructure. This study sheds light on the attitudes and preferences of Vietnamese undergraduate nursing students towards international study and work opportunities, highlighting the importance of such experiences for personal growth and career advancement in the nursing profession. The findings carry practical implications for educational institutions and policymakers, emphasizing the need to design programs that cater to the unique needs and preferences of nursing students seeking international opportunities.

The Asian Conference on Education 2023 Official Conference Proceedings


Fostering Global Health Literacy: Infusing Vitality into Medical English Education

第19回大学教育カンファレンスin徳島発表抄録集

第19回大学教育カンファレンスin徳島発表抄録集


Students Attitudes Towards Education in Biology-Related Disciplines and the Need for Internationalization: A Survey at a Vietnamese University

The Barcelona Conference on Education 2023 Official Conference Proceedings


Bridging Cultures: The Phenomenon of 'Betonamujinron' in Japan

多様性の増加と相互文化理解:日本におけるベトナム人論

第4回国際シンポジウム「日本語教育と日本研究∼世界の潮流とベトナムの実践」

第4回国際シンポジウム「日本語教育と日本研究∼世界の潮流とベトナムの実践」


Exploring Student Interest in Global Health as a Component of Medical English Education

The European Conference on Education 2023: Official Conference Proceedings


The Trend of Betonamujinron Research in Japan: Implications for Mutual Cultural Understanding and Policy

The Asian Political and International Studies Association Annual Congress 2023 Official Conference Proceedings


Students Views of Art Education as Their Future Career

Art has long been an important subject of the education system. In Vietnam, teaching arts is taken a solid position as a subject of the education system from primary to tertiary education level. However, little is known about the situation and the need for transformation in the way students are trained to become art teachers. To clarify the view and attitudes of the to-be-an-art-teacher students, we conducted an online survey to collect data from students who enrolled in the bachelor course, majoring in art teaching at a university in Vietnam. A total of 57 students participated in the survey, most of them are females in the second year of the on-the-job B.A. course. The results showed that the respondents reported needing more diversified learning content such as applied arts, installation, and multimedia. They showed a need to have more practice sessions and fieldwork such as visiting museums and exhibitions. The respondents specified that they chose this major because they love the subject and love teaching, as well as to address the social need of learning arts, as arts seem to be a more important subject for elementary education. They shared a positive attitude toward the internationalization of local art education, however, none of them plan to study abroad. These findings imply the need for improving the quality of teaching and internationalization of art teacher education to meet international standards in the context of a developing country.

The Asian Conference on Arts & Humanities 2023 Official Conference Proceedings


Using Pre-Test for Assessing Familiarity with Japanese Culture of Foreign Students During Japanese Communication Class

After over two years into the pandemic, international student mobility is still not recovered in Japan and many of the exchange activities with students at foreign universities are still being conducted online. In 2022, we conducted an online summer school for foreign students from abroad to learn about up-to-date scientific research trends as well as to introduce basic knowledge about the history, culture, society, and lifestyle of Japan, as well as communication style with people in Japan. We designed a pretest covering various aspects of Japanese culture. The test was applied to a group of 60 participants, from whom 36 completed it during the set time. From the test results, the participants tended to show a good understanding of tangible items such as food, customs, weather, and modern appliances, while the more abstract items such as traditional sites, social values, and work culture seemedto be more difficult for them. The test also helped to get the participants to reveal their interests in Japanese culture. In short, applying such a pretest seems to be a good tool for the teacher to explore the level of knowledge and the need of students, and therefore to adjust the content in class accordingly.

The IAFOR International Conference on Education in Hawaii 2023 Official Conference Proceedings


Fostering Global Partnership at Tokushima University: The Vital Role of Academic Agreements

Universities in Japan are putting efforts into establishing international academic agreements, as they recognize the benefits that these partnerships can bring in terms of research, academic exchange, and cultural understanding. This paper aims to show the current situation of international academic exchange agreements at Tokushima University (TU) in the context of Japans higher education. From the situation, breakdown, trends, and challenges of TUs international partnerships over the years, the authors show their perspectives on the vital importance of agreements are a keyway to collaborating, sharing resources, creating opportunities, promoting global understanding, and preparing students for a world where cross-cultural and international collaboration is becoming increasingly important.

Bulletin of International Office, Tokushima University


Revisiting the Approaches for Exploring Students Drive in Japanese Studies

Japanese Studies undergraduate programs offer students an engaging curriculum that provides a deep understanding of the Japanese language and culture. A degree in Japanese Studies equips students with valuable skills that are relevant in various fields, making it a popular choice worldwide. College students motivation is a critical factor in academic success and has been extensively studied in education. The paper aims to review the existing theories related to study motivation, language acquisition, study abroad drives, and motivation, then to consider the approaches and details that we could prioritize for investigating the motivations and drives of students majoring and minoring in Japanese Studies in universities.


日本とブルガリアの学術交流の可能性を探る

日本とブルガリアの学術交流の可能性を探る

2022年11月，ブルガリアを訪問し，徳島大学(TU)とブルガリアのヴェリコ・タルノヴォ大学などとの国際交流活動の可能性について調査した．ブルガリアでは，在ブルガリア日本大使館，ソフィア大学，ヴェリコ・タルノヴォ大学(VTU)を訪問し，国際会議「バルカン半島・地中海・東洋の文化と宗教国際学会」に参加した．本稿では，これら訪問先との関係者との意見交換と，関連文献の分析を通し，(ア)日本とブルガリアの国際交流の背景，日本語教育の現状，およびブルガリアにおける日本学，(イ)ブルガリアの代表的な大学としてのVTUとその古典・東洋言語文化学科での日本語教育および国際交流活動，今後のTUとVTUとの文化交流と学術交流の可能性などについて考察した．今後の，日本とEU間のモデル的な学術パートナーシップになることを目指している．

徳島大学高等教育研究センター学修支援部門国際教育推進班紀要年報

徳島大学高等教育研究センター学修支援部門国際教育推進班紀要年報


The Vision and Preference of International Students Enrolled in a Japanese Language School Post-pandemic

The Asian Conference on Education 2022 Official Conference Proceedings


A Step towards Assessing Japanese Culture Proficiency of International Students in-class

第18回大学教育カンファレンスin徳島 発表抄録集

第18回大学教育カンファレンスin徳島 発表抄録集


Challenges in Attracting International Students to Japan

Japan is an attractive study abroad destination for international students worldwide. However, there are still challenges in attracting international students and internationalization, especially for the universities not enlisted among the top-tier universities, and universities which locate outside metropolitan areas. Despite relative advantages of quality of education, affordable cost, studentfriendly environment, and exotic region-specific culture, Japanese universities still face certainchallenges in attracting international students. We conducted a literature review to investigate challenges that may hinder attracting international students to Japan's universities. The data showed that there are challenges in maintaining academic ranking and internationalization level, diversifying the student body, securing revenues for operation, regional popularity and disparity, strengthening the supporting system, maintaining cross-cultural exchange and communication, mobilizing scholarship, supporting employment and a part-time job, online transformation, etc. that may influence the efforts for effectively attracting international students.


Students Experience Two Years Into the Pandemic at a Bulgarian University

The Paris Conference on Education 2022 Official Conference Proceedings


Health Impact Perceived by University Students at Three Sites in Asia: Two Years into the Pandemic

Two years since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, education in universities is still being disrupted. Prolonged exposure to the pandemic situation may result in health-related problems for university students. In January 2022, we conducted an online survey in three universities in Bangladesh, Thailand, and Vietnam for a rapid assessment of students' perceived impacts on their health conditions. In total, 159 students from the three sites responded. Data were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. A third of the respondents reported that their health condition was impacted, while female students perceived more impact on health than males (p<0.001). Over half of the respondents reported experiencing some stress, while students living in the dormitory had a higher tendency to perceive stress (p<0.05). Moreover, students in higher grades tended to have higher perceived stress (p<0.01) and higher perceived worry (p<0.001). There were also significant differences in the level of perceived health impact, stress, and worry for the future among the students from the three sites, probably due to the characteristics of respondents in each site. These findings imply the need to address not only the quality of education but also to improve health support services for students on the campus.

The Asian Conference on Asian Studies 2022: Official Conference Proceedings


On Campus Support and Satisfaction of International Students: A Review of Japanese Literature

Japanese universities are popular destinations for international students. A lot of efforts have been made to provide supporting services and activities to international students such as Japanese classes, counseling and consultation, job hunting and career education, exchange events, summer school, culture experience tours etc. These activities bring satisfaction to international students, which is contributed indirectly as a pulling factor for attracting international students into Japan. However, little has been known about the approaches used by different universities for supporting international students as not many reports are published in English regarding this topic. This study investigates the variety of on campus supporting services and activities provided to international students in Japanese universities and satisfaction of international students as recipients of these services. The literature for review was mainly collected from Japanese sources using Google Scholar. Data was reviewed qualitatively by comparative analysis, comparing approaches applied by different universities with regards to the elements of 300,000 international students plan and other pull factors. The results showed specific approaches, results in providing campus supporting services by different institutions. The results also imply obstacles and potential solutions to the Japanese universities to attract international students.

The IAFOR Conference on Educational Research & Innovation 2022 Official Conference Proceedings


徳島大学GRIP(第1期生・第2期生)の実践報告 ―新たな全学的なグローバル人材教育プログラム―

徳島大学高等教育研究センターは2021年度前期から全学的なグローバル人材育成を目的をとしたプログラム「グローバル・パーソン集中プログラム(Global Person Resource Intensive Program(GRIP))」を開始した．本稿では2021年度前期(第1期生)と後期(第2期生)を取り上げ，その実践報告および効果を検証していく．分析は学生のアンケートを用いたが，英語力だけでなく異文化理解などの面においても一定の効果があり，GRIPにはグローバル人材育成において一定の効果があったことが明らかとなった．

徳島大学高等教育研究センター学修支援部門国際教育推進班紀要年報

徳島大学高等教育研究センター学修支援部門国際教育推進班紀要年報


Campus Images: Implications from a Photo Exhibition

本稿は，パンデミックが発生してからほぼ2年後の2021年12月から2022年1月に徳島大学で開催された写真コンテスト兼展示会の結果と展望を示しています．このコンテスト兼展示会は，徳島大学の学生とスタッフ全員に，キャンパスライフの思い出に残る体験と魅力を伝える機会として開かれました．写真の内容，説明テキスト，フィードバックフォームを分析しました． その結果，写真は大学の学生やスタッフの自己表現の潜在的なツールとなり，写真展はデジタルトランスフォーメーションの時代に大学のイメージを広げるための効果的なアプローチとして使用できることが実証されました．

Kiyo, International Office, Tokushima University


Recruiting International Students and Internationalization Policies of Bulgarian Universities

ブルガリアの高等教育は，EUへの統合と教育サービスの世界市場に関連するいくつかの大きな課題に直面している．本稿は，ブルガリアの高等教育機関(大学)の国際化の戦略的計画から見た，留学生を引き付ける問題を探求することを目的としている．ブルガリアでの国際化政策の文献レビューを行った．ブルガリアの大学にとって留学生リクルートは重要であると考えられているようですが，この問題に十分に対処するための明確な具体的な対策は国レベルではない．機関レベルでは，留学生のリクルートの目標と目標は，各教育機関の計画では十分に具体的ではないようです．多くの大学にとって，留学生のリクルートは戦略的手段と見なすことができますが，優先度の低いにする大学もある．ブルガリアの高等教育機関のほとんどはすでに国際化の戦略的計画を策定しているが，これらの計画の実現可能性は疑問視されているようです．

Kiyo. International Office, Tokushima University


留学生向けストレス対策セミナー:徳島大学での取り組み

留学生向けストレス対策セミナー:徳島大学での取り組み

2020年からのコロナパンデミックの影響を受けて，日本の大学生は学生生活の縮小を余儀なくされた．中でも留学生は日本人学生以上の学生生活の縮小と多大なストレスを経験した．そこで，筆者らはこれらのストレスへの対処を手助けするため，2021年に留学生を対象としたストレス対策セミナーをシリーズ形式で実施した．これらのセミナーの目的は，コロナ・ストレスに対処するのに役立つ様々な簡単なスキルの習得であった．学生の反応，質疑応答，アンケート結果，一般感情尺度を含むセミナーの記録を分析した結果，セミナーの理解度と満足度が高く，感情スコアもわずかに上昇したことが見出された．これらの結果から，留学生にストレス対策セミナーを提供することは，個別相談支援等を行うことに加えて留学生のレジリエンスを向上させるために効果的な取り組みになる可能性があることが示唆された．

徳島大学高等教育研究センター学修支援部門国際教育推進班紀要年報

徳島大学高等教育研究センター学修支援部門国際教育推進班紀要年報


Lessons Learned From Teaching Japanese for Medical Purposes to International Students

This work shows the lessons learned from the online course on Basic Medical Japanese for international students conducted between May and July 2020 at Tokushima University. The participants were five graduate students from China, Bangladesh, Thailand, including one male and four females. This course was designed for the learners to master basic medical terms and phrases in Japanese, as well as to be able to make basic conversation in health carecontext. The course materials were prepared bilingually, consisted of 13 lessons covering practical topics such as parts of human body, basic symptoms, medicines and drug store, respiratory system. For each lesson, the learners were introduced to new vocabulary and basic expressions by doing role play, translating sentences, solving quiz, and watching clips. The results of class assessments and end-course assessment had shown improvementsof vocabulary capacity and context-based conversation skills for most of the topics. However, the learners showed difficulties in learning topics with more complicated terminology such as psychiatry. The learners reported that besides improving their medical Japanese language skills, they had gained more confidence in using Japanese for medical purposes, as well gained motivation for mastering medical Japanese. They found visual aids and Englishinstruction were helpful to absorb the content. These results imply that teaching Japanese for medical purpose may contribute to improving practical Japanese skill and confidence in daily life for international students in Japan.

The Asian Conference on Language 2022: Official Conference Proceedings


Online Seminar: A Potential Mental Health Support Tool for International Students

Since 2020, university students in Japan are exposed to the impacts of Covid-19 pandemic.Data from a survey had shown that over 50% of international students had been experiencing some kind of stress (Tran, unpublished). For supporting international students in the prolonged pandemic period, we conducted a series of Stress Prevention Seminars during 2021. These seminars were designed for students to learn simple skills that could help them to cope with various stresses. Records of the seminars, including students interactions, Q&A, feedback, emotion score (Ogawa, 2000) and final evaluation were analyzed. This presentation is aiming to show: (1) preliminary results of the seminars conducted; and (2) potential of these events for strengthening mental health status of international students during pandemic. The results showed high understanding level and satisfaction rate, as well as inreased positive emotion score. The results suggested that providing these stress prevention seminars to international students is potentially to be an effective strategy, in addition to providing individual counselingand other activities, to improving stress resilience of international students for long term.

Proceedings of The 4th International Conference on New Approaches in Education


International Students Acceptance of Online Learning During Pandemic: Some Exploratory Findings

The COVID-19 outbreak in 2020 has impacted campus life in many ways, including shifting to online mode of teaching and learning, restricting face-to-face communication and activities, and forming of new norms of education. This paper investigates impacts of the pandemic to the way international students taking class and doing research, the satisfaction level, and obstacles of international students in Japan to online learning, as well as the factors which may influence the students acceptance of online learning, A questionnaire containing both Likert-style and open-ended questions were sent to all international students at a university in Japan. Almost half of the non-research international students reported that their taking class was impacted, while almost 30% of graduate international students reported that their doing research was impacted during the pandemic. Japanese proficiency, years of enrollment and family status are found to be associated with impact on taking class. Access to supportive information from university is found associated with satisfaction level of online learning. These findings imply further investigation may need to be conducted for more evidence on whether that acceptance of online learning could be associated with certain factors, and if online learning could be a new norm of education.

The COVID-19 outbreak in 2020 has impacted campus life in many ways, including shifting to online mode of teaching and learning, restricting face-to-face communication and activities, and forming of new norms of education. This paper investigates impacts of the pandemic to the way international students taking class and doing research, the satisfaction level, and obstacles of international students in Japan to online learning, as well as the factors which may influence the students' acceptance of online learning, A questionnaire containing both Likert-style and open-ended questions were sent to all international students at a university in Japan. Almost half of the non-research international students reported that their taking class was impacted, while almost 30% of graduate international students reported that their doing research was impacted during the pandemic. Japanese proficiency, years of enrollment and family status are found to be associated with impact on taking class. Access to supportive information from university is found associated with satisfaction level of online learning. These findings imply further investigation may need to be conducted for more evidence on whether that acceptance of online learning could be associated with certain factors, and if online learning could be a new norm of education.

The IAFOR International Conference on Education in Hawaii 2022 Official Conference Proceedings


Building Resilience for International Students: Results of Stress Prevention Seminars

第17回大学教育カンファレンスin徳島

第17回大学教育カンファレンスin徳島


Factors Pulling International Students to Japan: A Situation Analysis

Japan has 312,214 international students in May 2019, successfully achieving the 300,000 international students target. This study investigates the factors pulling international students into Japan for higher education. Data for literature review was collected from mainly Japanese sources including research reports, review papers, statistics, and online materials, which addressing the issues of international students' mobility into Japan from 2008 until present. Data was reviewed qualitatively by comparative analysis, comparing the literature with the elements of 300,000 international students plan and the pull factors from the push-pull model. The results showed specific measures in strengthening campus internationalization, expanding international cooperation and alumni network, improving supporting services, diversifying scholarship schemes, job hunting support etc. could be considered as effective pulling factors. Moreover, while these factors could be applied effectively by some universities, it is hard for other universities to follow the same approach. The results imply obstacles to the mid-ranking public universities to attract more international students and the need to improve this situation.

The Asian Conference on Education 2021: Official Conference Proceedings


Photography: A Potential Tool for Self-actualization of International Students During Pandemic

The outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic since 2020 has resulted in drastic changes on the campus life and limiting social activities. At Tokushima University, most of the regular exchange activities for international students have been abolished for the time being. As an alternative, a photography contest had been conducted during December 2020. This contest was open to all international students at Tokushima University as an opportunity to show moments of their life during the pandemic. An analysis was conducted on the photos, descriptive texts, and feedback forms after the contest. The photographic works were analyzed by photo element analysis. The description text was analyzed by a sentiment analysis tool. The photos, considered as artworks, conveyed motives and feelings reflecting internal selves which had been further clarified by descriptive text containing more informative details. Restrictions in work, travel, socializing caused some changes, but the negative impacts are going to be neutralized by internal self-adaptation. The results have shown that photography could be a potential tool for self-actualization of international students, and photo contest could be used as an effective approach to involve international students during the pandemic.

The Kyoto Conference on Arts, Media & Culture 2021: Official Conference Proceedings


Macro Factors Determining Transition of Vietnamese International Students Mobility

With constant increasing in numbers of students studying abroad, Vietnam is on the way to become one of the largest contributors to the world's international student mobility. The overall picture was changed from several thousand students sent to the Eastern bloc during the cold war to about 200,000 students currently studying in Japan, Australia, US, Europe etc. This paper reviews the factors that affect the transition of trends and mobility of Vietnamese international students in the modern time. By examining related studies and literature, we demonstrated that transition of studying abroad in Vietnam is not subjectively resulted by decision of the students themselves or of their families, but it is strongly influenced objectively by external determinants including cultural, social, political, foreign relation, economic, educational factors in the country. The results found five macro factors that influence the transition trends of Vietnamese international students over time, including number of students, study destinations, career after graduation and impact on society.

The IAFOR European Conference on Education (ECE2021) Conference Proceedings


Designing Online Language Courses: Lessons Learned From Teaching Vietnamese Language and Culture for Japanese Learners

This presentation shows the lessons learned after several courses on "Basic Vietnamese language and culture" targeting Japanese university students and adult learners, which have been conducted in 2020. Influenced by the Covid-19 pandemic, the materials and methods prepared for conventional classroom have been adapted and modified in order to suit the online platform. Although intended for beginners, these courses have applied and integrated approach for teaching a language and its corresponding culture in line with principles of adult learning, active learning and problem-based learning. The lessons were designed using a wide range of techniques such as videos, pictures, funny stories, crosswords, open-ended question, quizzes using multiple choice answers followed by an analysis of each choice, online test. For each lesson, the learners were introduced to new vocabulary and basic expressions related to a socio-cultural theme such as history, national character, medical system, sightseeing, business etc. Looking from the perspective of both learners and teachers by evaluations and reflections, these courses have shown some positive experiences and suggested points for improvement of online language classroom in the future.

The Asian Conference on Language (ACL2021) Conference Proceedings


Motivation of International Students through a Photo Contest

Kiyo, International Office, Tokushima University


Experiences of Veliko Tarnovo University in Academic Exchange and Cooperation with Japan

Kiyo. International Office, Tokushima University


Culture-oriented language teaching: A new experience with online classroom

The 16th Whole University FD Promotion Program - University Education Conference in Tokushima


The Image of Residents in a Rural Area of Japan about Vietnam: Future Needs for Intercultural Exchange

Journal of the Center for Community Engagement and Lifelong Learning, Tokushima University


International students' exposure to Japanese Culture: Results from the field trips to Kyoto

Kiyo. International Center, The University of Tokushima


Motivation for study abroad in Bangladesh: Learning from the Tokushima University Alumni


Towards understanding about Japanese culture of international students: impact and needs from a study tour

留学生の日本文化理解への効果とニーズ∼日本文化スタディツアーより

Whole University FD Promotion Program 2019 - University Education Conference in Tokushima

令和元年度全学FD推進プログラム・大学教育カンファレンスいin徳島


Perception of the undergraduate students regarding global human resources


Situation of Japanese Language Education at Selected High Schools in Vietnam