Greetings from the President

Elevating “the ability to support others” into professional expertise and a force for social change.
Toyoko Yoshizawa, Chair of the Board of Trustees and President

 

 

Since its establishment in 1997, Mie Prefectural College of Nursing has been dedicated to training nursing professionals with a strong community focus, and will reach the significant milestone of its 30th anniversary in 2027. We take pride in our educational curriculum, which enables every student to take the national licensing examinations for registered nurses and public health nurses, while also enabling those students who take additional elective courses to qualify for the national midwifery licensing examination. This system has enabled us to produce high-quality nursing professionals for the community and play a substantial role in supporting public health, medical care, and welfare in Mie Prefecture. However, society is now undergoing a major transformation. Through factors such as the declining birthrate and aging population, the increasing sophistication and complexity of medical care, preparations for large-scale disasters such as the Nankai Trough earthquake, in addition to climate change and the spread of infectious diseases, the issues involved in health are becoming increasingly multifaceted and global in scope. Furthermore, advances in AI and data science are changing the very nature of nursing practice and education. In response to these demands of the times, this university will build upon its past achievements and further deepen the cultivation of advanced practical skills that go beyond the mere acquisition of qualifications, to evolve toward a “future-oriented” type of education.

 

Future-oriented education involves building an educational and research system that integrates theory and practice, and fostering individuals who can proactively participate in solving real-world problems while working in close collaboration with local medical institutions and municipalities.

 

This university aims to train nursing professionals grounded in scientific thinking and ethical principles, who can collaborate with various other professionals and contribute to policymaking and community development, so as to develop into a “community-based collaborative university” that creates new values together with the local community.

 

Four specific priority areas are as follows:

First, advancing disaster nursing in anticipation of the Nankai Trough earthquake, and establishing a resilient regional model.

Second, promoting planetary health to address climate change and the declining birthrate and aging population.

Third, utilizing real-world data from clinical settings to generate evidence and strengthen research capabilities.

Fourth, advancing AI-driven education and nursing practice.

 

These are not merely research topics. They form a strategic pillar aimed at integrating education, research, and policy advocacy to establish a hub that will serve as a “knowledge hub” for regional healthcare that supports a sustainable society. We will establish a cycle whereby students learn by engaging with real-world community issues, their research findings are returned to the field, and those insights inform policy. At the same time, what I value most is the essence of nursing: “the ability to support others”. Our university aims to elevate this ability from mere intuition to expertise and the power to bring about social change. Understanding people’s suffering, upholding their dignity, and providing the best possible care based on scientific evidence – this approach embodies the kind of nursing that will be required in the coming years. Even in a rapidly changing society, we believe that nurturing individuals who can make independent judgments, take the initiative, and collaborate with others is the way in which we, as a public university, should fulfill the trust placed in us by the people of the prefecture. This university will continue to work with the local community to create a sustainable future.

 

Mie Prefectural College of Nursing will continue to deepen expertise in nursing while simultaneously cultivating the ability to drive social change. We will take on the challenges of the next 30 years by developing our “ability to support others” into a force that sustains the future. We sincerely ask for your continued support and cooperation.