Asian Research Center for Social Well-being and Development

Outline

Purpose and significance of research

The purpose of our core research activities is to establish systematic methodologies for practical application of “social well-being and development studies” (that has taken shape through the government-sponsored 21st Century COE Program “Asian COE toward New Policy Science for Social Well-being and Development” over last five years) to community welfare in Asia. To achieve this, we organize international joint fieldwork teams, enhance the practicality of social well-being and development studies from various viewpoints, and established a network-type research infrastructure of an Asian scale at "Asian Research Center for Social Well-being and Development, Nihon Fukushi University on February 2008. After that we are suported by Ministry of Education, Culture,Sports,Science and Technology-Japan from 2008th fiscal year.

More specifically, we will implement the following:
(1). Through action research focusing on the “local” level in particular, analyze the generation/regeneration processes of welfare mechanisms in communities and the planning theory to create a “social space” where these processes develop.
(2). Establish methodologies of professional support for “social well-being and development” specific to the social and cultural characteristics in various parts of Asia, based on comparative studies.
(3). Accumulate experiences in application and verification of such social well-being and development approaches with a view to consolidating the intellectual bases for the development of new cadres of researchers and mid-career workers in Asian countries. This will contribute to the long-term strategy of Nihon Fukushi University (NFU) aiming at human resource development in the field of social well-being of the new era.
Will highly utilize the research network with the partner universities that have institutional links with NFU, in particular with its Asian Research Center, including Nanjing University, Yonsei University, Mongolian State University of Education, University of Philippines, the University of Jaffna and the University of California, Barkeley.
This research creates a new body of knowledge, methodologies for practical application, and a basic system of HRD relative to socially inclusive communities, based on the social well-being and development studies.
The research results are disseminated through publications of joint research studies in the mid and final research phases, organization of seminars and international symposiums, and issuing of Asian Research Center’s academic journals and newsletters.
An intellectual support system is established to deal with problems in such disadvantaged areas as remote rural villages in Japan and poverty-stricken areas in other countries. In particular, a research network is strengthened for the development of social well-being and development support methodologies in East and Southeast Asia.
In regards to HRD, the research will result in a curriculum that integrates community welfare and social development, training materials for social well-being and development support, and Guidelines for developmental support work. It will also lead to the increase in number of doctorate students (including overseas students) and the establishment of “Community Welfare Development Fieldwork Center” (tentatively named) that may train workers and students from within and outside. Japan