College of Education continues to grow international academic partnerships

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Contact:
Jennifer Parks, (808) 956-0416
Communications Coordinator, College of Education
Posted: Sep 5, 2014

Dignitaries at the MOU signing between Sendai University and UHM College of Education.
Dignitaries at the MOU signing between Sendai University and UHM College of Education.

On September 3, 2014, the UH Mānoa College of Education (COE) and Sendai University (SU) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) before an impressive delegation, which included the President, CEO, faculty, staff and students of SU, as well as UH Mānoa Assistant Vice Chancellor for International & Exchange Programs and COE Dean and faculty members. After more than a decade of collaboration, primarily in the field of athletic training, the institutions will further their partnership through research, scholarly materials and exchange opportunities.

Since 1967, SU has been the only university that specializes in physical education and sports and health sciences in northern Japan. Through the years, the university has expanded its areas of study to include health and welfare, sports nutrition and modern martial arts.

CEO Taiji Hozawa began working on projects with a COE Department of Kinesiology and Rehabilitation Science (KRS) professor, Dr. Iris Kimura, in collaboration with UH Mānoa Outreach College. "We highly value this MOU agreement with the COE,” he said. “After years of collaboration and friendship, we appreciate this new step of our progress and look forward to making our bond stronger year by year.”

For the next five years, members of SU will continue visiting the COE to attend athletic training and cadaver anatomy classes and to observe athletic training programs at local high schools, such as McKinley High, where Tomoki Kanaoka serves as an athletic trainer. Kanaoka, who is from Japan, was supported by SU to attend the COE and earned his master’s degree from KRS. Both institutions will participate in seminars, conferences and workshops as well as develop an exchange program for KRS majors.

These initiatives will serve to advance the field of kinesiology and sport science, promote professional excellence and fellowship, and support the goal of extending global friendship and understanding.

Said KRS Chair Nathan Murata, “Sendai University has shown a commitment that exemplifies professionalism and goodwill toward our department. We are committed to extending this MOU in hopes of realizing the importance of cross-cultural education and experiences for our KRS majors, and we look forward to our future as true partners.”

For more information, visit: http://tinyurl.com/no6aq89