Aging trends are currently presenting the world with new questions and challenges which are going to be calling for answers in the not too distant future. In an effort to keep ahead of the game, NPUST has been actively investing in and exploring industries which are oriented towards related needs — and working towards the goal of developing relevant capabilities to help ease the transition.
As part of the effort to address the situation, the Taiwan Ministry of Education and NPUST jointly organized a training course which brought participants to Japan to explore the “planning and design of all-ages integrated living environments.” While in Japan, the group made its rounds through Kochi, Kobe and Osaka, visiting businesses and organizations that make up various levels of the senior care industry supply chain.
The course was held over three weeks, beginning on January 12th and ending on the 31st. Subject matter included all-age living needs, integrated planning design, businesses models, discussions of actual cases, and strategies for education improvement. Fifteen professors from eleven of Taiwan’s technical universities took part in the exchange.
The course provided the participants with a chance to get an in-depth understanding of the philosophy and integrative structure of Japan’s “Positive Living Environment” system. The Taiwanese professors from a variety of different fields were able to examine the relevant issues from their own unique perspectives as they worked to come up with strategies to address local challenges associated the aging of society and develop related educational programs.
A week was spent in Kōchi, during which time the group learned about Japan’s long term care and “no-lift” practices. The course emphasized that, as the ratio of the elderly increases, providing friendly living environments, reducing the needs of care recipients, and maximizing the efficiency of caregivers becomes increasingly important. Good working environments should also be established to safeguard the care providers.
The second week was spent in Osaka where the group visited the Assistive Devices Exhibition Center and several companies to learned about equipment design and utilization. Japan, which entered into its “aging population” phase 14 years earlier than Taiwan, has already come a long way with the development of equipment and products that help make life easier for seniors. By visiting the related businesses, the group had the opportunity to think about directions that Taiwan could consider following as it moves forward on related issues.
In the final week of the educational tour, the integrated planning and design of living environments was the focus study as the group continued to visit related businesses, exhibits and old age living residences — bringing everything they had learned together and thinking about ways to apply the technology and practices back at home Every year NPUST actively promotes and encourages teachers to take part in practical learning courses. The current course was organized by the Department of Industrial Management to give teachers an opportunity to engage in in-depth learning abroad and build on the experiences of Japan. Through bilateral industry-academic exchanges between Taiwan and Japan, hopes are that local development of all-ages living environments will see great progress and improve the lives of more people.
