Primary Goals of the University
The National University Corporation of Tsukuba University of Technology (NTUT) plays a leading role in providing higher education for people with hearing and/or visual disabilities in Japan by “primarily focusing on activities to promote world and nation- wide educational research that is not just community-oriented but extends to related and distinctive fields with due consideration to the characteristics of its specialties.”
NTUT offers a systematically and meaningfully designed curriculum from admission to graduation covering disciplines ranging from liberal arts education to professional training. The curriculum is designed to prepare socially independent professionals in the fields of industrial technology, health science, and information and communication accessibility to meet the needs of a society seeking increased expertise.
The research conducted by the university since its inception has led to an accumulation of knowledge and techniques to support people with disabilities, and it plans to further improve on these methods to gain more expertise in the field. The university has endeavored to provide students with teaching that gives due consideration to their developmental characteristics and the communication difficulties attributed to their disabilities. The university offers individualized instruction and support, which are the advantages of small-group education, and develops active learning methods suited to particular disabilities and specialties. In this way, it helps prepare professionals who can adapt to the ever- changing global society.
On the research front, the research community globally and nationally is encouraged by the university to conduct world-class research in the fields of industrial technology, health science, and information and communication accessibility for people with hearing and visual disabilities. The research community aims to analyze and clarify insights acquired through educational and support activities and disseminate basic and applied information that can benefit people with disabilities and bring about social change to enable them to lead fuller and better lives. Particularly in the fields of information and communication accessibility for people with hearing and visual disabilities and integrated Eastern and Western medicine, the latest and practical research outcomes are disseminated within and outside of Japan.
In terms of social contribution, knowledge and skills for the education and support of people with disabilities should be disseminated within and outside Japan. The knowledge and insight provided contribute to increasing the abilities of people with disabilities and paves the way for the realization of a barrier-free and universal society. To achieve this, the university collaborates with other institutions for disabilities, educational institutions, research institutions, as well as government institutions and private companies within and outside of Japan. The university extends support in primary and secondary education, helping students with disabilities who are studying in other universities and colleges, expanding job categories and employment, and enabling students and people with disabilities to overcome their limitations as well as helping them to participate in social activities through healthcare services and sport.
Through education, research, and social contribution, as mentioned above, the mission of the university is to work for the realization of a society in which people with disabilities can overcome their disabilities and become active participants in it.