Incorporating a Social Implementation Program into a Manufacturing Education Program in Japan: Case Study in Collaboration with a Medical Facility

Abstract

The College of Technology (called Kosen) is an educational program established in 1962 in Japan to train practical engineers for five years after high school [1]. The curricula of Kosen are characterized by that engineering practice and experiment programs are set from 1st grade and gradually increase as proceed of grade. After that, advanced course for two years was established. In December 2012 the academic policy was changed to bring up the practical and creative engineers who can be active in the various fields. To attain the academic policy Engineering Design Program was attempted. Recently Social Implementation Program was newly proposed instead of Engineering Design Program.In Numazu National College of Technology (NNCT), considerations of the needs of Shizuoka prefecture's research culture project and the success of both Brush up Project of Manufacturing Engineers and Fuji Medical Engineer Training (F-met) Project led the College's staffs to make new curricula based on Social Implementation Program through seven years from teenager. The new curricula were applied from 2013.Several case studies for Social Implementation Program are executed based on the new curricula of NNCT. A case study in collaboration with a medical facility is described as an example of Social Implementation Program and the effect on a manufacturing education is discussed