Associate Professor of Career Development

Nobuhiro Matsuzaka

▲Posing questions to students during a class.

Working to cultivate professionals who will perform in regional society!

Currently, I am conducting researching on career awareness and psychological factors of community-oriented university students who seek employment in the local region. The settlement and employment of young people in the local region is an important theme also from the perspective of regional revitalization. Through my research, within the process of considering education for cultivating university students into professionals who will serve as future leaders of regional society, I have strongly reaffirmed the need for students to give even greater consideration to their career, including aspects of life, study and work. Such consideration is necessary for each student to realize social and professional independence.

▲During the class, group work is conducted and a message is conveyed to each student.

Initiatives for career education

 I teach the career education course "Career Design." This course focuses on heightening the "human ability" required to live a powerful and prosperous life. Two themes required in order to achieve this goal are "self-understanding," which is deepening the understanding of personal values, orientation, and abilities, and "social understanding," which is the study of knowledge and skills required to survive in actual society. In addition, the course seeks to increase awareness for following manners and rules which are required for working professionals, and to increase the communication ability required in society.

▲Communication among students during class time creates new confidence.

I hope that students will be confident as they study together

 I seek to conduct this course as a "dynamic course." In other words, instead of classes being a one-sided lecture by instructors, students are encouraged to use their minds and bodies through pair work and group work. Consequently, classes are different from what students experienced in high school. Initially, some students are unable to adjust and become confused. However, by observing students who have taken this course, I can see positive changes caused by mutual encouragement and support during group work. Students have expressed how the course has enabled them to overcome their fear of communicating and to interact with other students even outside of class. Other students have noted that the course has given them confidence in their behavior and words.