Professor SAKURADA Osamu from the Faculty of Engineering Receives the 2nd THERS Chancellor's Special Award for Educational Good Practice
Professor SAKURADA Osamu from the Faculty of Engineering, Gifu University has been honored with the 2nd Tokai National Higher Education and Research System (THERS) Chancellor's Special Award for Educational Good Practice. This award system was established in FY2023 to enhance the motivation of faculty members affiliated with THERS and to improve the quality of education. Professor Sakurada's course, a university-wide general education subject titled "Gifu Studies: Environmental Management and Environmental Business," was selected from Gifu University as a model class recognized for its outstanding effectiveness and results. The course was highly evaluated for its incorporation of diverse teaching formats, including online, on-demand, in-person, and fieldwork.
At the award ceremony held on Tuesday, August 26, 2025, Chancellor MATSUO Seiichi expressed his appreciation, stating, "The memories of what students studied during their university years will remain with them for life and become a source of strength. I hope both Nagoya and Gifu universities (two THERS constituent universities) will continue to share these excellent outcomes and strive for further improvement."
On Tuesday, September 16, Professor Sakurada reported the award to President YOSHIDA Kazuhiro of Gifu University. During the report, he mentioned that the course incorporated perspectives from various specialized fields such as management, law, agriculture, biology, veterinary sciences, meteorological disasters, and forestry, thanks to the cooperation of the following GU professors;
- Professor Emeritus HASEGAWA Norihiko,
- Professor MITSUI Sakae from the School of Social System Management,
- Professor MUKAI Takahiko from the Faculty of Regional Studies,
- Professor MITANI Susumu from the Faculty of Regional Studies,
- Professor YAYOTA Masato from the Faculty of Applied Biological Sciences,
- Professor MURASE Tetsuma from the Faculty of Applied Biological Sciences,
- Professor NISHIMURA Shinichi from the Faculty of Applied Biological Sciences,
- Professor KOBAYASHI Tomonao from the Faculty of Engineering, and
- Professor MURAOKA Hiroyoshi, former Director of the Center for Environmental and Societal Sustainability.
Furthermore, Professor Sakurada noted that six guest speakers from local governments and companies in the Tokai region voluntarily shared their environmental initiatives and commitments with the students. During and after the course, participants were also invited to visit two facilities of the six organizations.
Professor Sakurada said, "Receiving this prestigious award is not solely due to my own efforts, but thanks to the support of many people over the years. I will continue to devote myself to the advancement of liberal arts education."
President Yoshida congratulated him, saying, "I hope you will continue to serve as a role model for other faculty members."
Starting this academic year, the course has been renamed "Region and Environmental SDGs" and relaunched as a collaborative course with Nagoya University, Gifu City Women's College, and Chubu Gakuin University.
Gifu University will continue to strive to foster individuals who learn, explore, and contribute to society by ensuring the quality of liberal arts education and establishing a solid foundation for specialized education.
(Back row, from left: Vice President SUGIYAMA Makoto, Chancellor Matsuo,
Director TERASAKI Ichiro from Education Management
(Front row, from left: Professor Sakurada,
Associate Professor Muhammet Uyanik (Nagoya University),
Professor TANIMURA Shogo (Nagoya University)
