Asian Research Institute for International Social Work

About Us

Mission

Asian Research Institute for International Social Work (ARIISW) is the first place for you to contact when you want to work with Japanese colleagues or institutions or to study in and/or about Japan. The main mission of ARIISW is to learn from, work with, and provide research opportunities and results to you, colleagues from other countries, to contribute to the advancement of research and education in the field of social work across Asia and the world.
The Institute also has a special mission to serve as a hub for research and education in Buddhist social work in Asia.
The Institute is non-sectarian and non-profit. It was established on April 1, 2016,  in commemoration of the 50th anniversaries of the birth of Shukutoku University and the passing of its founder, Ryoshin Hasegawa, a pioneer of Buddhist social work in Japan.

Staff

Honorary Director	Guest Professor   Akimoto Tatsuru
Director	Professor   Totsuka Noriko
Asian Center for Buddhist Social Work Research Exchange Director	Professor   Fujimori Yusuke
Research Staff	Senior Researcher / Associate Professor　Matsuo Kana Head Researcher / Assistant Professor　Higashida Masateru
Program Researchers	Gohori Josef Fujita Noritaka Watanabe Yoshiaki
Visiting Researchers	GelenkhuuTumennast Sungkawan Decha Matsusono Yuko
Research Fellows	Ando Noriaki Kikuchi Yui Sato Narumichi
Advisors	Head Advisor　Hasegawa Masatoshi Advisor　Tamiya Masashi Advisor　Ishikawa Togaku
Steering Committee	Yamaguchi Koji Totsuka Noriko Yonemura Mina Chiba Hirohiko Nishizuka Hiroshi Fujimori Yusuke Matsuo Kana Higashida Masateru Ejima Kazuya

Affiliated Center

ARIISW Houses the Asian Center for Buddhist Social Work Research Exchange

The mission of Asian Center for Buddhist SW Research Exchange (ACBsw) is the academic exchange and research activities on Buddhist social work. ACBsw aims to be a hub center for the Asian region.
 
The base of all ACBsw's activities are connections with scholars, researchers, and practitioners from Asia and the world, carrying out joint researchers, international surveys, international exchange, etc. Starting from 2015, the ACBsw was in charge of the Shukutoku University's strategic project, running researchers and surveys on the role and possibility of Buddhism in Asian social work under the auspices of Japanese Government (Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology).

Activities

International Joint Research and Studies 

International Conferences and Seminars

Individual and Organizational Exchanges

Short visits by researchers from schools of social work as well as individual research­ers from other countries or long visits (e.g. sabbatical research) are welcomed. More officially organized long term arrangements for contractual exchange programs between schools for research, staff members, and students are also welcomed.

Human Resource Promotion

Visiting Researcher Fellowship ROMPAKU Program leading to Ph.D. 

ARIISW is now offering an opportunity to complete Ph.D. dissertation through the Visiting Researcher Fellowship Program. The aim of the program is to help meet the growing need for both a greater quantity and better quality of educators in Asian schools for social work.

Study Groups

The Institute organizes or supports voluntary study groups on various research subjects for faculty members and young researchers of Shukutoku University and in communities.

Data Collection

ARIISW is collecting and sorting data and other materials concerning international social work.

Contribution to International Organizations

ARIISW and its staff contribute to the administration and operation, activities and advancement of international organiza­tions such as the International Association of Schools of Social Work (IASSW), Asian and Pacific Association for Social Work Education (APASWE), and International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW).

Cooperation with Schools in other Countries

ARIISW strives to respond to non-financial needs from individual universities in other countries within its capacity-supporting the start of social work programs, the design of curricula, the operation of classes and ad hoc seminars, as well as the exchange of research and faculty members and students.

Publications

Results and reports of the research and conferences above as well as books and booklets on other subjects are published.

International Journal of Buddhist Social Work