Recipients Chosen for the 4th CAIRC Scholarship
Program
for Fostering Research into the Study of the Relationship between
Humans and Companion Animals |
Five Scholarship Recipients Chosen from 32 Applications
The following five recipients were selected for the
4th Annual Scholarship for Research on the Relationship Between Humans
and Companion Animals.
| - |
Kazuhiko Nakamura(Tokyo resident and an Assistant
Professor at the Laboratory for Animal and Human Bond, Department
of Applied Animal Science, School of Veterinary Medicine, Azabu
University)
Research theme: Research and scientific evaluation of animal
assisted therapy for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
and autism. |
| - |
Fumiko Oda(resident of Yokohama, Kanagawa prefecture,
and graduate student in the masters program at the Graduate
School of Social and Cultural Studies, Nihon University)
Research theme: Research into toilet training for household
dogs. |
| - |
Mari Hirayama(resident of Kobe, Hyogo prefecture,
and student in the LL.D program at the Kwansei Gakuin University,
Department of Law)
Research theme: Are companion animals effective in preventing
recidivism among convicted offenders? — The significance and
results of prison pet programs |
| - |
Yuko Kubo(resident of Sendai, Miyagi prefecture,
and student in the masters program of the Department of Developmental
Biology and Neurosciences, Graduate School of Life Sciences,
Tohoku University)
Research theme: Expression of fur color patterns in cats — understanding the formation of individual characteristics in
companion animals. |
| - |
Schu Kawashima(Tokyo resident and doctoral student
majoring in Veterinary Medicine at the Graduate School of Agricultural
and Life Sciences, the University of Tokyo)
Research theme: A research on relation between Japanese people
and Japanese native horses, particularly focus on those in the
Ryukyu Islands. |
On May 22, a meeting of the selection committee for
the 4th CAIRC Scholarship Program for advancing the study on the relationship
between human and companion animals relationship was held, at which
the five candidates listed above were chosen as recipients of the
500,000 yen award. The members of the selection committee are Azabu
University Professor Mitsuaki Ohta, Graduate Tokyo University Professor
Yuji Mori, and Dr. Yoichi Shoda, CAIRC chairman and Professor Emeritus
at the University of Tokyo.
Hopes Run High as the Study of Relationships Between
Humans and Companion Animals Expands into New Fields of Research
The CAIRC Scholarship Program for advancing the study
on the relationship between the humans and companion animals was instituted
for the purpose of supporting and encouraging the work of promising
young researchers. The latest call for research proposals naturally
yielded submissions from students in the fields of zoology and veterinary
science. And fields as diverse as sociology, psychology, education,
business administration, law, anthropology, physical therapy and biology
were also represented.
We have high hopes at CAIRC that our efforts
to broaden the range of fields from which these promising young researchers
are chosen will help expand the study of human-companion animal relationships.
"This time, we placed priority on selecting top-notch research,
while at the same time doing as much as we could to select projects
with a high degree of urgency and from the most diverse range of fields
possible," said Dr. Yoichi Shoda, chairman of CAIRC and of the
scholarship selection committee. "The major difference this time
from the previous three scholarships was that only one study was chosen
from the field of veterinary science. Surely it can be said that this
is an indication of the fact that the study of human-companion animal
relationships is expanding."
Profiles of Selection Committee Members:
- Mitsuaki Ohta, Professor, Animal and Human
Bonds, School of Veterinary Medicine, Azabu University.
Prof. Ohta has been in his current position since 1999, until which
he served as a professor in the Department of Agricultural Science
at Osaka Prefecture University. His research has focused on the "healing
effects of animals". Publications include "Physiology for
Physical and Occupational Therapists" (Rigaku Ryouhoushi, Sagyou
Ryouhoushi no Tame no Seirigaku) and "Animal Rescue in the Great
Hanshin Earthquake" (Daishinsai no Hisai Doubutsu wo Sukuu Tame
Ni).
- Yuji Mori, Professor, Veterinary Ethology, Veterinary Medical
Science/Animal Resource Science University of Tokyo.
Prof. Mori has been in his current position since 1997, after serving
as an associate professor at the University of Tokyo. He currently
serves as chairman of the Society for the Study of Human Animal Relations,
as well as chairman of the editorial board for the Journal of the
Japanese Society of Animal Reproduction. His publication activities
include editorship of numerous Japanese translations, including that
of James Serpell's “The Domestic Dog: its evolution, behavior and
interactions with people"
- Yoichi Shoda, CAIRC chairman and Professor Emeritus at the
University of Tokyo.
Dr. Shoda is a doctor of agricultural science.
After serving as a professor at the University of Tokyo and other
universities, he currently directs the Tokyo Zoological Park Society
and is a board member of the Yamashina Institute for Ornithology.
Major publications include "Animals Created by Man"(Ningen
ga Tsukutta Doubutsu Tachi).
|
|
