Thirteen Japanese students participated in a Study Abroad training activity in Tarragona from 12 to 20 March in which they formed two groups. Whilst the first group studied various aspects of human mobility and human rights, the second investigated nursing care and visits to health facilities in the Tarragona area

The IV Hiroshima International Seminar March 2016 took place at Campus Catalunya under the auspices of the INU network (International Network of Universities), of which both the Japanese university and URV are partners.

During the first weekend after their arrival, the Japanese students began their introduction to Catalan culture and visited Tarraco’s ancient monuments. Also, the students of the seminar on human mobility and human rights started working on the subject. On the Monday there was a session for all students on information exchange and an introduction to the Japanese and Catalan cultures.

The seminar on human mobility and human rights, coordinated by Professor Victor Merino (Department of Public Law), enabled the students to get to know each other and start working together. During the sessions, students discussed subjects such as the scope of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the relationship between climate change, environmental degradation and human mobility, the relationship between indigenous peoples and extractive industries, internal migrations in Europe, the relationship between power, citizenship and territory and the relationship between food and human rights. Students also debated the refugee crisis and asked many questions about the political situation in Catalunya.  The teaching staff were Thays Ricarte, Antonio Cardesa, Malka San Lucas, Lorena Martínez, Susana Borràs, Beatriz Felipe, Diana Marín, Aitana de la Varga, Màriam Lufti and David Dueñas.

The seminar on nursing care was coordinated by Professor Maria Jiménez (Department of Nursing). During the sessions, students learnt about the Catalan and Spanish health system, the delivery of care in hospitals, the mental health system, complementary therapies, the primary health-care network, care of the elderly, international nursing and nursing care in various healthcare areas. This was rounded off by a visit to the URV’s Faculty of Nursing. The teaching staff were Mireia García-Villarrubia, Olivia Hernández, Carmen Flores, Maria Jiménez, Dolors Burjalés, Neus Esmel, Elena Abelló and Antònia Martorell.

All the Japanese students participated in cultural and leisure activities and made visits to Tarragona, the Priorat region and Barcelona).

The students were accompanied by a professor and the Vice-President for International Relations from Hiroshima University, who were welcomed by the URV’s rector, Josep Anton Ferré, and the Vice-Rector for Internationalisation, Mar Gutiérrez-Colón, and who held various meetings with URV faculties and the International Center.