Construction of a Quality-Assuring System for Higher Education about Religious Culture

本研究项目旨在建立宗教学高等教育的质量保证体系（“宗教文化教育”一词已被创造出来，用以命名以宗教学为基础的教育，以区分以神学为基础的教育）。特别是，一方面，计划建立以临时学科基准标准为基础的大学间评价制度（“学籍制度”）。另一方面，它试图为宗教研究课程的大学教师建立一个交流中心，为他们提供实用的教学方法和材料。该项目由七个工作组执行，每个工作组由来自20多所大学（包括国立和私立大学）宗教研究项目的主要成员组成。其主要成果是：对本科宗教文化教育进行了实事求是的考察；需求分析侧重于学生和企业对“宗教文化专家”（shukyo-bunkashi，一名合格的宗教文化专家）的期望；“学校-学校”校际评价体系的建立开办网上教材交换中心。为了使公众能够获得研究结果，该项目每季出版通讯，并举行了几次国际专题讨论会、讲座和讲习班。

This research project aimed to establish a quality-assuring system for higher education in the field of religious studies (the term "education about religious culture" has been coined to name religious studies-based education as distinguished from theology-based education). In particular, it planned, on the one hand, to develop an inter-college evaluation system ("shukyo-bunkashi" system) based upon provisional, subject benchmark standards. On the other hand, it attempted to build a clearinghouse for college teachers in religious studies programs, which provides them with practical teaching methods and materials.The project was carried out by seven working groups, each of which was comprised of the leading members of religious studies programs from more than twenty universities, including both national and private. Its major achievements are : a fact-finding survey of education about religious culture in undergraduate curricula ; needs analyses focusing on students' and corporate expectations for a "shukyo-bunkashi", a qualified specialist in religious culture; the foundation of the inter-college evaluation system of "shukyo-bunkashi" ; the launching of an on-line clearinghouse for teaching materials.In order to make the results publicly accessible, the project has issued quarterly newsletters as well as held several international symposia, lectures and workshops.