Davison awarded Fulbright to document aging Japanese population

UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media associate professor Pat Davison has been awarded a Fulbright Scholar grant and will travel to Japan during the 2014-15 academic year to produce documentary video about the country’s aging population.

Japan experienced its largest population decrease in 2013 and is expected to see its population decrease by 30 million by 2050. A low birth rate, coupled with high life expectancy, has made Japan one of the world’s “oldest” countries. Davison will craft character-driven documentary narratives to personalize the political, economic and social repercussions of this trend.

"Japan is a fascinating nation," Davison said. "My wife is Japanese, and my father-in-law is 83. My personal connection to the aging society should help me understand the complexity and create stories that will connect viewers to people living the issue. I’m excited and humbled by this opportunity."

Davison teaches courses in photojournalism and multimedia journalism. As the director for documentary projects for the school, he has produced more than two dozen student multimedia projects internationally and domestically. The award-winning projects empower students to tell stories in places such as Thailand (andamanrising.org), the Galapagos Islands (livinggalapagos.org) and in communities throughout North Carolina (faultlinesnc.com).

The Fulbright Scholar Program, which is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, sends American scholars, artists, faculty and professionals abroad to lecture and/or conduct research. It is designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. The program has awarded grants to more than 300,000 people since 1946.