"KNIT a Network! Role Model Roundtable" is a project that invites various guests involved in the world of science and research, and interviews them to talk about their lives, work, and more.
The 7th session, held on Thursday, September 24th, featured a talk by Midori Kawamura, Assistant to the President (Diversity) and Professor of Applied Chemistry at Kitami Institute of Technology, titled "Let's incorporate both 'mountain climbing' and 'river rafting' into our research life!"
Professor [Name] studied at the Faculty of Engineering of this university, and after joining Kitami Institute of Technology, he conducted research on creating thin films of electronic materials by knocking out atoms in a vacuum, and on organic EL elements used in displays for smartphones, etc. Currently, he is conducting research on improving the performance of thin films by firmly bonding them to substrates with nano-level layers made of metal.
We received many questions from our viewers, such as "What are your future goals?" and "Is it rare for the research you did in graduate school to be the same as your research topic after becoming a faculty member?"
We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Professor Kawamura for his many valuable insights and encouraging words. We also received applications and participation from nearly 40 people, not only from within our university but also from Kitami Institute of Technology and Muroran Institute of Technology. Thank you very much.
Please see the "Report" below for the rest of the story.
The next KNIT a Network! Researcher Exchange Meeting will be held on Thursday, October 22nd, from 12:20 to 12:50. Our guest speaker will be a current doctoral student, and the topic will be pursuing a doctorate.
We will be posting details on our website soon, and we look forward to your participation!
Report
Professor Kawamura became the first Japanese woman to receive a doctorate in the Department of Applied Chemistry at Hokkaido University's Faculty of Engineering.
The reason he aspired to become a researcher was that when he was in high school, fine ceramics were a hot topic, and he felt that materials science is a crucial field that forms the foundation of everything!
During her student days, Professor Kawamura dedicated herself to academics and research without feeling any gender differences. However, when she participated in an overseas internship, she noticed differences from Japan, such as the fact that the head of her department was a woman and her secretary was a man, and that she communicated with peers who were proactive about pursuing doctoral studies, saying things like, "If I enjoy research, I'll go on to get a doctorate."
After being hired at Kitami Institute of Technology, Ms. Kawamura experienced major life events such as marriage and childbirth. She said that she had no relatives or family living nearby, and few female faculty members to consult with, but she was able to talk to male faculty members of the same age who were also raising children, and the advice they gave her was a great source of encouragement.
After being promoted to professor, he took on roles outside the research lab, such as selecting faculty and staff personnel and serving as department head. Currently, he serves as the Deputy Director of the Diversity Promotion Office and Assistant to the President (Diversity) at Kitami Institute of Technology. He says that he has been greatly stimulated by participating in external symposiums and other events.
As a message to young researchers, Professor Kawamura likened career development to "mountain climbing" and "river rafting." While the "mountain climbing" approach, where you set a goal and strive towards it, is recommended, he suggested that if you're unsure about your career path, switching to "river rafting" might lead to serendipitous discoveries and encounters. He advised that these encounters are even easier to notice if you have your own ideas. Regarding the overseas internship mentioned at the beginning, Professor Kawamura said that even though the offer was posted on a bulletin board that students don't usually look at, it caught his attention. He believes this was possible because he already had a desire to work overseas. He encouraged us to acknowledge that there may be frustrations with the environment around us not being well-established, but since the environment for diversity is currently in the process of being developed, let's focus on what we can do now and move forward!
We also received many questions from our viewers. When asked about his future goals, he answered emphatically that although there have been difficult times, he feels fortunate to have been able to continue his research so far. He said that questions arise when he is conducting experiments, and he wants to continue to produce good results in his research!
Is it unusual for the research conducted in graduate school to become the same as the research topic after becoming a faculty member? Is it acceptable for a researcher to research a broad range of topics rather than deeply studying one topic? To these questions, the answer was that it is natural, and that new ideas can emerge by learning about different fields based on what one has learned.
When asked to share a memorable episode from her parenting days, she recounted how, when her child was young, they often got a fever, requiring her to take time off work, then go to the office, pick up the child from daycare, and finally visit the pediatrician—a very demanding routine. She explained that she was able to manage this routine thanks to the availability of the "time off" system and the fact that the town of Kitami was just the right size.
We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Professor Kawamura for his many valuable insights and encouraging words. We received applications and participation from nearly 40 people, not only from within our university but also from Kitami Institute of Technology and Muroran Institute of Technology. Thank you very much to all the participants.
