"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 10th session, held on November 19th (Thursday), featured a talk by Associate Professor Chiho Kawashima of the Animal Science Center and Director of the Gender Equality Promotion Office at Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, titled "The Ideal and Reality of Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Child-Rearing: What I Learned Thanks to My Son."
Professor Kawashima, originally from Otaru, a city known for its fishing industry, went on to study at Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, a city known for its agriculture. He conducts research related to the health of cattle.
Because of her research, Professor Kawashima is familiar with cow pregnancy and childbirth, and she said that cows were her role model for pregnancy and childbirth. However, pregnancy and childbirth for humans (Professor Kawashima) are completely different, and she said that she was in poor health after giving birth, and that she thought she would have been culled if she had been a cow (Professor Kawashima). She shared these and other experiences with us.
She mentioned that she sometimes takes her children to academic conferences, and that as her children have grown older, they sometimes participate in research together. Participants asked questions such as, "How do you keep your children entertained when you take them on business trips, and how do you help them catch up on their studies if they miss school?" She shared her expertise, including how to utilize the childcare services offered by her academic society and how to consult with the secretariat.
We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Professor Kawashima for his many valuable insights and encouraging words. We also received applications and participation from approximately 30 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 is scheduled for January 2021. We will be announcing the details on our website soon, and we look forward to your participation!
Report
Professor Kawashima was the first person at Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine to take maternity and childcare leave. In her research, she had observed cows working energetically during pregnancy and immediately after giving birth, so she had assumed that she, as a human, would experience similar pregnancy and childbirth. However, in reality, various unexpected things happened that would have resulted in her being culled in the cow world (according to Professor Kawashima).
Seeing cows continuing to milk (work) during pregnancy and after giving birth made her think she could also continue working energetically, but then she experienced changes in her physical condition and environment.
Professor Kawashima's role models for pregnancy and childbirth weren't just cows; her volleyball teammates from her extracurricular activities also played with her. However, it seems that this was different for each individual. She shared an anecdote about how a friend she met at the hospital during childbirth remains a friend to this day and taught her a great deal about childbirth and raising children.
The professor said that while her research time decreased after shifting from a research-centered lifestyle before giving birth to a child-centered lifestyle after giving birth, she gained a great deal from having children. Originally, her research specialty was related to the health of cattle, but based on her own experience raising children, she began researching how to improve the nutrition of pregnant cows for the sake of the fetus, so that healthy calves can be born. She also shared that, due to her changed lifestyle, she wants to be on the side of creating a better working environment for future generations of parents.
Professor Kawashima's talks often feature her children. It seems they sometimes travel with her on business trips and even participate in research together. When a participant asked, "How do your children spend their time when you take them on business trips, and how do you help them catch up on schoolwork they missed?", she replied that she believes that being able to travel with them is something that only happens when they are young, so she teaches them what they missed and tries to give them experiences they can only have while traveling! Regarding childcare during conferences, she shared information about the childcare services provided by the conference organizers, how to consult with the secretariat, how attending with children isn't unusual since she's been doing so since they were little, and how male researchers also attend with their children.
We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Professor Kawashima for his many valuable insights and encouraging words. We also received applications and participation from approximately 30 people, not only from within our university but also from Kitami Institute of Technology and Muroran Institute of Technology. Thank you very much.
