We held an online faculty development (FD) lecture on January 27th, co-hosted by the Department of Space Science and the Department of Condensed Matter Physics in the School of Science, focusing on the main themes of "establishing quotas for women in entrance examinations" and "open recruitment exclusively for women," topics that have garnered significant interest at our university.
We welcomed Ms. Kaoru Kuwata, Vice President of Tokyo University of Science, as our lecturer, and she gave a lecture entitled "Policies and Challenges for Women's Advancement in the Faculty of Science and Engineering at Tokyo University of Science," which was attended by 72 faculty and staff members of our university. [Lecture summary is below]CLICK HERE]
Vice President Kuwata began by introducing Tokyo University of Science's efforts to create an environment that promotes women's advancement, and stated that achieving DE&I requires not only improving the organizational environment but also setting the direction of the organization.
Following that, the speaker discussed the "female-only admission quota (comprehensive selection, school recommendation selection)" and "female-only faculty recruitment" implemented at Tokyo University of Science, providing concrete examples of the background to their introduction, the challenges they faced, and the follow-up after implementation. In particular, the speaker emphasized the need to promote understanding among colleagues and form a shared awareness by providing thorough explanations and training within the university. It was impressive to hear the speaker say that if DE&I (Developmental Innovation and Innovative Thinking) becomes widespread, creating an environment where each individual can thrive and utilize their abilities, the overall performance of the organization will improve, which will lead to the creation of innovation and generate a positive impact on society.
We were able to hear a lot about the challenges and measures considered during the implementation process, such as legal considerations and securing funding, and the lecture was especially helpful for faculty and staff at our university who are currently considering its implementation.
In the post-lecture survey, various comments were received, such as, "Considering the current situation in Japan, I understand that setting up quotas for women and providing explanations to students (especially male students) is important, and that continuing to do so will lead to a change in awareness throughout society," and "I felt that a change in awareness among the (mainly) male faculty members who are hired is especially essential."
We also received feedback from departments considering implementation, such as, "We are currently considering it within our department, and we understand that in addition to public relations, it is also important to consider legal aspects and follow-up."
Please note that this lecture will be made available on-demand for faculty and staff of this university as soon as preparations are complete. We will inform you again at a later date, so please wait a little longer.
