02
- Tomoko Tsuji
- Professor, Faculty of Education, Hokkaido University
Various standards and diverse expressions
Creating a prosperous society
LILAS
Leaders for people with innovation,
Liberty and Ambitions.
A series of interviews with female researchers introducing leading female leaders who are at the forefront of their fields.LILASLilac means lilac in French, and is also known as the flower of Sapporo. Along with plant arrangements inspired by the interview content, we will be sharing this original interview series, conveying messages about the strength, flexibility, and diversity that plants possess.
- 02
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The second speaker is Tomoko Tsuji from the Graduate School of Education. Ms. Tsuji focuses on both practical work and research in the areas of social education, youth education, and women's/gender and education.
I argue that we should look at the background behind the initiatives universities are undertaking in areas such as worker education, which has recently gained attention as a form of recurrent education, and diversity and inclusion, which we hear about more and more often, and address these issues in the long term.
I come from a small research lab with only a few graduate students.
What can I do, having grown up in a different environment than Hokkaido University students?
Were there any difficulties or things you were careful about when running your research lab?
In my field of research, papers are basically written individually. It's a solitary task. My role is to support students and graduate students as they conduct research, analysis, and discussion, but I constantly struggle with how best to be involved.
Our graduate students come from various backgrounds, including those who entered from Hokkaido University's Faculty of Education, those who came from other universities, and those who have experience working as professionals in other fields such as Japanese language teachers or nutritionists. Because of these diverse backgrounds, the fundamental frameworks of understanding that underlie research and discussions, as well as the way the same words are interpreted, can be quite challenging.
Furthermore, international students often have different cultural backgrounds, and even a single word like "community" can be understood differently. Therefore, we discuss and reconcile these differences as we move forward. I'm learning something new every day.
My research lab was quite small, with only a few graduate students. Since it was located in Tokyo, I was sometimes allowed to participate in classes and seminars at other nearby universities.
In contrast, at Hokkaido University, there are many graduate students in a single research lab, and the relationships between graduate students across different labs are relatively close. It's common to see them holding independent seminars, subscribing to literature, and exchanging messages with each other after seminars or classes, asking things like, "Does this mean what the professor was saying earlier?"
This kind of environment where we learn from each other was initially a novel experience for me. I hope that students and graduate students will hone their skills by competing with each other and immersing themselves in this intricate network. Faculty members are also part of this research network. They are expected to offer opinions and advice based on their academic fields and the specialized knowledge they have cultivated.
Creating something new inevitably leads to conflict.
Research is achieved when each party's unyielding principles clash.
Are there any specific things you keep in mind when supervising research?
When I was a student, I had trouble effectively communicating the themes I wanted to work on and the things I wanted to think about with my academic advisor. We seemed to understand each other up to a certain point, but when I tried to delve deeper into the topic, it became difficult, and I felt like my advisor wouldn't understand me.
Creating something new inevitably involves situations where others, especially those older than you, will not understand. Naturally, this creates conflict and tension. I can't easily back down, but the other person has things they won't compromise on, or even though we think we understand each other, we end up misunderstanding each other.
I continued working on my undergraduate thesis topic throughout my master's and doctoral studies, submitting my doctoral dissertation 10 years after completing my degree. It took me about 20 years from the time of my undergraduate thesis. My academic advisor from my student days had already passed away, and I sometimes wonder if he would have accepted my doctoral dissertation if he were still alive.
From these experiences, I've come to think that research is something where each person has something they won't compromise on, and it's through the clash of these different viewpoints that it ultimately comes to fruition. And to get others to understand my doctoral dissertation, which is a concentrated expression of my own convictions, I may have no choice but to create my own methods of expression and language.
Based on these experiences, I sometimes think that it might be just right for graduate students to say to themselves, "I'm going to surpass this person (my advisor)!"
We're all running together inside a spinning wheel that can't stop.
Increasing the number of people who fit into this category shouldn't be considered diversity.
Please share your thoughts on diversity.
My research began with the question of how to overcome the problems of discrimination and wealth inequality.
Therefore, I am aware that diversity is a fundamental issue in my research. However, I sometimes have doubts about the trend where diversity is used as a policy term, incorporated as an external evaluation indicator, and perceived as simply increasing the number of women. Of course, this may have caused things that were previously stagnant to start moving. But if the current diversity promotion policies lead to a competitive society where someone is constantly trying to bring someone else down, rather than a society where everyone can live equally and prosperously, then that would be putting the cart before the horse.
Everywhere, universities are trying to increase the proportion of female researchers, but in many cases, the staffing levels in universities are insufficient, and there is a lack of replacements, making it practically difficult for women to take maternity or childcare leave. I believe the challenge lies in how to make caregiving roles such as housework and childcare gender-equal, or more directly, how men can come to see these roles as their own responsibility. If universities have also excluded caregiving roles by treating them as if they "don't exist," then the fundamental foundation will not change unless these ways of being and their structures are changed. If the act of caregiving, which someone will inevitably have to take on and be involved in as long as people are alive, is forever borne only by women, then that is not diversity at all. I believe it is important to change the workplace so that it can function properly even with the premise that everyone is involved in caregiving. In this sense, now that the system of gender division of labor must be fundamentally changed, we must not end the creation of a diverse environment with mere emergency measures to meet quotas.
On the other hand, universities are subjected to an excessively competitive environment, where researchers are rushed to write impactful papers quickly or contribute to society through profit-generating research, and research funding and equipment are allocated based on rankings derived from short-term numerical changes. It feels like a hamster being forced to keep running in a spinning wheel. Diversity is now quantifiable and has become one of the evaluation indicators, so if it is being used to slow down the speed at which this spinning wheel turns, I think something is wrong. If we consider diversity as an important issue concerning the human rights of each individual, then this spinning wheel system that is tormenting us and diversity are not so easily compatible.
I believe we are caught in this kind of contradiction.
The role of care that I mentioned earlier is easy to understand, but I believe the core of achieving gender equality lies in not making economic productivity the sole and absolute indicator in a capitalist society. Valuing care means valuing more in society the richness found in situations that do not directly produce economic benefits. It's not like we're saying women should run on the hamster wheel together.
I believe that diversity isn't about involving women and people from all walks of life in a spinning vehicle that everyone rides together, but rather about valuing the idea and values that it's okay not to ride in the spinning vehicle, and that it's okay to get off.
I am aware of this contradiction, and I know that many people in various places are working hard to bring about even a small positive change in this reality full of contradictions.
I also want to firmly hold onto this perspective without losing sight of it.
I am supported by friends who criticize me.
Did you have anyone who served as a role model?
Because the student body at my university was all female, I feel I've seen many different role models, observing the struggles and hopes of women pursuing research careers in this society, including the setbacks and conflicts they face. However, I didn't actually attend university very often during my student days. I was involved in activities with NGOs, NPOs, and social education facilities, so I received a lot of inspiration from various people outside of the university. I developed an image of summarizing what I learned through those encounters into my own research. Rather than role models, I feel it's more accurate to say that I was blessed with colleagues who criticized me and pushed me to improve.
I didn't want to be a researcher who stayed confined to their study, so while I had my own concerns and direction, I was constantly thinking and experimenting while engaging in various activities.
However, when I was developing my research based on a specific problem, all I could do was read books and papers. The more I read, the deeper I got engrossed, but I was in a dilemma because I couldn't clearly answer how it related to my own question or where it fit in.
I had no choice but to proceed little by little in a spiral fashion, repeating the process of reading, talking, being asked questions, answering, writing, getting criticized, rewriting, and so on. However, my supervisor had passed away, I had no place to return to at my alma mater, and I was writing my doctoral dissertation without a research base to rely on. I was running a research group in the form of an independent seminar with peers in similar circumstances, and I believe I was able to finish writing it thanks to their encouragement. Having friends who give you frank and unvarnished feedback is truly invaluable.
A rich society is one where there are many different ways of measuring things.
Do you have a vision for what you would like to achieve as Dean of the Faculty of Education and Director of the Institute of Education?
To be honest, I only took up this position in April, so I haven't had a chance to settle down and think things through yet. This role involves steering the way in which the Faculty of Education and the Graduate School of Education will engage with the movements of the university and society as a whole, acting as a hub, but it feels like I'm doing both the job of captain of the ship and the operation of the airplane at the same time.
My role has changed drastically from my previous one of managing my own research lab and projects. Now, I'm constantly overseeing and steering the entire operation, managing people and finances, coordinating relationships between organizations and individuals, which means I'm always faced with making quick decisions and having my own judgments put to the test.
In running a faculty, especially a small one like ours, we can't get by without everyone contributing their strengths and cooperating with each other. If everyone is exhausted, no matter how hard you try to lead, they won't follow you. So, I believe our primary mission is to create an environment where everyone can proactively pursue their respective research.
I feel that this faculty is inclined towards research that focuses on how to support a system that allows people to collaborate and share their wisdom to find better solutions to social problems. Therefore, I believe that research results are not necessarily always novel or quantifiable, and cannot be measured by externally imposed evaluation criteria. If that is the case, then I believe we must be prepared to create our own criteria for how to communicate our findings.
Creating various measuring sticks and diverse forms of expression is part of research work, and I believe there is nothing further from diversity than measuring things with a single yardstick. Having various measuring sticks leads to a richer society. There are things in universities and educational settings that cannot be measured from the perspective that "things that don't make money have no value," and things that cannot be measured over a time span of one to several years, so I would like to hold onto those ideals as well.
I will never forget the original reason I aspired to research, and I will approach it with both enjoyment and sincerity.
Please give a message to researchers who are aiming for higher positions.
Research is both enjoyable and demanding. It's a challenging yet rewarding world.
I want to continue my research with sincerity and enjoyment, never forgetting the original reason I aspired to do so.
I'm not sure if this necessarily applies to higher-ranking positions, but for example, not just in research roles, but in university seminars and other settings where people have had the experience of thoroughly discussing and refining each other's understanding, those who have had such experiences may be able to foster such discussions and dialogues in the workplace. When a problem arises, they may be expected to organize the situation, offer different perspectives, or create opportunities and spaces to say, "Why don't we all talk about it?" when no one knows what to do. These are roles that people who have engaged with academics in a university setting can expect. It could be said that it is also the role of universities to send out people who can create such relationships and spaces.
LILAS
Library
"Tomoe Yamashiro (1912-2004) was a writer from Hiroshima known for works such as 'The Cart Song,' but this series, volumes 1-10, is a fictionalized account of her own life. It's deeply moving, depicting her tumultuous life, which she herself described as a series of failures and setbacks, along with the various women she encountered. The scenes conveying the individual lives and pride of the women who became prisoners, including Yamashiro herself, are particularly impressive. Furthermore, her works realistically portray post-war Japanese rural society and the true feelings of its inhabitants as "modern folk tales that could happen anywhere," and her exploration of how "everyday human rights" can take root from the perspective of the most vulnerable (such as 'The Archipelago Made of Rocks,' 'Okane-san,' 'Living with the Atomic Bomb,' and 'The Search for Solidarity'). For me, these works are like a stern encouragement, urging me to never lose sight of my origins in my work."
LILAS
Plant
Wetlands that were once considered barren land are now teeming with rich vegetation. Things you can't see unless you make an effort to look. When scholarship is open to society, something new opens up or is born.
Plants always silently communicate with us. Listen to them. That's where knowledge will emerge.
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Vaccinium coccineum
Scientific name: Vaccinium oxycoccos Family and genus: Ericaceae, Vaccinium
- It grows on sphagnum moss. Its flowers bloom and fruits develop very close to the ground.
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Climbing hydrangea
Scientific name: Hydrangea petiolaris Family and genus: Hydrangeaceae, Hydrangea
- It prefers wetlands and creeps along tall trees and rocks, blooming along the way.
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ハイゴケ
Scientific name: Hypnum plumaeforme Wilson Family and genus: Hypnum family, Hypnum genus
- It grows horizontally. It prefers sunny, well-ventilated locations.
LILASThis is part of the Hokkaido University 150th Anniversary Project. Hokkaido University will celebrate its 150th anniversary in 2026.
