Greetings
We're working toward a future in which the term "woman researcher" is no longer necessary.
The Nagoya University model for creating fields in which women researchers play active roles.
Society should be a place where people can realize their potential in the right job, regardless of their gender. Today, we live in an era of diversifying values. "Diversity" is one of the keywords in modern society. As expectations for science grow, it is desirable to see greater diversity in the ranks of researchers who will drive progress in various scientific fields.
Women researchers are part of this mix. But, Japan has a smaller proportion of women researchers than do countries in North America and Europe. In an effort to breathe new life into the cause of encouraging greater participation in scientific research by women, the Nagoya University Office for Gender Equality implements a variety of projects. For example, "Poppins After School," the first on-campus after-school childcare facility to open in Japan, is aimed at helping to solve the so-called "Grade 1 Problem," which is the lack of after-school facilities to accommodate school-age children of working parents.
Across this large campus, university faculty members have applied their particular areas of expertise to the development of programs designed to expand children's intellectual curiosity and stimulate their interest in the sciences. In 2010, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology selected "Employment Acceleration and Career Development Program for Women Researchers: The Nagoya University Model" as part of its Supporting Positive Activities for Female Researchers initiative. In order to develop more high-level women researchers, we are engaged in a diverse range of initiatives including identification of international openings for women leaders, provision of career support for women leaders, mentoring programs for female faculty member, support for community activities by women students in the sciences, and enhancement of research environments that address work-study-life balance considerations.
Women researchers are a valuable component of the next generation. The Office for Gender Equality will continue to work on activities aimed at developing high-level researchers and research activity at Nagoya University, in order to contribute to society.