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The University of Tokyo has been selected to participate in the Japanese government’s Initiative for Realizing Diversity in Research Environments (Development of Female Leadership).

In UTokyo Compass, the statement of our guiding principles that was announced in September 2021 under the title “Into a Sea of Diversity: Creating the Future through Dialogue,” we set out a basic philosophy of “diversity and inclusion” and becoming “a university that anyone would want to join.” Drawing on these principles, the UTokyo Gender Equity Initiative #WeChange aims to boost the ratio of female faculty members to 25% (including distinguished professors and project faculty members serving for fixed terms), as also noted in UTokyo Compass and our 4th Mid-term Goals and Mid-term Plans

To achieve this ambitious numerical target, first and foremost, we need to raise the awareness of all faculty members so that we can change our campus culture and transform UTokyo. This initiative incorporates a comprehensive set of measures designed to support the career

development and promotion of female faculty members, including developing young female researchers’ skills and increasing the number of women in senior research positions. Through the UTokyo Gender Equity Initiative #WeChange, we will accelerate our actions and develop a research environment with sustained diversity that generates, nurtures, and supports the next generation of female leaders, while also contributing to society as an institution of higher education that promotes diversity and inclusion throughout Japanese academia.

Welcome to the UTokyo Gender Equity Initiative #WeChange website.

The UTokyo Gender Equity Initiative aims to build momentum for gender equity across the university. It will be operated by the Office for Gender Equality which was established under the President, with the status of progress reported to you all via this website. An advisory board of domestic and international experts will also be set up to ascertain the effectiveness and validity of the various measures and provide expert and objective advice.

As suggested by the name “#WeChange,” we will start by instituting gender equity reforms that foster a much greater emphasis on diversity at UTokyo by raising the awareness of all UTokyo members. This will include implementing training to promote greater awareness among the majority with a particular emphasis on faculty members, visualizing male and female research activity data, and enhancing support for work-life balance. We will also bring issues with the traditional binary view of gender as either male or female and enhance the various support measures for female researchers to facilitate seamless career development.

In AY2021, UTokyo launched a five-year plan to accelerate the increase in the number of female personnel in faculties and institutes, based on which, together with this initiative, bold but realistic numerical targets will be set for increasing the number of women in senior positions, with systems built to ensure steady implementation.

UTokyo has taken a huge first step toward gender equity. Over the next five years, we look forward to receiving your support and advice as we progress our reforms so as to help realize gender equity not only at UTokyo but across Japanese society.