Tohoku University held its 2025 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Symposium on November 20 at Aobayama Commons, drawing more than 360 participants on-site and online. The event focused on the theme of "Advancing Gender Equity in STEM" and addressed the challenges and prospects through a comparative Japan-Korea lens.

In his opening remarks, Tohoku University President Teiji Tominaga reflected on the institution's long history of inclusion, being the first in Japan to admit women in 1913, and one of the first to welcome international students soon after.

In 2022, the university issued a "Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Promotion Declaration," and its commitment to DEI was further underscored by its designation in 2024 as Japan's first University for International 亲朋棋牌 Excellence.

"The promotion of diversity, equity and inclusion is one of the most important pillars of our strategy," he said, adding that the university will launch a Gateway College in 2027 to further provide an international environment for students from diverse cultural backgrounds to study together in English. "To stand alongside the world's leading universities, produce original and excellent research results and create new innovations, it is essential for the university to provide an environment where diverse talents can maximise their abilities."

Dr. Heisook Lee, president of the Centre for Gendered Innovations for Science and Technology 亲朋棋牌 (GISTeR), delivered the keynote address on structural barriers, academic biases and policy interventions in Korea. She argued that gender diversity in STEM represents both a strategic necessity for global innovation and a persistent challenge for Korea and Japan due to structural imbalances and epistemic bias.

"Fixing the numbers won't fix the science unless epistemic biases are addressed," Lee noted, explaining that underrepresentation and vertical segregation of female leaders undermine talent utilisation and compromise innovation. Based on Korea's experience, she advocated for a dual strategy addressing both numerical and academic barriers through legal mandates, targeted funding and institutional accountability that "shifts the focus from fixing women to fixing institutions."

Professor Mami Tanaka, director of Tohoku University's Centre for DEI Promotion, then outlined the university's initiatives to increase female representation in academia, such as the introduction of an Acceleration Support Package.

The university has committed to raising the percentage of female researchers to 40% within 25 years - an ambitious target given the current figures of 20% overall, with decreasing representation at higher ranks (28% at assistant professor level, 14% at associate professor level and just 9% at professor level).

To accelerate progress, Tanaka detailed plans for female-only headhunting and international recruitment drives with additional positions that are not expected to impact existing departmental quotas. These will complement current policies such as the "1/3 rule" requiring one in three new hires to be female, funding for promotion-related salary differences and support for accompanying spouses. Tanaka also highlighted successful social initiatives like encouraging male faculty to take childcare leave, creating a "DEI Lounge" for LGBTQ+ and minority communities, and outreach programs through the Science Ambassadors.

The symposium's second half featured a panel discussion on ways to further develop female talent in STEM. The panel - which comprised Narie Sasaki (vice director, Tohoku University DEI Centre) Kaoru Maruta (director, Institute of Fluid Science, Tohoku University), Yoko Nameki (specially appointed professor, Faculty of Commerce, Chuo University) and Sayaka Tanaka (CEO, NPO Waffle) - highlighted Japan's persistent challenge as the lowest-ranked OECD country for female researchers (18.5%) compared to Korea (23.7%).

The discussion identified several critical factors for improvement: achieving a "tipping point" of 30-35% female representation, addressing unconscious bias, improving data collection, fostering supportive environments through cross-sector collaboration and developing accessible role models.

The panellists also shared best practices and initiatives like providing childcare and support facilities at the Institute of Fluid Science, the hosting of networking events for female researchers, and NPO WAFFLE's programming education for middle and high school girls. Structural changes through legislation and institutional support - rather than aspirational targets alone - are essential for accelerating women's participation in STEM fields, they concluded.

For more information about the symposium and Tohoku University's DEI initiatives, please visit: https://dei.tohoku.ac.jp/en/.