Information exchange project among organizations interested
in human resource development for women in science and technology
Although there have been an increasing number of schools and companies that have been working on human resource development for women in science and engineering in recent years, there are still not so many that are actively engaged in human resource development for women in science and engineering as a public service that transcends regional, age, and positional boundaries. Against this backdrop, in response to the voices of those who wish to “support career education for girls in science and engineering” and “learn about the current status of career development for women in science and engineering,” we would like to provide a platform for the exchange of a variety of information by making the most of the achievements of the “Summer School for Girls in Junior High and High Schools” to date.
Ms. Yuri Nakamura of Okayama University, Department of General Technology, gave us a presentation entitled “From Okayama, Practice of International Chemistry Seminar with Regional Collaboration.” She talked about her know-how in working on the project, what she pays attention to, how to connect the university, junior high and high schools, and companies, how to revitalize the region, and future prospects.
In a group discussion on the theme of “What we can do for the next generation,” participants introduced what they are currently working on and the challenges they face.Participants from a wide range of backgrounds, from public servants, teachers, and business people to university students, gave their comments and impressions, and seemed to have gained good hints from each other.
The theme of the meeting was “Toward a Society in which Middle and High School Girls Can Do What They Love! Introduction of Research Report and Proposals on Women’s Advancement in STEM Fields,” Ms. Saori Osu from the Shintaro Yamada D&I Foundation introduced the domestic and international research conducted by the foundation to date and the direction of policy proposals based on this research.
Ms. Yuki Gantos, President of BHP Japan, gave a presentation on the background of doubling the ratio of women in the company as a whole from 17% to 35% over the past several years, achieving a 40% ratio of women in iron ore mines in remote areas of Australia, and the real situation on the ground.
In the group discussion on the theme of “What we can do to create a workplace where people with diverse backgrounds and circumstances can work and play an active role,” some points that are difficult to implement in Japanese companies were presented, such as the importance of top management commitment and the establishment and thorough implementation of KPI to promote diversity. The discussion also seemed to lead to hints on what each participant could do.
We welcomed Professor Ginko Kawano of Yamagata University to our corporate exchange meeting under the theme of “Science Career Choice for Girls: Beyond Stereotypes.” Although the number of participants was small (10 in all), it was a dense time, as participants learned about the latest situation through Prof. Kono’s rich data materials and exchanged opinions in small groups while watching a video from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.
Ms. Shima, a researcher at the National Women’s Education Center, presented the results of a careful questionnaire survey of new hires over a five-year period, titled “Actual Conditions and Issues of Women in Science during Early Career Period: A Follow-up Study of New Employees.” The participants’ questions and comments continued uninterruptedly during the question period.
In this meeting, we exchanged information while learning about “Gendered Innovations,” which aims to incorporate a gender perspective into science and technology for future innovation, with group discussions online.
With the participation of 14 organizations, the lecture given by Prof. Narie Sasaki (Special Project Professor, Institute for Gendered Innovation, Ochanomizu University) was particularly well received.
We had 18 organizations participate in our first online business networking event.
On the day, after the three companies presented topics such as issues and approaches to career development for women in science and engineering, and introduction of projects for elementary school girls, the participants exchanged opinions on five themes:
1) Next generation education
2) Recruitment of female students New graduates, internships, mid-career recruitment
3) Career development and career advancement,
4) Diversity initiatives within the company
5) Cooperation with local governments and cooperation among companies.
