[Feature: Toward a Campus of Mutual Support] Erika Kuroda: Realizing an Environment for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at Keio University

2023/03/07

Since the establishment of the Keio University Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in April 2018, I feel that we have increasingly heard terms such as DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion), SDGs, diversity, and well-being. In Keio University's medium-term plan, the promotion of an environment for equity, diversity, and inclusion is also positioned as one of the major plans. While this magazine has frequently covered the Juku's initiatives related to "Kyosei" (living together in harmony), I would like to introduce several new initiatives that began this fiscal year.

As one way to materialize the Charter for the Promotion of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, we are preparing the "Pride Commitment" (as of February 2023). Examples include creating spaces for diverse students, establishing consultation desks, and conducting awareness-raising activities. Regarding the creation of spaces in particular, we held a student competition titled Student Competition 2022 "SOGI x Space Creation" (commonly known as the Kyosei Cafe). The goal was to solicit student projects to create a "place" that is open to everyone, including sexual minorities, where people can gather safely and securely to engage in dialogue. To share a concrete image for the applications, we held two workshops. Subsequently, a competition was held with alumni serving as advisors, and we are now working with students to flesh out the ideas based on the selected proposals.

Unconscious bias (unconscious assumptions or prejudices) occurs in various everyday situations. Against the backdrop of promoting DEI, the importance of recognizing and correctly understanding such unconscious bias is increasing. Therefore, with the aim of changing awareness from the top down, we held the Juku's first training session in August 2022. The session was led by a professional instructor and attended by the President, Vice-Presidents, Secretary General, full-time auditors, the Director of the University Hospital, and members of the Committee for the Promotion of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (including all deans of undergraduate and graduate schools, principals of affiliated schools, and directors of relevant centers). Subsequently, we held training for administrative managers and released training videos for all faculty and staff. These provided opportunities to learn the concepts and basic knowledge of unconscious bias and to deepen awareness and understanding of behavioral changes for individuals and the organization, as well as the direction we aim to take.

To provide Keio University students with an opportunity to think about their lives with an eye toward their own life stages—not just job hunting and post-graduation careers—we hold the "Future Me." seminar. We invite alumni who have not been graduated for very long and are close in age to the students to speak. The speakers talk from various angles, ranging from their own student days to balancing work and private life, and the seminars feature active Q&A sessions with many participants.

The Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion is a university-wide organization. Based on the philosophy of the Juku, its goals are to foster a spirit in which everyone pays equal respect to the dignity of others, to develop people with a "Kyosei" mindset, and to provide polite support that empathizes with others. This term, as a new form of childcare support for nurses and midwives at the University Hospital whose working styles differ significantly, we also launched a support program called "Nurse Kids Support" in January 2023. For example, we are piloting programs from new perspectives, such as "Mogu Mogu Support," which provides partial subsidies for ordering baby food and toddler meal kits. We believe these initiatives contribute to the practice of well-being and the social reputation of the Juku.

In the future, society will place even greater importance on having a sense and spirit of "Kyosei," regardless of age or gender. Forming a society where no one is left behind, nurturing people with a heart for "Kyosei," and realizing an environment for equity, diversity, and inclusion where people respect and cooperate with each other may seem like something new, but perhaps it is only natural. To achieve this, sustainability is required. I hope that all members of the Juku, as social leaders, will be able to act with an awareness of "Kyosei" when putting their learning into practice.