Event Report: Diversity and Inclusion Week (AY 2023)
Event Date
Event Venue
2024/02/01
The Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion held an awareness-raising event titled "Diversity and Inclusion Week 2023" from Friday, December 8 to Tuesday, December 26, 2023.
A wide variety of events were held, including talk events, a film screening and talk session, and seminars, all related to the three themes of the Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion's activities: "work-life balance," "barrier-free," and "diversity."
With two of the seven events being student-led and one being a collaboration with Keio University alumni, the week demonstrated the growing efforts toward achieving an inclusive environment at Keio.
In addition, real-time text interpretation was provided for all events as part of our efforts to ensure information accessibility.
Here we introduce some of the feedback from participants of each event, along with photos from the events.
Friday, December 8
Film Screening & Talk Session
Film: "A Story of Life: 'Everyone is Alive—The Second Birthday'"
〇 Speakers
・Mr. Daigo Higuchi (Planning, Original Story, Lead Actor)
・Members of the Miki Akiyama Lab's Bone Marrow Bank Team / "Tsunagu," a student volunteer group for bone marrow bank awareness
Ms. Chisato Yamamoto, 3rd year, Faculty of Policy Management
Ms. Manami Furo, 4th year, Faculty of Environment and Information Studies
Ms. Rena Yamadate, 4th year, Faculty of Environment and Information Studies
Ms. Tsuzuru Sasaki, 3rd year, Faculty of Policy Management
Facilitator: Miki Akiyama (Professor, Faculty of Environment and Information Studies)
*Website for "A Story of Life: 'Everyone is Alive—The Second Birthday'"
(Feedback from Participants)
○ The film and talk session made me think about what I can do for someone in need. I want to not only register as a donor myself but also involve those around me to spread knowledge about the bone marrow bank and increase the number of registered donors.
○ I used to have a strong, fearful image of bone marrow transplants. But after watching the film, I realized that there are many patients waiting for a transplant and that lives are being lost right now because they can't receive one. It made me want to get involved in some way.
○ The entire event was really interesting! My reason for participating was to practice my Japanese listening comprehension, but the film and talk session were great. The film was very moving, and I learned new things. The talk session was fascinating, especially the stories about the lead actor's experiences and the bone marrow bank. Thank you very much!
Tuesday, December 12
Online Seminar
"Mental Health Training: Let's Boost Our Mental Resilience"
〇 Speaker
Ms. Reiko Matsumoto (Counselor, E-PARTNER CO., LTD.)
*Keio University Program for Balancing Work and Personal Concerns
(Feedback from Participants)
○ I realized I wasn't practicing any of the "3 Rs" that were explained, and it made me understand how much stress I've been accumulating. I'm satisfied because I was able to get a better grasp of my own stress level.
○ I had researched stress on my own before, but listening to this talk, I learned a lot of new things, like coping mechanisms, which will be very helpful in the future. I always felt that counseling was a high hurdle to overcome, but now I'd like to try it once.
○ I think it's very significant that the message "It's better to actively rest when you're tired" was directed at both faculty and students. I hope we can move forward in creating an organizational culture, systems, and work environment where stress coping is not just an individual effort but is more actively promoted.
Thursday, December 14
Online Seminar
"Secrets to Balancing Work and Elder/Family Care: Let's Get Through Caregiving While Working by Learning the Basics"
〇 Speaker
Ms. Toyoko Tsunoda (wiwiw Inc.)
*Keio University Elder/Family Care Support Program
Elder/Family Care Support Program: [Keio University Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion]
(Feedback from Participants)
○ The explanation was fun and easy to understand with concrete examples. The message "Aim for 60–70% in caregiving" really resonated with me.
○ Regarding balancing work and caregiving, the detailed explanation of the system, combined with the cheerful talk about the mindset and approach to caregiving that included the instructor's personal experiences, helped me see what I need to do, eased my anxiety, and gave me courage.
○ I also participated last year, and it was very concrete and easy to understand, with new information added and personal experiences shared.
Friday, December 15
Seminar and Dialogue with Doctors
Body Seminar: "A Talk on Sleep"
〇 Speakers
・Dr. Koichi Fukunaga (Professor, Department of Respiratory Medicine, School of Medicine)
・Dr. Taishiro Kishimoto (Project Professor, Hills Joint Research Laboratory for Future Preventive Medicine and Wellness, School of Medicine)
・Moderator: Chikako Kitagawa (Associate Professor, Faculty of Business and Commerce)
*Body Support ~Breeze Project~
Women's Body Support ~Breeze Project~: [Keio University Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion]
(Feedback from Participants)
○ The meaning and mechanisms of sleep were explained in a very easy-to-understand way from multiple perspectives, including mental health and respiratory aspects, which deepened my understanding. The doctors' talks were wonderful. Thank you. Listening to them, I was reminded that lack of sleep is truly the root of all illnesses. I also learned that some things can't be solved by my own efforts alone, so I've decided not to hesitate to see a doctor about any concerns.
○ I was interested in things like sleep apnea and sleep in general, so I'm glad I could attend this seminar lecture. I learned that sleep is linked to various diseases like heart failure and diabetes, as well as other factors, and it made me want to reconsider my daily habits.
○ The use of familiar examples was helpful in thinking about what actions to take in the future.
Tuesday, December 19
Talk Event
A Collaborative Project by the Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion and the 1999 Mita-kai: "Diverse Careers for Generation Z"
〇 Speakers
・Mr. Ryusuke Mori (General Affairs & Planning Group, Kawasaki Administration & Human-Relations Office and Human Resources & Labor Relations Team, Kawasaki Plant, Ajinomoto Co., Inc.)
・Ms. Fuminatsu Yonekura (Co-founder/Co-CEO, Waris Co., Ltd.)
・Mr. Shinji Wada (Chief People Officer, Shiseido Company, Limited)
・Keio students
Ms. Sorane Sakihama, 2nd year, Department of Law, Faculty of Law
Mr. Hiroyuki O, 2nd year, Faculty of Business and Commerce
Ms. Manami Murota, 3rd year, Department of Political Science, Faculty of Law
Ms. Miho Shirai, 4th year, Department of Law, Faculty of Law
MC/Moderator: Ms. Naoko Imoto (Representative Director, SDGs in Sports / Former UN Staff)
*Keio University 1999 Mita-kai Website
(Feedback from Participants)
○ As I'm going through the job-hunting process, it was great to hear directly about diverse career perspectives. The format was different from a typical job fair, which made it easy to participate.
○ It was very insightful to learn about careers from the perspective of working professionals. I became aware of many things I wouldn't have noticed from a student's point of view. Although I'm only a first-year student, it was an opportunity to think about my future career path and gave me material to think with.
○ I rarely have the chance to hear about the work and personal life philosophies of people active in other fields, so it was great to have this opportunity.
○ I don't think students often get the chance to hear such in-depth stories from people other than their acquaintances, so I'm very satisfied.
Friday, December 22
Roundtable Discussion
"Creating a Campus of Mutual Support: Aiming for the Most 'Kyosei' Keio"
〇 Speakers
Four current @ease supporters
Mr. Taiyo Suzuki, Department of Political Science, Faculty of Law
Mr. Kenta Shobu, Graduate School of Science and Technology
Ms. Mio Hirose, Faculty of Policy Management
Ms. Mika Oiwa, Department of Economics, Faculty of Economics
Coordinator: Ms. Yumiko Shimada
(Feedback from Participants)
○ Because the content allowed for a high degree of student freedom, I was able to hear their frank opinions.
○ I was able to learn specifically about initiatives for 'kyosei' (inclusion/co-creation), and I think it will be a useful reference for my own future work.
○ It was great to hear the honest voices of students and what they are thinking.
○ The students' presentations, especially their proposals, were excellent.
Tuesday, December 26
Talk Event
"What Makes a University Welcoming for LGBTQ Students?"
〇 Speakers
Part 1 Lecture: Mr. Mibae Yakushi (Representative, Certified NPO ReBit)
Part 2 Talk Session: Mr. Mibae Yakushi × Mr. Masayuki Okahara (Professor Emeritus, Keio University; Expert Committee Member, Diversity Promotion Committee, Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion)
(Feedback from Participants)
○ Listening to Mr. Yakushi's talk gave me a renewed opportunity to learn about the current situation and how much structural discrimination in society causes suffering for LGBTQ individuals.
○ I am a faculty member at the Institute of Physical Education. There are many gender-related issues in physical education classes, and today's seminar was very educational. I hope we can work together with the Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion to resolve issues related to facilities, such as changing rooms.
○ Mr. Yakushi's talk was very easy to understand, and because it was based on real experiences, I could listen while imagining the situations vividly. It was very helpful for thinking about support systems on campus.
Please note that archives of these events are scheduled to be released for university members (excluding some events). They will be posted in the news section of the Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion website, so we encourage those who are interested to watch them.
(Archives for AY 2022 can be viewed here
We would like to once again express our deepest gratitude to all who participated and all who cooperated in making these events happen.