Center Director: Kikuko Ota (Professor, Faculty of Nursing and Medical Care)
Primary Campus: Shonan Fujisawa Campus (SFC)
Center Overview
The Work-Life Balance Research Center, as a promotional base for the "Support for Female Researchers to Foster Social Capital" project under the Special Coordination Funds for Promoting Science and Technology's "Model Program to Support Female Researchers," conducts action research on how work-life balance measures should be implemented in universities. The Center identifies the unique work-life balance challenges and needs of researchers in universities and then proceeds to examine, plan, implement, and evaluate what kind of work-life balance measures are effective for the university. The results of the Center's activities are expected to create a university environment that is easy for everyone to work in and that allows for a good work-life balance, thereby reducing the number of researchers who interrupt their research due to life events such as childbirth, childcare, and nursing care. Furthermore, it will become possible to attract individuals to the university as researchers who had previously hesitated to pursue higher education due to factors like childbirth and childcare. As a result, the number of researchers with experience in childcare and nursing care will increase, and it is expected that research will be conducted from more diverse perspectives. Studying the process of formulating and implementing these measures and disseminating the results is believed to contribute to strengthening the future international competitiveness of not only Keio University but also various other academic and research institutions.
Keywords and Main Research Themes
Work-life balance, support for female researchers, gender equality
2010 Fiscal Year Project Plan
Support for Female Researchers to Foster Social Capital
Establishment of a promotion system: Establish a foundation for continuous support for female researchers in collaboration with gender equality initiatives on each campus. Specifically, this includes the trial introduction and evaluation of work systems to support female researchers; the operation and evaluation of an information support environment that provides information to female researchers and enables them to communicate and hold meetings smoothly; and the development, operation, and evaluation of a system for program development and human resource training related to supporting female researchers through community collaboration.
Childcare support: Placement and evaluation of assistants to reduce the burden on female researchers with children; development, provision, and evaluation of programs to support sick child care for female researchers with children; construction and improvement of a temporary childcare support system and training of student supporters for temporary childcare; operation of temporary childcare facilities; and expansion of information disclosure on local resources, such as case studies on career building and work-life balance, and information on childcare around the campus, to support female researchers in balancing their responsibilities.
Empowerment support: Trial operation of a consultation service where female researchers and graduate students can receive advice on career building; consideration and trial implementation of internships for female students; planning and implementation of lectures and other events for high school students, university students, and young researchers to learn about building a career as a researcher; implementation of community building and networking support for information sharing to facilitate the research activities of female researchers; and holding symposia and lectures to publicize initiatives supporting female researchers both within the university and to society.
Promotion of surveys and research: Continued implementation of internal surveys on the support needs of female researchers; promotion of surveys and research related to work-life balance that contribute to supporting female researchers; and implementation of external evaluations by an external evaluation committee (third party).
2010 Fiscal Year Project Report
■ Implementation Details, Research Outcomes, and Degree of Achievement Relative to the Fiscal Year's Project Plan
Establishment of a promotion system: With the Office for Gender Equality at its core, we developed an environment to support female researchers in collaboration with gender equality initiatives on each campus.
Childcare support: We placed and evaluated assistants to reduce the burden on female researchers with children; developed, provided, and evaluated programs to support sick child care for female researchers with children; constructed and improved a temporary childcare support system and trained student childcare supporters; operated temporary childcare facilities; and expanded information disclosure on local resources, such as case studies on career building and work-life balance, and information on childcare around the campus, to support female researchers in balancing their responsibilities.
Empowerment support: We planned and implemented lectures and other events for high school students, university students, and young researchers to learn about building a career as a researcher; considered and trialed internships for female students; provided community building and networking support for information sharing to facilitate the research activities of female researchers; and held symposia and lectures to publicize initiatives supporting female researchers both within the university and to society.
Promotion of surveys and research: We conducted the 2nd Survey on Work-Life Balance and Gender Equality (targeting all full-time faculty at Keio University), promoted surveys and research related to work-life balance that contribute to supporting female researchers, and underwent an external evaluation by an external evaluation committee (third party).
■ Number of Published Papers (with number and names of major journals), Number of Conference Presentations (domestic and international), and Achievements in Social Contribution such as Events (date, location)
The 3rd "Support for Female Researchers to Foster Social Capital" Symposium: "Keio University's Approach to Gender Equality—Beyond Supporting Female Researchers" (November 13, 2010, Classroom D101, Independence Wing, Hiyoshi Campus)
FY2010 Symposium on Gender Equality (December 11, 2010, TKP Tokyo Station Nihonbashi Business Center 5F, Hall 5C)
5th and 6th "Evening for Researchers to Consider Work-Life Balance" (April 8, 2010, and January 12, 2011, Sosokan, Yagami Campus)
"Gathering of Shinanomachi Campus Researchers to Consider Work-Life Balance" (September 17, 2010, 1st Floor Lounge, Center for Integrated Medical Research)
Lecture on "How Young Researchers Can Acquire Research Funding" (September 22, 2010, Classroom τ11, Shonan Fujisawa Campus (SFC))
"Keio☆Girls Work-Life Balance Symposium" (November 24, 2010, 7th Floor Forum, Sosokan, Yagami Campus)
"Career Seminar and Career Advisor Exchange Meeting for Young Researchers and Graduate Students" (December 1 and 3, 2010, DNP House, Building ν, Shonan Fujisawa Campus (SFC))
Keio Girls Senior High School Symposium: "The Path to Becoming a Female Researcher or Professional" (December 11, 2010, Keio Girls Senior High School)
■ Notable Achievements Through the Center's Activities
After the Center was established, the results of its activities were recognized, and it was selected for the MEXT's Special Coordination Funds for Promoting Science and Technology's "Model Program to Support Female Researchers," carrying out the "Support for Female Researchers to Foster Social Capital" project over three years. As a result of the Center's activities, we implemented research work support and sick child care support for female researchers who were pregnant or raising children, and were able to demonstrate their effectiveness. We also empowered female students and young female researchers by compiling a collection of role models to support the careers of the next generation of researchers, holding career seminars, and developing communication systems. In addition, we conducted two university-wide surveys to understand the needs related to gender equality and work-life balance and to evaluate our measures. On each campus, we conducted networking activities tailored to the needs of that campus, creating an environment where we could both identify and share challenges related to balancing career and life events for female researchers, which had not been previously apparent. At the Shonan Fujisawa Campus (SFC), we established "Kogamo no Su" (Duckling's Nest) as a safe space for children on campus. Concurrently, we developed and implemented a student childcare supporter training program and have been running a temporary childcare support service at Kogamo no Su utilizing the trained student supporters. Furthermore, by approaching various departments within the university, we carried out projects using our own funds, such as establishing the position of Trustee for Gender Equality and the Office for Gender Equality, and equipping all campuses with restrooms accessible to people with children.
Project Members
Principal Investigator
Kikuko Ota
ProfessorFaculty of Nursing and Medical CareNaoki Watabe
ProfessorFaculty of Business and Commerce