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December 17, 2020
External Evaluation Report for the 2018–2019 Project Results
Name: Yoshihide Ozawa
This document reports the results of an external evaluation of the 2018–2019 project results basedon the attached Report on the Results of the Initiative for Realizing Diversity in the Research
Environment (Advanced Type) Project for 2018–2019.
1) Achieve a recruitment rate of 30% or more for women faculty
Remarks:
It is commendable that data about the retention rate, recruitment rate, and promotion rate of
women by discipline, position classification, and tenure/non-tenure track have been madeavailable and visualized on the website.
As a measure to address the failure to reach the targets for 2019, the Executive Vice President incharge and the director of the Gender Equality Office held interviews with the heads of thedepartments whose recruitment rate was low regarding the recruitment and promotion of women
researchers going forward. In particular, since the Medicine Discipline accounts for more than
40% of all recruitments, the targets for 2020 and thereafter will likely be unattainable without
improvement in the Medicine Discipline. Discipline-specific issues should be shared with theuniversity executive division, and the entire university should engage in the effort rather thanleaving it to individual disciplines.
2) Improve the percentage of women holding higher ranking positions (promotion rate)
Remarks:
In 2019, four researchers were dispatched overseas under the PI Training Program forInternational Collaborative Research Overseas (of which three researchers were originallydispatched in 2018). It is commendable that the target was achieved. It is also commendable thatas a result of the initiative, one lecturer who participated in the program was promoted to associate
professor. Furthermore, it is commendable that the system for supporting women researchers
engaging in international collaborative research has been improved by the assignment of Overseas
Work-Life Balance Coordinators to Singapore, Bangkok, and Hanoi in 2019, in addition to San
Francisco, New York, Brussels, Dusseldorf, and London in 2018.
As for the promotion rate, the target value of 20% for the last year of the project has already beenreached. Going forward, we hope the target value is achieved consistently through promotion of

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the PI Training Program for International Collaborative Research Overseas.
3) Increase the base of next-generation young researchers
Remarks:
Regarding the International Human Resource Exchange Program, it is commendable that fiveresearchers were dispatched overseas in 2019, a results report and a diversity management reportwere compiled, and pioneering examples from overseas were introduced throughout theuniversity through presentation sessions, newsletters, and other means. The International
Collaborative Early-career Researcher Training Program saw some accomplishments in 2019,including the overseas dispatch of one woman researcher and an increase in researchachievements thanks to the promotion of international collaborative research, and it iscommendable that the goals were achieved. The percentage of young researchers has been
growing steadily thanks to active promotion by the departments, and we hope the target of 22%
is reached.
Regarding the initiatives targeting junior high school and high school girls who have aspirations
for studying in STEM areas, our company participated in an event held by Himeji City in 2019.
Exchange was held between junior high school girls who had aspirations for studying in STEM
areas and women researchers, and the event was a great success. Such initiatives are consideredessential for increasing the base of women researchers, and we hope these efforts are continued
going forward.
4) Enhance the diversity environment and expand it beyond the university
Remarks:
It is commendable that the president eradicated gender-related unconscious biases by personallydeclaring the Kobe University Diversity Statement, and that top management showed its
commitment to promoting diversity. It is also commendable that the Diversity Co-creation
Network Conference was held to deepen cooperation with companies and other organizations,and that views were exchanged regarding the creation of a diverse university environment.
Furthermore, it is commendable that version alpha of the Diversity Education Program involving
e-learning was developed, a questionnaire was given to internal members and Diversity Cocreation Partners for developing the final version, and development is being continued from theusers’ perspective.
5) Verification of the results and evaluation of the Overseas Dispatch Program for Women
Researchers
Remarks:
Through a comparison of the research achievements (number of academic articles, number of3

presentations at international conferences, number of international joint studies, number ofGrants‐in‐aid for Scientific Research obtained, number of other external grants obtained) of the27 women researchers dispatched overseas under the program before and after launch of theprogram, the university has been able to provide objective and concrete evidence that theinvestments made in the program have led to a significant improvement in research achievements
and a significant increase in research activities, which is commendable.
It is also commendable that a comparison with regular women faculty belonging to the same
position category as the young researchers dispatched overseas under the program has shown thatthe program has had a positive impact on the number of articles and number of presentations atinternational conferences.
6) Overall remarks (please also write any remarks regarding the Measures Addressing Issues
Identified in the 2018 External Evaluation)
Remarks:
It has been pointed out that the target value set for the appointment rate is low. However, given
the largeness of the parameter (16 in 2017, 50 in 2018, and 42 in 2019), the value is expected tobe susceptible to fluctuation each year. The university should consider using the most recent threeyear moving average, among other indicators, in the internal evaluation.
We hope that exchange among female human resources is promoted between Kobe University
and its Diversity Co-creation Partners and among Diversity Co-creation Partners, the parties
involved learn from and inspire each other, and such activities lead to the achievement of the goals
for promoting diversity.