Report on the Results of the Program "Initiative for Realizing Diversity in the ResearchEnvironment" (Advanced type) for the FYs 2018–2019
Gender Equality Office, Kobe University

1. Project Goals and Action Plan
By advancing this project, Kobe University’s goals were to 1) achieve a recruitment rate of 30% or more forwomen researchers, 2) improve the percentage of women holding higher ranking positions, 3) increase the base ofnext-generation young researchers, and 4) enhance the diversity environment and expand it beyond the university
as shown with initiatives (A) through (F) below. Table 1 shows the relationships between goals and initiatives.
Table 1 The relationships between goals and initiatives

2. Achievement Level of Each Goal1) Achieve a recruitment rate of 30% or more for women researchers
1Goal 1):
1. Achieve a recruitment rate of 30% or more in FY 2020 as outlined in the General Employers Action Plan andthe fifth Science and Technology Basic Plan and ultimately set an even higher target of 33%.
2. Establish a new human resource governance system and enable visualization of retention, recruitment, andpromotion rates.
Level of achievement: In terms of achieving numerical targets, the result in FY 2018 (25.3%) was higher against thetarget (23.9%), and the result in FY 2019 was much lower (23.3%) against the target (27.6%). Establishment of thenew human resources governance system and visualization of the retention, recruitment, and promotion rates wererealized at the end of FY 2019.

Measures to deal with unachieved targets
As numerical targets outlined in Goal 1) above were not achieved in FY 2019, data for retention, recruitment, andpromotion rates (for FYs 2016-2019) and recommendations by the International Advisory Committee for Diversity
Promotion were presented to the Board of Directors and the Faculty Human Resources Committee. Aiming to achieve
the numerical target for FY 2020 set at a recruitment rate of 30% or more, the director in charge and the Gender
Equality Office Director interviewed department heads with low recruitment rates regarding recruitment andpromotion of women researchers going forward. The following efforts will also be carried out.
(1) Efforts by university administration: The director in charge and the Gender Equality Office Director will

discuss the following with the President and the Executive Vice President in Charge of Planning and General
Affairs.
-Evaluation and recommendations by the International Advisory Committee for Diversity Promotion-New efforts proposed during interviews with department heads regarding stimulating the recruitment andpromotion of women(2) Efforts by department heads: The director in charge and the Gender Equality Office Director will continue

to hold interviews and discussions with each of the department heads regarding the points below.
-

Request department heads having particularly low recruitment rates to urge consideration and actual
recruitment of women researchers toward achieving numerical targets-Implement faculty development that will encourage awareness toward eliminating unconscious bias andincreasing the number of women researchers2) Improve the percentage of women holding higher ranking positions
Goal 2):
1. Dispatch women faculty in positions of associate professor or below overseas with the PI Training Programfor International Collaborative Research.
2. Establish an overseas support system.
3. Aiming to increase the promotion rate of women researchers, achieve a promotion rate of 20% by the final
fiscal year (2023).
Level of achievement: Regarding women dispatched overseas with the PI Training Program for International2

Collaborative Research, three were dispatched in 2018 (continuing in 2019) and one in 2019 (continuing in 2020),
achieving the target (Table 2). A Preparatory Program for Participation in the PI Training Program was also createdin February-March 2019, and eight women researchers underwent research meetings at research institutions overseas
and prepared for the long-term overseas dispatch (Table 3). Regarding the establishment of an overseas support
system, the target was achieved with the positioning of Overseas Work-Life Balance Coordinators in San Francisco,New York, Brussels, Dusseldorf, and London in 2018; in Singapore, Bangkok, and Hanoi in 2019.

Further, with regard to promotion of women to higher ranking positions, a participant in the PI Training Program forInternational Collaborative Research was promoted from instructor to associate professor.

Also, the promotion rate was 22.0% in 2018 and 21.4% in FY 2019, hitting above the target of 20%, leading to theachievement of targets in all areas.

The rates for women professors and associate professors were as follows:
FY 2018: Rate of women associate professors = target: 70 out of 453 (15.5%) → actual: 65 out of 435 (14.9%)
women professors = target: 57 out of 597 (9.5%) → actual: 63 out of 615 (10.2%)
FY 2019: Rate of women associate professors ＝ target: 72 out of 451 (16.0%) → actual: 67 out of 436 (15.4%)
women professors = target: 59 out of 589 (10.0%) → actual: 65 out of 612 (10.6%)
Regarding the number of women researchers in administrative positions, the Gender Equality Office Director andCareer Center Director were given positions as Executive Advisers to the President. The target in FY 2018 of two
such professionals was exceeded with three actually in place. In the fiscal year 2019, there was a further addition ofone Vice President, bringing the total to four. In April 2020, a woman External Executive Vice President (part-time)came on board, with a total of five at present, exceeding the target.

Table 2 Results of the PI Training Program for International Collaborative Research
Affiliate
Job
Dispatch
Destination Country
Classification Period
Research Center for Inland Seas
Graduate School of System
Informatics
Graduate School of InterculturalStudies
Graduate School of Health
Sciences

Associate
Professor
Associate
Professor
Associate
Professor
Associate
Professor

12 monthsThailand

Dispatch
FiscalYear2018

12 months

Australia

2018

6 months

Germany2018

12 months

US2019

Table 3 Results of the International Collaborative Research Preparatory Program for Participation in the PI Training
ProgramAffiliate
Job Classification
Dispatch
Destination Country
Dispatch
PeriodFiscalYear
Graduate School ofAssistant Professor
1 weekUK2018Engineering3

Graduate School of
Economics
Graduate School of Health
Sciences
Graduate School of
Maritime Sciences
Graduate School of
Human Development andEnvironment
Biosignal Research Center
Graduate School of
Agricultural Science
Graduate School of
Agricultural Science

Instructor→ Associate
Professor
Associate Professor

2 weeks

Poland2018

1 weekSweden

2018

Associate Professor

1 weekSweden

2018

Associate Professor

1 weekUS2018Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor

1 month
1 weekUSUS2018
2018

Assistant Professor

1 weekUS2018

3) Increase the base of next-generation young researchers
Goal 3):
1. Implement the International Human Resource Exchange Program and spread overseas advanced cases
within the university.
2. Dispatch women researchers overseas with the International Collaborative Early-career Researcher
Training Program.
3. Achieve young researchers’ retention rate of 22%.
Level of achievement: There were four women dispatched in 2018 under the International Human Resource
Exchange Program and five in FY 2019 (Table 4). The results report and diversity management report were prepared,and overseas cases were presented at a results meeting and through a newsletter. With regard to the International
Collaborative Early-career Researcher Training Program, five women researchers were dispatched overseas in 2018
and one in FY 2019 (Table 5). The development of international collaborative research has borne increased research
results, and the target has been achieved. Each of the departments are proactive in promoting an increase in the rateof young researchers, and the figure rose from 18.8% at the end of FY 2015 to 19.9% at the end of FY 2019.

Table 4 Results of the International Human Resource Exchange Program
Affiliate
Job
Dispatch
Destination Country
Classification Period
Graduate School of Human
Development and Environment
Graduate School of Engineering

Graduate School of Human
Development and Environment
Graduate School of Health
Sciences
Graduate School of Economics
Graduate School of Human
Development and Environment
Graduate School of Health
Sciences

Assistant
Professor
ProjectAssistantProfessor
Professor

1 monthIndonesia

Dispatch
FiscalYear
2018

1 month

US20182 months

UK2018

Professor

1 month

UK/Sweden2018

Professor
Professor

1 month
1 monthFranceIreland

20192019

Associate
Professor

1 monthGermany2019

4Center for International
Education
Graduate School of Health
Sciences

ProjectAssistantProfessor
Associate
Professor

1 month

UK20191 monthUK2019

Table 5 Results of the International Collaborative Early-career Researcher Training Program
Affiliate
Job
Dispatch
Destination Country
Classification Period
Graduate School of Intercultural
Studies
Biosignal Research Center
Graduate School of System
Informatics
Graduate School ofInternational Cooperation
Studies
Center for International
Education
Graduate School of Engineering

AcademicResearcher
AcademicResearcher
Assistant
Professor
Assistant
Professor

2 months

MexicoDispatch
FiscalYear2018

2 months

US201812 months

UK20183 months

US2018Instructor

6 monthsSouth Korea/US2018

AssociateProfessor

10 months

Canada/US2019

Additionally, to increase the number of women who major in science and technology, one objective of
which to increase the number of women researchers in these fields, we believe it is important to continue
to steadily appeal to junior and senior high school girls. We are continuing to work on the following two efforts.
Judging from the fact that maximum capacity is reached as soon as online registration becomes available, the demand
for the two initiatives is very strong.
i) Open Campus for High School Girls
http://www.office.kobe-u.ac.jp/opge-kyodo-sankaku/sp_topic/rikejo/opencampus/index.htmlⅱ）Kansai Kagaku Juku for Female Junior and Senior High School Students
http://www.office.kobe-u.ac.jp/opge-kyodo-sankaku/sp_topic/rikejo/kagaku/index.html

4) Enhance the diversity environment and expand it beyond the university
Goal 4):
1. Adopt the Kobe University Diversity Statement and develop a cooperation framework outside the university.
2. Ensure continuity of the project by setting up the Diversity Fund.
3. Develop the Diversity Education Program.
Level of Achievement: The Kobe University Diversity Statement was adopted in December 2018. A meeting of theDiversity Co-creation Network was also held for cooperation with corporations, and information exchange took place
for advancing an environment for diversity. The Diversity Fund was also set up, and donations are already being
collected. Further, an alpha-phase online Diversity Education Program was developed, and a questionnaire wasdistributed within the university and among the Diversity Co-creation Network Partners in advance of thedevelopment of the final version. All targets have been achieved.
55) Verification of the results and evaluation of the Overseas Dispatch Program for Women Researchers
To create a results report for the Overseas Dispatch Program for Women Researchers, an activity reports session washeld for the 2018 Overseas Dispatch Program for Women Researchers and for the collaborative research support,
and the research results are made available online.
http://www.office.kobe-u.ac.jp/opge-kyodo-sankaku/sp_topic/seminar/post_20200117.html
A participant in the PI Training Program for International Collaborative Research was promoted from instructor toassociate professor.

Table 6 compares the research results by the 27 women researchers who were dispatched overseas through this project,
categorized by program for two years before and after start of the project, itemized by results (numbers of academic
papers, presentations at international conferences, international joint research, grants-in-aid for scientific researchreceived, other external funding received). The underlined items in Table 6 indicate the results that are better for atwo-year period after the start of the project compared with a two-year period prior to the start. Figures for many of
the results have risen, and the numbers of presentations at international conferences, international joint research, andexternal funding received other than grants-in-aid for scientific research by participants in the International
Collaborative Early-career Researcher Training Program are increasing, and effects of the project are noticeablyapparent. Looking solely at research themes of international joint research supported by this project in 2019,achievements are seven papers presented, 10 external funds received including grants-in-aid for scientific research,
11 international joint research, and one award. The effects of investment into this project are noticeably visible inimprovements in research results and vitalization of research activity.

Such results have been reported during interviews with dispatched women researchers and Human Resources
Promotion Mentors, with human resources promotion mentors giving high praise.

Table 6 Comparison of results by dispatch program, before and after start of the project (annual average per person)
PI Training Program forInternational HumanInternationalInternational
Resource Exchange
Collaborative Early-career
Collaborative Research
Program (9 persons)Researcher Training(12 persons）
Program (6 persons)
2016–2017 2018–2019 2016–2017 2018–2019 2016–2017 2018–2019(Before(After start) (Before(After start) (Before(After start)
project)
project)
project)
Academic papers
1.8
2.3
1.4
1.6
1.2
1.1
Presentations at
2.0
1.8
4.24.80.82.2
international
conferences
International
0.5
0.7
0.6
1.0
0.5
1.0
joint research
Grants-in-aid for
0.9
0.9
1.2
0.7
0.9
1.3
scientificresearch received
6

Other externalfunding received

0.8

0.9

0.4

0.3

0.3

0.7

Table 7 compares the numbers of academic papers and presentations at international conferences between young
researchers dispatched overseas with this project and the average women faculty in the same job classification. The
underlined items in Table 7 indicate the results that are better among the dispatched researchers than the average
women f faculty and indicate higher results for a two-year period after the start of the project compared with a twoyear period prior to the start. The number of academic papers by associate professors dispatched abroad was higher
than that by the average women associate professors, with the number increasing particularly after dispatch. The
number of academic papers by the dispatched assistant professors is lower than that by the average women assistantprofessors, but the number of international conference presentations by the dispatched assistant professors jumps
considerably to four times higher than that by the average women assistant professors. Thus, a rise in the number ofacademic papers can be anticipated going forward.
Table 7 Comparison of results by job classification with average women faculty before and after start of the project(average per person)
Average women
Dispatched women
Average women
Dispatched womenassociate professor
associate professor
assistant professor
assistant professor
2016–
2018–
2016–2018–
2016–
2018–
2016–
2018–
2017
2019
2017
2019
2017
2019
2017
2019
(Before(After(Before(After
(Before(After
(Before(Afterproject)
start)
project)
start)
project)
start)
project)
start)
Academic
2.1
2.3
2.4
3.1
2.1
1.8
1.1
1.1
papersPresentations
1.9
1.4
2.9
1.4
1.1
0.6
1.0
2.4
at international
conferences7