February 22, 2021

External Evaluation Report for Project Results of the FYs 2018-2019
Professor Miho Mitsunari
Chairperson for the International Advisory Committee for Diversity Promotion
Based on the attached Report on the Results of the Initiative for Realizing Diversity in the Research
Environment (Advanced type) Project for FYs 2018–2019, the international external evaluation resultsfor FYs 2018-2019 project results have been carried out. The results are as follows:

I Overall evaluation

1) The situation surrounding Kobe University within Japan and overseas
Kobe University is not currently leading other national universities in the promotion of genderequality. However, for the present, many active efforts are being made for the Initiative for Realizing
Diversity in the Research Environment (Advanced type), which is achieving favorable results. Kobe
University’s efforts in these activities have been evaluated highly also from an international
perspective. For future efforts, we urge the university to re-examine the agenda and the numericaltargets that need to be achieved based on gender equality promotion measures in Japan and overseas,and promote and strengthen these further.
Of the United Nations SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals), the fifth goal is gender equality.
Overseas, there are reports of significant trouble in the research conditions of women researchers dueto the Stay Home orders during the COVID-19 pandemic (Nature). Achieving diversity, which is theaxis of gender equality, is an important key for improving the research environment from aninternational perspective.
Within Japan, the 5th Basic Plan for Gender Equality (Cabinet decision on December 25, 2020) has
the slogan of “a society in which women shine”. In the Basic Plan, the numerical targets set in 2003
were carried over, and the aim of “promoting initiatives to achieve approximately 30% of women in
leadership positions in the 2020s as quickly as possible” was set. As a basic direction for measuresrelated to expanding women’s participation in science/technology and academic fields, “activelyappointing women researchers and engineers in higher-ranking positions” and “supporting thedevelopment of women leaders” are specified.
Based on this national Basic Plan, the Japan Association of National Universities (JANU) set thefollowing targets in the Action Plan (FYs 2012-2025) for the Promotion of Gender Equality in NationalUniversities (January 14, 2021; Japan Association of National Universities Education and ResearchCommittee): “The ratio of women faculty in national universities was 17.7% as of May 1, 2020, andwe aim to raise this to 30%. In order to achieve this target by 2030, it will be necessary to increase the1percentage by 12.3 points over a ten-year period from the current value of 17.7% (as of May 1, 2020).
Therefore, we will strive to increase the ratio of women faculty by six points to 24% or higher in thefive-year period up to 2025.”
In FY 2019, the proportion of women faculty at Kobe University was 16.3%, which was lower thanthe JANU average of 17.7%. In this Project, the numerical target to be achieved by the end of theProject (FY 2023) is set at 22%. Compared with the JANU’s target of at least 24% by 2025, Kobe
University’s target of 22% by FY 2023 is by no means low. However, if the university can continuallyachieve a retention rate of 30%, which is the challenge for this Project, it is not impossible to achieve
a 30% rate of women faculty by the last fiscal year of the Project. Instead of being satisfied with thecurrent somewhat modest target, as a management strategy by the university, we hope that theproportion of women faculty will increase under the President’s strong leadership as a management
strategy by the university.

2) Overall evaluation for project results
Overall, we can highly evaluate the efforts of the Project. Above all, the following points are highlyregarded. First, we can see a strong motivation to promote the agenda in the University’s actions, suchas responding to the majority of items pointed out in the FY 2018 external evaluation. Second, thereis an increase in achievements in areas such as internationalization and improving research capabilities,
and this is certainly linking to the empowerment of young women researchers.
As cited under Society 5.0 and SDGs, which are challenges of global concern as well as academia
and government in Japan, there is a need for initiatives to integrate social and natural sciences. The
Basic Act on Science and Technology was revised to include fields of social science as well. Movingforward, we hope for further expansion of such initiatives to promote not just the development ofwomen researchers in science but also realize the research environment that encourages activeinteraction between women researchers beyond social and natural sciences.

II Evaluation of individual agendas

1) Achieve a recruitment rate of over 30% women researchers(1) Target for the recruitment rate of women researchers

For FY 2019, the recruitment rate target of over 30% women researchers was not achieved. Thisis extremely unfortunate, but it was not an impossible target. In addition, among the following five
disciplines with below 10% of women faculty, Advanced Economics and Business Administration
Research, Science, Engineering, System Informatics, and Maritime Sciences), Engineering
Discipline have been highly evaluated for their active efforts in raising the women employment rate
to 30.8% (FY 2019 data, the same below).
It is also highly regarded that various appeals have been made to the administration and faculty

heads by the Gender Equality Office, and meetings have been implemented in efforts for achieving
2the target. Based on negotiations like these, we hope that each faculty will consider effective
employment plans and share faculty targets and results as well as good practice across the university,and by doing so visualize the targets and results.
With regard to the high employment rate of women academic researchers and assistant professors,
there are both the positive aspect of active employment of young women researchers and thenegative aspect of destabilized employment of young women researchers and difficulties they facein work-life balance due to life events (childbirth, etc.). As such, a courteous follow-up for eachresearcher after they are employed is desired.

(2) Visualization of gender statistics

Visualization of gender statistics such as retention rates of women faculty was implemented inFY 2019, and is evaluated highly. These statistics can be easily searched from the top page of thededicated website of the Gender Equality Office, and are easy to understand with charts for eachdepartment. Further improvements would be desirable, such as adding simple explanations to thecharts (targets, evaluation of achievement, comparisons, etc.), one graph that compares theproportions of both students and faculty, or graphs that show the shift in the proportion of womenfaculty (currently it is limited to numerical data).

2) Improve career progression/promotion rate(1) Promotion rate of women researchers

In FY 2019, the average promotion rate of women researchers was 21.4% across the university.

We highly regard that the target of 20% was exceeded, but there are concerns that the difference injob rank has not shrunk. Based on this, future challenges are as follows.
First, the issue of the rate of women professors differing significantly between departments has
not been sufficiently improved.
Second, in the five abovementioned disciplines in which the retention rate of women faculty isbelow 10%, aside from the Science discipline (with three women professors), the number of womenprofessors ranges from zero to one. It is necessary to strongly promote the employment andpromotion of women professors across the university. In order to reflect the opinions of a minority
within an organization, there needs to be representation of a minimum of 30%, or at least threepeople in absolute numbers. At present, the opinions of women within the faculties seem to behardly reflected. In the Faculty of Engineering, the rate of women students is the lowest at 15.9%,
and the rate of women students and the rate of women faculty are not balanced at all. For this reason,there are no role models, and it is feared that the further declining birth rate will hinder the admissionof women students.

3(2) Rate of women in executive positions
The rate of women in executive positions is rising, and this is overall regarded highly. We hopethat the university will continue this trend and strive to increase the proportion of women even more.

(3) Overseas dispatch of women faculty

The targets for overseas dispatch of women faculty were achieved, which is very highly regarded.

In particular, I would like to point out specific items that are highly evaluated, as well as challenges
moving forward.
The first point that can be evaluated highly is how the university set up a Preparatory Programfor Participation in the PI Training Program in FY 2018 as preparation for long-term overseas

postings, and currently has eight researchers including assistant professors using this program. In
addition, there is a diverse range of fields that are not biased to a specific field, and there are various
dispatch destinations as well.
The second point that can be evaluated highly is that one person was promoted from a lecturer toan associate professor. This is extremely effective as a role model.
Third, in terms of future challenges, as traveling within Japan and overseas has been significantly
restricted due to COVID-19, it is desirable for the university to investigate new ways of international
exchange such as supporting online collaborative research.

3) Increase the base of next-generation young researchers
The International Human Resource Exchange Program has been steadily implemented and its
results have been publicized and shared in reports. This is highly regarded. We also highly evaluate
the continued efforts targeting junior high and high school girls, such as Open Campus events and theKansai Kagaku Juku for Female Junior and Senior High School Students. Moving forward, wehope that the effects of these efforts will be demonstrated through data, such as pathway results.

4) Enhance the diversity environment and expand it beyond the university
In terms of enhancing the diversity environment and expanding it beyond the university, we highly
evaluate all of the targets being achieved. The leaflet created, which includes the Kobe University
Diversity Statement, is easy to understand and very memorable.
On the other hand, while the initiative to set up the Diversity Fund (goal of 50 million yen) to ensure
the continuity of the Project is highly regarded, visualization of the results is not sufficient. For
example, it was reported that the Kobe University Fund has received 6.03 million yen in donation (FY2019), there is no link to this report on the dedicated diversity website. The actual amount of fundraised is also quite far from the goal. In order to also verify its further progress in future, we hope thatthe university will make the data and results of the fund visible, and appeal both internally andexternally that its diversity promotion is effective in developing capable women researchers while4

cooperating with companies, etc.

5) Verification of the results and evaluation of the Overseas Dispatch Program for Women
Researchers
The improved research results of participants in the Overseas Dispatch Program for Women
Researchers have been verified with data, which is very highly rated. We also highly evaluate that
there is an article on the research reporting meeting on the dedicated website.
However, participants in the existing Kobe University Long Term Overseas Visit Program for Young
Researchers were all male, and the relationship between this program and the Overseas Dispatch
Program for Women Researchers, a new initiative that began in this Project, is somewhat unclear. For
example, if the existing program (the former) was difficult for women researchers to be highly
regarded in and so the latter was set up as a positive action for this, then it is desirable to set a target
to include logical integration of the latter into the former. If the both systems are permanently in place,
it is desirable for the university to clearly differentiate the objectives and effects of each system.

III Expectations for further progress in initiatives
Lastly, I will add a few additional remarks on the items pointed out and challenges proposed by theInternational Advisory Committee for Diversity Promotion.

1) Candidate issue
For employment and promotion, the issue is often attributed to the lack of women candidates.
However, this reasoning is not appropriate when compared with the number of enrolled undergraduate
and graduate students.
At Kobe University, the ratio of women students is high in the majority of faculties. Even in theFaculty of Engineering, which has the lowest ratio of women students, the rate is 15.8% (womenfaculty rate is 9.6%). This imbalance between the student rate and the faculty rate suggests that thetraining of women researchers has failed, and the possibility of women being candidates for
employment and promotion is unconsciously restricted. If there are no women role models, it will bedifficult to secure women students. Having a university-wide target for the women faculty rate isessential, but at the same time, an important goal is balancing the women student rate (at least thewomen graduate student rate) and women faculty rate in each faculty.
When considering the high rate of women undergraduate and graduate students, it is difficult tothink that there are consistently no women candidates. In the case that candidates are
disproportionately comprised of men, it is necessary to have a willingness to temporarily freeze hiring
until a certain level of gender balance in the candidates is achieved.

2) Promoting understanding of positive action
For5the positive action initiative (affirmative improvement measures) such as setting numerical targets
to increase the women researcher rate and actively employing and promoting women, it is notuncommon for men researchers to feel a sense of unfairness, or women researchers to have feelingsof hesitation. In terms of the effectiveness of such positive actions, it is necessary to gather good
examples from both in and outside the university and share them across the university, and makeefforts to obtain the empathy of faculties. In this sense, the PI Training Program for International
Collaborative Research in this Project is a good example of the empowerment of women researchers.
The numerical targets have been reached, and the program is going well. We hope that this will beused effectively.
For the appointment of women in upper administration, this is possible at once with the President’sapproval. The more women participate in the university’s decision-making process, the more trusted
the university will be internationally, and the more flexible the risk response will be. The proportionof women in upper administration is considered to be a reflection of the university administration’s
strong motivation for improvement and risk aversion, and it should be noted that this is an important
indicator of international university evaluation.

3) Granting incentives
We strongly hope for the visualization of achievements and efforts, such as recognizing faculties
that cooperate in the promotion of gender equality as Gender Equality Champions, which is the aimof the Project, and appealing this externally.

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