Approach 3

Positive Action in Recruitment and Promotion of Women Researchers

1. Promotion of Women Faculty Members
Hiroshima University aims to develop women researchers who challenge social issues and succeed
internationally. As a mid-term goal for the 3rd semester, its new objective is to increase the ratio of womenfaculty members to 20%, the ratio of women in management positions to 20%, and the ratio of women in highlevel positions (professors, associate professors) to 20%. A strategic human resource placement system utilized
since 2009 was integrated into the in-house promotion system considering the women quota. As a result, three
women faculty members were promoted.
2. Implementation of “Women Only” Open Recruitment
Under the uniform management of the entire university’s faculty human resources, Hiroshima University
has understood that securing diverse personnel is a key aspect of placement and has strategically implemented
measures regarding recruitment, such as establishing positions exclusively for “women faculty members.”
Moreover, the promotion of positive action for faculty recruitment (hiring the woman candidate in cases whenachievements and evaluations are deemed equal) was continued in 2019 as well.
3. Delta Kogyo Co., Ltd. Activities Report / 2019 Women’s Success Promotion Training■Date/Time: October 18, 2019 (Fri.); 9:00–16:00■Location: Training room at Delta Kogyo Co., Ltd.
■Participants: 6 people■Training Objectives:
1.Understand the current status of one’s own skills, views on work and intentions underlying work.
2.Clarify one’s own career vision and aims.
3.Independently aim for the development of one’s own skills by creating an action plan toward its
realization.
■Schedule<AM>
Orientation
・Objectives and plan for how the training will proceed・Self-introduction within the team (assignment: using career trajectory)
Changes in the environment and how one relates to them・Changes in the environment and our expectations
・Strengthening our “antennae” to respond to social changes ・Expectations for oneself
Deepening one’s understanding of oneself
・Why one should develop their career now ・What the word “career” means
・Analysis of the present state of career management ・Taking an inventory of one’s skills
・Thinking about the meaning of work ・Analyzing the direction of one’s interests
・Thinking about who/what one wants to become (assignment: using a self-examination sheet)<PM>
Establishing one’s views toward work
・Why does one work? ・What is work? ・Dissatisfaction and problem awarenessGoal-setting toward the realization of one’s career vision
・Strategy for career development ・Label present ・Affirmation ・Creating action plan sheets
Summary・Q&A ・General comments15

4. International Development Center Activities Report - Skill-up, Coaching and Mentoring Training
Organization of Presentation Training■Date/Time: November 12, 2019 (Tue.); 14:00–17:30■Location: Meeting room at Shinagawa Fukuracia■Participants: 6 people (3 male and 3 female staff members)■Details: Reconfirming the basics of presentations and reconsidering each person’s presentation skill set
gained so far were undertaken. The improvement of presentation skills was realized by recording
presentations to objectively evaluate each other and by sharing each person’s tips and tricks within
the group work.
＜Voices of the participants (excerpts)＞● I will be careful to compose slides and present them accordingly to best benefit my audience.
● I would like to utilize today’s lessons about the proper construction of contents when preparing
presentations.
● My understanding of what I should be careful about was enhanced by recording and objectively analyzing
my presentation.

Organization of Coaching Training for Managers and Leaders■Date/Time: First course December 13, 2019 (Fri.); 14:00–17:30
Second course February 27, 2020 (Thurs.); 14:00–17:30■Location: Meeting room at AP Shinagawa■Participants: 20 people (10 male and 10 female staff members, in total)■Details: As a result of the lecture and group work, the participants learned about three especially importantcoaching methods (listening , approving, and asking skills) by understanding the difference between
teaching and coaching. A more conscious way of thinking in regard to developing subordinates andyounger colleagues more effectively in the future, was developed.

＜Voices of the participants (excerpts)＞● I understood the importance of listening to my subordinates and younger colleagues. I would like to utilize
what I learned today when instructing them.
● I was able to think in the position of my subordinates and younger colleagues by partaking in a roleplay.
● I want to be conscious about “the development through commendation”. I also thought it was important toavoid reprimanding and instead, communicate using advice that triggers awareness.
● The session made me think about how the organization’s human resource development should beexecuted. I want to utilize what I learned within my future work.
● I thought the coaching techniques were relevant not only when trying to reduce my mistakes and concerns,
but surely when I interact with my younger colleagues as well.

16

5. Seminar for Executives and Managers■Topic: Using SDGs when considering the sustainable development of organizations in Japan■Date/Time: August 29, 2019 (Thurs.); 14：00–16：00■Location: Sheraton Grand Hotel Hiroshima■Instructor: Hisaaki Mitsui■Participants: 33 people (15 from HU, 2 from Delta, 16 from member organizations)■Details: A guest lecturer who gives consultations related to SDGs tomainly Japanese companies as a SDGs General Manager at
the International Development Center of Japan was invited.
The seminar was held to illustrate the rise to prominenceand background of SDGs and the construction of its 17goals. Discussions about the opportunities raised by SDGsin various fields were introduced.
＜Voices of the participants (excerpts)＞● I was able to understand the relationships between SDGs
and private companies.
● I could visualize what makes SDGs necessary and what
approaches are needed to be followed.
● Lately, having heard a lot about SDGs, but without knowing
what it actually was, I felt familiarized with it after listening
to the lecture.

17

6. Bus Tours for Women Students to Visit Companies
Micron Memory Japan, G.K.
■Date/Time: August 9, 2019 (Fri.); 7：15–12：30 (9:00–12:00)■Location: Micron Memory Japan, G.K. Hiroshima Factory (Higashi-Hiroshima City, Hiroshima Prefecture）■Participants: 63 people■Details: Company overview, group discussion, panel discussion, and facility tour. 20 of Micron’s members
participated. A single facilitator and a single diversity staff member were assigned per group. These
two representatives outlined their experiences to the group and answered any questions which they
may have had.
＜Voices of the participants (excerpts)＞● I was satisfied with being able to ask questions and communicate with all kinds of people with variousbackgrounds.
● I could visualize how my work in the future would be.
● It was worth participating because the opinions from an actual field worker are different in regard to some points
than I thought they would actually be.
● This tour gave me the precious opportunity to broaden my insight into diversity.
● I realized there was more to “diversity” than just race and gender.
● I came to realize that I should cherish diversity in various opportunities.
● I was able to visualize a little bit the possibility of having a child while still being employed in the future.

<Group discussion with women researchers><Panel discussion with women researchers>

National Research Institute of Brewing■Date/Time: December 11, 2019 (Fri.); 13：15–16：30■Location: National Research Institute of Brewing (Higashi-Hiroshima City, Hiroshima Prefecture)■Participants: 13 people■Details: Company overview, facility tour, lecture on research contents, and group discussion. 2 women
researchers (deputy head of the department and chief researcher) of the institute participated andexplained their research achievements, etc. Thereafter, a discussion session with participating
students in two groups was conducted. As a part of the facility tour, the staff showed and explained
the Sake making processes in action.
＜Voices of the participants (excerpts)＞● The two women researchers who had been working for a long time at the institute within its various
departments, encouraged me. It was definitely worth visiting.
● It was useful for my personal research in regard to job applications, thanks to being able to listen to detailed talkabout the study of Sake.
● I felt overwhelmed to see women doing work with men in a reputable research institution.
● I am thinking about the institution as my potential future workplace.

<Lecture on research contents by women researcher><Facility tour>

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Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
■Date/Time: January 10, 2020 (Fri.)■Location: Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. Capacity Development Research Center (Tokushima City,Tokushima Prefecture)■Participants: 15 people■Details: Company overview, facility tour, lecture on research contents, and group discussion. Of the 13
participants from the company, 10 of them were women researchers. One of them explained her
research achievements, etc. Thereafter, a discussion session was conducted with 14 students and 9women researchers, divided into three groups.

＜Voices of the participants (excerpts)＞● I was able to realize the difference between research at university and at a company. By witnessing the motivation andultimate goal of the researcher working at the company, I was given the chance to think about what I should be making aneffort towards during my time at university as a student.
● I deepened my understanding of what it means to be a researcher at a pharmaceutical company or at Otsuka
Pharmaceutical after listening to their thorough explanation.
● The slogan “get rid of preconception, surpass common sense, and make the impossible, possible” was well projected
and impressively visualized by an upside-down painting, hydroponic tomato farm, a not-straight Japanese cedar tree, and astone floating on water within the factory tour. I would like to follow this important way of thinking within my daily life.
● I thought a complete change in perspective and not persisting with a single perspective will be incredibly helpful when
research reaches an impasse.
● I understood what I should be prepared for during my time as a student researcher as a result of a deepened
understanding of a researcher’s position at a company. Thereafter, I will be ready to explain my research, doingexperiments prepared by myself by consulting others, and cultivating a habit to acquire knowledge through self-study.
Further deepening my specialization, at the same time, I would like to think about how my specialty can be applied with awider perspective, and to seriously consider about my future career.
● Since my grandmother and mother were both stay-at-home mothers, I did not know women who worked after marriageand having had a child. However, I was impressed by the fact that there were many women who work at Otsuka
Pharmaceutical, despite having little children. Through the information exchange, I came to know that there was a goodworking environment for parents with little children at the company.

<Lecture on research contents by women researcher><Discussion with women researchers >7. Career Start Support Seminar for Women Students
Mazda Motor Corporation■Date/Time: January 20, 2020 (Mon.); 18：00–20：00■Location: Student Plaza 4F, Hiroshima University (Higashi-Hiroshima City, Hiroshima Prefecture)■Participants: 9 people■Details: Company overview, lecture on undertaken work, and group discussion. 4 women members (3technical staff, 1 HR staff) participated from the Mazda Motor Corporation. At the beginning, thecompany overview was detailed and 2 of the technical staff explained their current work and how
they balance work and life. In the second half, a discussion between 5 women students and theMazda staff was conducted.

＜Voices of the participants (excerpts)＞● Since I was not able to visualize what working in a motor
company meant as there are only a few women students inCluster 1 of School of Engineering, it was good to hear the talkof alumni.
● I always liked the colors of the cars offered by Mazda. Inaddition, I learned about the high levels of safety features forthe first time.
● I understood how the coexistence of development work andchild care functioned.

<Discussion with women technical staff, etc.><Near-side: Women students / Far-side: Mazda technical staff, etc>19

8. Long-Term Internships
No.

Affiliation

Dispatch Site

Implementation Period

1

Hiroshima University
Graduate School of Education
D3

Domestic(international organization)
UNITAR Hiroshima

July 30–September 30, 20192

Hiroshima University GlobalCareer Design Center Special
Researcher

Domestic(independent administrative institution)
JICA Chugoku

August 5–September 20, 20193

Hiroshima University
Graduate School of Letters
D1

Domestic(public interest incorporated foundation)
Hirayama Ikuo Museum of Art

October 2–November 29, 2019

4

Hiroshima University
Global Career Design Center
Special Researcher

Domestic(public interest incorporated foundation)
Koyu Foundation

October 21–November 22, 2019

5

Hiroshima University
Graduate School of Education
D1

Domestic(international organization) UNITAR
Hiroshima

January 23–February 21, 2020

6Hiroshima University
Graduate School of Engineering
D3

Domestic company (manufacturingindustry/chemical industry)
Showa Denko K.K.

February 14–March 13, 2020

＜Voices of the participants (excerpts)＞● Through this internship, I was able to utilize my knowledge and research capacity and gained confidence. Also, I
was able to acquire new knowledge. I want to keep on learning.
● There were staff with various career backgrounds at my assigned workplace which taught me to build and utilize
various networks, including those of my friends. I would like to utilize the internship into my future career.
● Through communicating with clients and participating in cultural exchange activities, I deepened myunderstanding towards the Japanese culture and came to be connected with people from various fields.
● Even though it is important to think about my career, it is as important to just give it a go. By removing what I do
not want to do during practice, I will find what I want to do.

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