Eliminating the gender imbalance at universities also has great benefits for male students. For example, in College of Science and Engineering, there are many cases where the members of laboratories are all male, which can result in a biased perspective and awareness of society. Therefore, for male students, the experience of studying alongside female students is of great significance in cultivating their social skills. It is also expected that the scope of education and research at universities will be greatly expanded.

2) Affirmative action

In the international community, affirmative action has been promoted for some time to overcome such "unconscious bias" and eliminate the gender imbalance. For example, the US National Science Foundation has been promoting the "NSF ADVANCE" program to reform awareness and organizations since 2000, which has significantly increased the proportion of female researchers [Figure 2-1]. In response to this global trend, various efforts have been started in Japan to eliminate the gender imbalance. However, if we take the situation of university faculty as an example, the current situation in Japan is the same as that of the United States 20 years ago (engineering) or 27 years ago (science) [Figure 2-2]. Moreover, the speed of change is very slow, so if the current rate of change is maintained, it is predicted that it will take up to 155 years for the female ratio to reach 50% [Figure 2-3]. Therefore, in order to achieve the ideal situation with a little more speed, a movement is spreading throughout the country to take affirmative action from the perspective of universities.

3) About our university's "Special Admissions Selection for Female Students in Science and Engineering"

As mentioned earlier, the current average ratio of women in the College of Science and Engineering is 19%, but there is a large difference between departments, ranging from 10% to 41%. Therefore, the departments subject to this selection process are four departments with particularly low female ratios (Department of Physical Sciences, Department of Electrical Engineering and Electronics, Department of Mechanical Engineering, and Department of Integrated information technology). Each department will recruit five students, and the selection process will be carried out through "document screening," "basic academic ability survey," and "interview." This is not a school recommendation type selection process, so you can apply if you meet the required application qualifications. Please note that you cannot apply for both school recommendation type selection and school recommendation type selection.

An important point about the "Special Admission Selection for Female Science and Engineering Students" is that it is a corrective measure, not a preferential treatment measure. It does not unfairly give preference to students of one gender, but aims to correct the original male-female ratio, which has been prevented from being realized by unconscious bias and other barriers, to a healthy state. Article 4 of the United Nations' "Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women," which Japan has also ratified, states that "Temporary special measures taken by a Contracting State with the objective of promoting de facto equality between men and women shall not be interpreted as discrimination as defined in this Convention." Our "Special Admission Selection for Female Science and Engineering Students" is also based on this Convention as its legal basis.

It is also important to note that the "special admissions selection for women in science and engineering" is merely a temporary measure. As the treaty states, this is a "temporary special measure," and this selection system will be reviewed, including the possibility of abolishing it, once the goal of "a female ratio of over 20% in all departments of the Faculty of College of Science and Engineering" is achieved.

Aoyama will celebrate its 150th anniversary in 2024. Its history began with a girls' elementary school founded by female missionary Dora E. Schoonmaker, and since then, the university's journey has been one of education for women. We are proud that the recent initiatives in College of Science and Engineering regarding women's education are in keeping with the founding spirit of our university.

4. A world where everyone can freely choose the learning they want to do

We would like to introduce the female undergraduate and graduate students studying at College of Science and Engineering. We asked them to talk about the attractions of the Faculty of College of Science and Engineering and campus life from a variety of perspectives based on their respective interests and concerns. Please take a look.

*Affiliation, year, etc. are current at the time of the interview.