Seminar on Support for Female Researchers held at TUFS

July 18, 2017

On Tuesday 11 ^th July, a seminar on career support for young researchers was held at TUFS.

The seminar focused on the support of young students and researchers that intend to conduct research and fieldwork overseas, with a personal example from Noko Kuze (JSPS Research Fellow, Department of Anthropology, The National Museum of Nature and Science) who prepared to do fieldwork while pregnant, which she then went on to do while raising a child. Professor Kuze discussed how coming to understand and accept herself, and dealing with a child during fieldwork led to development of feelings she had never felt before, such as solidarity and being at her limit. The professor also shared many stories of her research and lifestyle going smoothly, but admitted that there are many hardships and challenges that come from raising children. The question and answer session following the seminar featured questions concerning daily scheduling, know-how, and the balancing of marriage, childbirth and research.

As part of the 2016 MEXT Science and Technology Human Resource Development Support Act's 'Initiative for the Implementation of the Diversity Research Environment,' TUFS is working with Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology to create a representative model of an environment in which female researchers can carry out their research successfully.

The seminar was a success, and not only attracted students and researchers from TUFS, but also from Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences, Greater Tokyo Initiative (TAMA), Hitotsubashi University and Kyoto University.