GK had the chance to sit down with the President of Kyoto Women’s University, Professor Hideko Takeyasu, for an insightful interview covering the Japanese university system, the role of international students in Japan, women’s empowerment, both in education and the workplace.
What challenges do women face in modern Japanese society, and how is Kyoto Women’s University helping to address these concerns?
Firstly, I would stand as a flag bearer on the frontline of this equal society. However, I cannot do this alone. I am currently in the first year of my four-year term as president, and during my time, I would like to ensure that every faculty member understands and shares the notion of the importance of achieving gender equality within this institute.
I believe that the true competitors for women’s universities are the genderless universities. Equal opportunities do not mean the empowerment of women. When discussing equal opportunities, we must close the gap between the genders. This is why regard the status and petition for women’s universities in Japan as affirmative action.
Based on your own experiences overseas as a visiting professor within the education sector, what were the most striking differences you noticed?
When I conducted research in Scotland about 30 years ago, my son entered Primary school during our time there. The school provided us with a book with only pictures and no text and asked the parents to discuss as many topics as we could with our children by using just these pictures.
I was surprised by the difference in thinking creatively as opposed to the Japanese educational system which focuses on teaching children to read and write the text first. In Scotland, they teach by absorbing the context of textbooks rather than reading.
How important have international students been to the social and economic development of Japan, and how are you looking to further attract them to Kyoto Women’s University?
We aim to increase the number of international students within our university shortly to hopefully 3 digits. But when we discuss the benefits of international students, one of the main things is cultural exchange and understanding.
From my experience overseas, the Japanese educational system is isolated from the global standard, so I believe that Japanese students must learn that they can learn and experience much more outside of Japan. For international students, it is a merit to learn Japanese culture, as this is likely very different from their own culture.
