The University of Tokyo held a roundtable discussion on STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) and women’s education at the University’s Yayoi Auditorium on August 7, 2015, attended by U.S. Ambassador to Japan Caroline Kennedy, U.S. Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Rose Gottemoeller, UTokyo Professor Marie Oshima of the Interfaculty Initiative for Information Studies (IIIS) and the Institute of Industrial Science (IIS) and thirteen students.
Ambassador Kennedy opened the discussion by touching upon the scientific legacy of her father, President John F. Kennedy, and saying that there is nothing more important in the world today than to “increase scientific understanding and innovate technological and political solutions to problems that we face.” She stressed that a STEM background is vital in almost any field, and that in this age of global connectivity and collaboration, we cannot solve large problems by ourselves; countries must work with each other to solve issues. Ambassador Kennedy encouraged students participating in the event to utilize the world-class education they were receiving at UTokyo to make a difference in STEM-related areas. She concluded by calling on students to participate in research exchanges between the U.S. and Japan. Such exchanges will further strengthen the U.S.-Japan alliance, which she stated “remains the primary source for peace and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond.”
Ambassador Kennedy opened the discussion by touching upon the scientific legacy of her father, President John F. Kennedy, and saying that there is nothing more important in the world today than to “increase scientific understanding and innovate technological and political solutions to problems that we face.” She stressed that a STEM background is vital in almost any field, and that in this age of global connectivity and collaboration, we cannot solve large problems by ourselves; countries must work with each other to solve issues. Ambassador Kennedy encouraged students participating in the event to utilize the world-class education they were receiving at UTokyo to make a difference in STEM-related areas. She concluded by calling on students to participate in research exchanges between the U.S. and Japan. Such exchanges will further strengthen the U.S.-Japan alliance, which she stated “remains the primary source for peace and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond.”
Next, Under Secretary Gottemoeller spoke about why STEM fields are so important to not only the U.S.-Japan partnership but also to the health of the economy worldwide. She recounted her own experience as a student in America in the 1960s, saying that it was customary at that time for female students to be discouraged from studying scientific disciplines, and instead be “soft-tracked” into language and literature courses. She said that in the present day, this “soft-tracking” into the humanities no longer occurs, and that the educational situation in Japan is also different from that in America. However, regarding women studying and working in STEM fields, similarities exist worldwide. Under Secretary Gottemoeller said that everywhere in the world she spoke regarding women’s education issues, she discovered that there were barriers to staying in STEM fields when women got married and had children. While acknowledging the challenges of working in STEM fields—she noted that only about 14% of women in the Japanese workforce are in these fields, for instance—Under Secretary Gottemoeller insisted that we must all be engaged deeply in STEM fields because they are what are required for the future health of our economies. She echoed Ambassador Kennedy’s comments on the role for science and technology in all fields, and gave her own job as an example. The challenge of reducing the number of nuclear weapons to zero requires a detailed capacity to track and monitor nuclear warheads, which is where STEM fields relate to her work—namely, ubiquitous sensing technology. This technology, which uses networked electronic devices such as tablets and smartphones to record seismic activity, also has the potential to sense illicit nuclear tests, which would contribute to tracking nuclear weapons.
Professor Oshima then gave a brief introduction of herself and her work as director of the IIS’ Office for the Next Generation (ONG), which was founded in 2011 and collaborates with industry to develop STEM programs for elementary and secondary school students. She talked about the ONG’s two major activities: outreach programs and the development of teaching materials. The objective of the ONG is to deepen students’ understanding of subjects such as science and mathematics and raise awareness of how science and technology influence daily life. The IIS is actively involved in STEM education and raising younger generations’ awareness of scientific fields. Professor Oshima stressed that as Japan faces serious issues such as a declining birthrate, it is important to develop human resources for future innovation. She said that the enhancement of STEM education is necessary, particularly for female students. She noted that there is a shift occurring in Japanese education from an emphasis on memorizing facts to a deepening of students’ understanding of knowledge. Specific policies in line with this shift include changes to the university entrance examination system in 2020, the implementation of project-based learning in high school education, and a liaison program between science and math funded by MEXT (the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology) which will begin in 2022. Professor Oshima concluded that there are exciting changes coming to STEM education in Japan.
During the roundtable discussion, one female student revealed that she was the only girl in her department, but that her male classmates treated her just like one of them. Under Secretary Gottemoeller chimed in with an anecdote of her own experience from when she met some Russian generals. “First they thought, ‘How can a young woman know anything about intercontinental ballistic missiles?’ And then when they found out that I do know about intercontinental ballistic missiles, I became invisible as a woman. I became one of them, one of the guys,” she recalled. Professor Oshima also said that she was the only female student in her department in ten years, but that things are changing in society, with policies being advanced that support working women.
Regarding such policies, Under Secretary Gottemoeller explained that in the United States, the Title IX legislation played a big role in promoting STEM education for women. While on the surface the greatest influence of Title IX appeared to be on women’s sports, the Under Secretary relayed to participants just how game-changing this policy was. “Title IX led to girls changing their mindset. They said, ‘I should be out there on the sports field.’ And then they started saying, ‘I should be in that chemistry lab.’ ‘I should be in that calculus class.’ It just changed girls’ mindsets about the whole business of access to sports first, and then they began saying, ‘I need access to science, technology, engineering and math.’”
Ambassador Kennedy ended the event on an encouraging note: she revealed that Title IX was, in fact, introduced by the first Japanese-American congresswoman, Patsy Takemoto Mink. “That means we’re expecting big things from all of you,” she told the students.
*This event was organized by the University of Tokyo's Public Relations Office and UTokyo Research.
During the roundtable discussion, one female student revealed that she was the only girl in her department, but that her male classmates treated her just like one of them. Under Secretary Gottemoeller chimed in with an anecdote of her own experience from when she met some Russian generals. “First they thought, ‘How can a young woman know anything about intercontinental ballistic missiles?’ And then when they found out that I do know about intercontinental ballistic missiles, I became invisible as a woman. I became one of them, one of the guys,” she recalled. Professor Oshima also said that she was the only female student in her department in ten years, but that things are changing in society, with policies being advanced that support working women.
Regarding such policies, Under Secretary Gottemoeller explained that in the United States, the Title IX legislation played a big role in promoting STEM education for women. While on the surface the greatest influence of Title IX appeared to be on women’s sports, the Under Secretary relayed to participants just how game-changing this policy was. “Title IX led to girls changing their mindset. They said, ‘I should be out there on the sports field.’ And then they started saying, ‘I should be in that chemistry lab.’ ‘I should be in that calculus class.’ It just changed girls’ mindsets about the whole business of access to sports first, and then they began saying, ‘I need access to science, technology, engineering and math.’”
Ambassador Kennedy ended the event on an encouraging note: she revealed that Title IX was, in fact, introduced by the first Japanese-American congresswoman, Patsy Takemoto Mink. “That means we’re expecting big things from all of you,” she told the students.
*This event was organized by the University of Tokyo's Public Relations Office and UTokyo Research.
