Message from the President: Committed to diversity and inclusion

Committed to diversity and inclusion

We at the University of Tokyo believe diversity and inclusion are the key to advance human knowledge. After I was appointed President in 2015, I announced my action plan for the University during my tenure, The University of Tokyo: Vision 2020, which calls for universities to develop the capacity to drive social change and act on their own initiative in seeking to create a better society. To this end, I have argued that the pursuit of diversity complemented by the principle of inclusiveness is key (cf. Address by the President of the University of Tokyo at the academic year 2019 spring semester diploma presentation ceremony). Without diversity, there is no impetus to reconsider preconception, and we cannot make any innovations. Without inclusion, there is no fair representation of the society, and we cannot produce unbiased output.

Recently there have been active protests against various forms of discrimination worldwide, triggered by the death of Mr. George Floyd in the USA. Discrimination divides us, creates hate, and is the polar opposite from diversity and inclusion. We firmly stand against discrimination of any form, based on race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, or ethnic and cultural background.

We acknowledge that the University today is not perfect. We commit ourselves to work hard to achieve better diversity and inclusion.

GONOKAMI Makoto
President
The University of Tokyo