Office for the Promotion of Diversity

This is a Home Page of Office for the Promotion of Diversity, Sophia School Corporation.
We work on the following 4 issues for our students and faculty and staff members to contribute to the global community.

Promoting Gender Equality
Work Life Balance
Minority support
Diversity Mind

Sophia University declared "Sophia Gender Equality Statement" January 2011 and has been promoting the importance of Gender Equality and engaging in a wide range of initiatives and actions to transform the mindset of University members.
Office for the Gender Equality was established January 2012 and on April 1, 2017 Sophia reorganized it to the Office for the Promotion of Diversity.

Promoting Gender Equality

Project to Support Female Researchers in a Global Society

The Office for Promotion of Gender Equality, established in January 2012, was renamed the Office for the Promotion of Diversity in April 2017. This office works with the Faculty of Science and Technology to support female researchers who can be active on the global stage. Main activities include scholarship support, symposiums and lectures, and event organization for high school students.

Global Award for Young Women Researchers

This award was established in 2012 following the completion of the government's Promoting Role Models to Support Female Researchers initiative. The aim of the Global Award for Young Women Researchers is to support female students in the Graduate School of Science and Technology to become internationally active researchers. In FY2019, eight students received the award along with having part of their presentation fees at international symposiums, etc. covered.

The photo on the right shows Nozomi Tomioka (Doctoral Program in Chemistry, Department of Materials and Life Sciences, Graduate School of Science and Technology), a FY2019 recipient of the award, giving a poster presentation at the 43rd International Conference on Coordination Chemistry, and discussing her findings with experts from Japan and abroad.

Global Mentoring System

Sophia University has established a global network with some 370 partner universities in 76 countries around the world and is actively engaged in international student and researcher exchanges. The Global Mentoring System leverages these agreements to provide advice and academic guidance through classes, lectures, exchange meetings and the like, as well as individual consultations with researchers who are active overseas.

Hui Chung Ting Justine (3rd year PhD student in Green Science and Engineering, Graduate School of Science and Technology) received her PhD degree on September 20, 2019, under the guidance of her global mentor, Professor Chin-Tuan Tan (the University of Texas at Austin).

Laboratory Classes for Future Sophians

The 2018 Open Campus featured a science experiment class, taught by female faculty members from the Faculty of Science and Technology.

・"Let's observe seahorses!"
I touched upon the world of seahorses, where males carry brood pouches and raise their young, using stained tissue sections to compare morphological differences with two other kinds of fish.

Global Mentoring System

Global Mentoring System is aimed to empower young researchers of Sophia University making use of Sophia's international network. The aim of the system is to enhance capacity of women researchers to help them actively participate in an international research network. Researchers are encouraged through lectures on international research activities and encounters with many researchers. The aim is to give them emotional and academic support, as well as to provide help to the younger generations.

Scholarship for young women researchers

"Global Award for young women researchers" is given to graduate women researchers of science and technology.

Common Space

There is a common space for female researchers and students to develop their carrier in 315 room Bg. 10. Sofa, tables and books are available in the room.

Work Life Balance

Kenkyu Shienin Seido (Application to the Research Assistant System)

The Research Assistant System is aimed to enable both male and female researchers at the Sophia School Corporation to continue their research activities while maintaining work-life-balance. We provide "Research Assistants" for the Sophia researchers who must dedicate their time for their childcare or elderly care so that they can continue their research without facing disadvantage in their careers. Recipients of this support system are expected to provide on-the-job training to their Research Assistants and to become role models in balancing work and life.

Sophia School Corporation Child-care Grants for those Attending Academic Conferences.

The Sophia School Corporation has started a new grant system to help scholars with small children attend academic conferences.
Child care can complicate research activities. This grant aims to assist attendance at academic conferences by covering part of the child care costs, thereby promoting research careers.

Minority support

Support people with disabilities

Accessibility Map

Sophia University created this map with information about barrier free access, childcare facilities, and accessible restrooms.

Accessibility Map【PDF 3.77MB】

Accessibility Map (white)【PDF 3.22MB】

Support LGBT

Workshops and documentary movies are held to understand LGBT.

Support international students/language diversity to promote Diversity & Inclusion

Workshops and seminars are held to understand international students.

Diversity Mind: Seminars/Symposium to promote Diversity

Seminars, Symposiums and workshops are held to promote Diversity and Inclusion.