Saga University will promote understanding of diversity to realize an environment completely free from discriminations against gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, nationality, religion, age, disability, and so on. We will also enable minorities who have had few opportunities to be involved in decision-making processes to learn, work, and actively participate without unnecessary worries. We hereby declare to promote diversity.
Basic Policy
- Creation and dissemination of new “knowledge”
We will create an environment for education and research.
We will collaborate and cooperate with domestic and foreign universities to promote diversity.
We will enlighten our students and faculty members on diversity. - Review and correction of organizations and practices
We will review the existing organizations and practices as needed.
We will correct any gender gap in the structure of all our organizations.
We will take Positive Action (affirmative action and positive discrimination). - Balance and support for work and life
We will support balancing education, research, work, and life.
We will improve support schemes for students and faculty members engaging in child-rearing or nursing care. - Development of university identity for respecting human rights
We will eliminate practices (harassments) that violate human rights or individual characters.
We will pay attention to minorities who are prone to social disadvantages. - Cooperation with and contribution to the local community
We will promote diversity in collaboration and cooperation with the local community.
We will share the outcome of gender-equal education and research to contribute to the development of the local community.
Vision
- Recruitment and promotion of females
We will structure an inter-departmental personnel system to raise the ratio of females in the faculty and leading positions. - Development and proper evaluation of female researchers
We will present role models to develop female staff in leading positions or natural sciences, improve the methods of performance evaluation, and implement awareness reform for all faculty members. - Environment improvement
We will improve our facilities and personnel arrangements so that researchers can continue working without severance or discontinuation and create a work environment considerate to the balance between family and work regardless of the genders. - Respect for individuality of all members
We will realize an education/research/work environment which respects the diversity and individuality of all members of our university.
Message from President
Saga University is a leading education and research institute in the region and has been promoting gender equality since its incorporation as a national university in April 2004.
We declared our diversity promotion in April 2017 for realizing an environment wherein our members learn and create new knowledge while recognizing and supporting one another regardless of gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, nationality, religion, age, and disability.
“Saga University’s Future – Vision 2030” presented in March 2020 highlights the “creation of an educational environment where widely diverse students stimulate and learn from one another,” “environment improvement for each researcher to enhance their research capacity,” and “realization of a university where faculty members can work with a sense of fulfillment,” and thus the role played by the Office for Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion is greatly significant. We are determined to steadily carry out diversity promotion suitable for our university with a view to creating an environment for all members to lively engage in their research and work, and developing diverse, multi-purpose human resources.
Also, we have been granted the “2019 Initiative for Diverse Research Environments (Advanced Type) in Scientific/Technological Human Resources Development Subsidy Project” and therefore, we are determined to take our advanced initiatives in focusing on supporting our female researchers. We appreciate your continued support and cooperation.
Hiroaki Kodama
President of Saga University
Message from Manager of Office for Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion
The concept of “Diversity” is an initiative to utilize diverse human resources proactively. The typical example of “diverse human resources” is men and women. Traditionally in Japan, the term “male and female” has not signified a differentiation but discrimination. Such an idea is not acceptable internationally, and thus the “Equal Employment Opportunity Law” was enforced. In universities, “diversity” has been common, and international students as well as LGBT individuals, have been accepted. In Saga University, however, diversity has not been fully implemented. Therefore, the “Office for Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion” is endeavoring to disseminate “diversity” not only among the university faculty members but the local people in the city and prefecture. Our university received the Special Coordination Funds for the promotion of science and technology from 2009 to 2011 for the “development of female researchers support model” project and carried out the creation of a work environment where female staff can actively perform their work. We also give career-related lectures to junior/high school students on the “Sustainable/Developmental Platform for Female Science Students in Saga” to develop our future generations.
In October 2019, we were also granted the subsidy of “Initiative for Diverse Research Environments (Advanced Type)” for the development of scientific/technological human resources by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, whereby we support female researchers in connection with their overseas work opportunities and promotion to higher positions. The Initiative covers a variety of fields including English skills, thesis composition, working style reform, and awareness reform among the university’s leading faculty members, which also has proved meaningful for international students and male faculty members.
I have been the Manager of Office for Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion since October 2019, but I am just a beginner in the field of diversity. I would like to promote our “diversity management” with your advice in mind, flexibly accept the diverse personalities of Saga University faculty members, and improve the organizational strength by utilizing our diversity.
I hereby would like to ask for your continued support and care.
Takanori Watari
Manager of Office for Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion
Saga University
Promotion Organization
