About the Center for Diversity & Inclusion
Message from the Director of the Center
The University of Osaka is committed to solving a wide range of local and global challenges and, as a university that leads social transformation, to creating an environment where diversity can truly flourish across differences in gender, SOGI (sexual orientation and gender identity), disability status, nationality, ethnicity, cultural background, age, and other characteristics.
The Center for Diversity & Inclusion was established on 1 April 2022 as an organization responsible for effectively and smoothly carrying out diversity-related projects and making policy recommendations. Based on the University of Osaka Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) Declaration, the Center has worked to create an attractive working and learning environment in which all members of the University can fully demonstrate their abilities and individuality.
Going forward, we will work to enhance the quality of D&I by incorporating the principles of equity and respect for human rights, with the aim of creating a campus where DE&I is put into practice and where everyone can thrive and flourish as their authentic selves. We sincerely ask for your continued support and cooperation.
Organizational Structure
The Center for Diversity & Inclusion is headed by the Executive Vice President responsible for D&I, who serves as Director of the Center. Working in close collaboration with the Diversity & Inclusion Board, which is responsible for formulating the University’s DE&I policies, the Center implements DE&I-related measures in a flexible and responsive manner.
The Center consists of three Divisions, each headed by a member of the Diversity & Inclusion Board who serves as a Senior Advisor to the President. Each Division includes Academic Staff assigned exclusively to the Center and Academic Staff with supplementary assignments selected from the University’s Graduate Schools, Research Institutes, and other units, and implements the Center’s specific DE&I measures. Academic Staff with supplementary assignments to the Center also play a role in promoting awareness of and engagement with the University’s DE&I initiatives within their respective units, communicating the needs and other relevant matters of those units to the Center, and ensuring that they are reflected in the Center’s measures.
Three Divisions of the Center for Diversity & Inclusion
Gender Division
— Ensures career support for female researchers and implements initiatives to promote learning and work-life balance for everyone.
Future Researcher Development Division
— Fosters future female researchers by reaching out to female elementary, junior high, and high school students, as well as female university students, who have the potential to become researchers.
Diversity Division
— Proposes measures aimed at creating a campus where members, regardless of their SOGI, disability status, or international background, can thrive while learning and working in a spirit of mutual understanding.
PDCA Cycle of the Center for Diversity & Inclusion
Plan
The Diversity & Inclusion Board plans policies for promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Do
Diversity & Inclusion Board members implement projects and recommend measures as the Division heads of the Center for Diversity & Inclusion.
Check
The Diversity & Inclusion Board evaluates the efficiency and effectiveness of each project.
Action
Based on the evaluations, the Center for Diversity & Inclusion improves projects, and the Diversity & Inclusion Board reviews measures.
History
| Year / Month | Organization | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| April 2022 | Reorganization of the Center for Diversity & Inclusion; Reorganization of the Diversity & Inclusion Board | — |
| September 2021 | — | The University of Osaka Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) Declaration |
| September 2020 | — | Iku-Boss* Declaration and SOGI Ally Declaration |
| August 2017 | Reorganization of the Gender Equality Board | — |
| July 2017 | — | The University of Osaka’s Principle on Diversity in Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity |
| April 2016 | Establishment of the Center for Gender Equality Promotion; Reorganization of the Gender Equality Promotion and University-Community Collaboration Board | The University of Osaka Gender Equality Declaration |
| August 2015 | Establishment of the Gender Equality and University-Community Collaboration Board | — |
*Iku-boss is a supervisor/manager who is considerate and understanding of the situations of subordinates or colleagues who need to look after their children, care for family members, or balance their work and life.