[Feature: Toward a Campus of Mutual Support] Roundtable Discussion: Thinking About "Kyosei" (Collaboration) Where No One Is Left Behind

This April marks the 5th anniversary of the establishment of the Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at Keio University. The Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion upholds the "Charter for the Promotion of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion," which states: "In today's world where diverse values coexist, a society must be realized where people from various backgrounds—including age, gender, SOGI (sexual orientation and gender identity), disability, culture, nationality, race, creed, and lifestyle—respect each other's dignity without anyone being isolated or excluded from society." We have been moving forward to establish such an environment.

Today, we have gathered people who have cooperated in promoting such an environment of coexistence and who are active in various sectors of society. I would like to think about campus diversity, creating a comfortable place for everyone to belong, and how to communicate these ideas to society.

On campus, we are returning to a situation of face-to-face interaction after being online due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and we are rediscovering the meaning of "jinkan kosai (society)," or actual physical interaction. In addition to learning in the classroom, I feel that interaction between students is also important, and this has further increased awareness of creating a place to belong on campus.

From the perspective of the SDGs, we often hear the phrase "leave no one behind." Another common keyword is "diversity." It is also expressed as Diversity & Inclusion or DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion). What happens when we apply this "diversity" to the campus as a place?

Is it that everyone is accepted and respected, and it feels comfortable because there are many different kinds of people? That you feel you are allowed to be there? I think it's more than just that. When we emphasize "diversity," we expect something to be born from diverse perspectives and ways of thinking. In a company, different opinions might lead to active discussion and innovation, directly linking to corporate value and profit.

So, how should we think about this in a university? When a campus becomes a place where diverse people gather, what will be activated and what will happen? If we assume that everyone is fine as they are, then instead of each individual having to change, shouldn't society or the campus be the ones to change? If diverse ideas and opinions based on diversity are to be realized on campus, what role does the university play at that time?

Since you are all graduates of Keio University, I would first like to ask you to recall your former campus life and the places where you belonged, and tell us about what a campus should be like or what kind of place you would like it to be. Mr. Sugita, shall we start with you?

It has been exactly 10 years since I graduated. I feel I've had a strange experience because, while I was able-bodied when I entered, I had an accident during my student days and became a wheelchair user. This significantly changed how I saw the campus, my places to belong, and my opportunities for interaction.

When I could no longer do things I had taken for granted, I strongly felt, "Wait, do I have a place at this university?" After the accident, I transferred from the Faculty of Economics to the Faculty of Policy Management. More than 10 years ago, the Mita Campus had very steep terrain, and after consulting with the university, we decided that SFC would be better for attending in a wheelchair, so I transferred. On the other hand, I had a desire to study economics, and when my dream of playing rugby in the Rugby Football Club could no longer be fulfilled, my teammates were gone, and I looked for a place to belong, but I felt it wasn't there.

In terms of classes, if you are in a wheelchair or using a cane, you can't move between classrooms in time. As a result, rather than studying what I wanted to, I started building a curriculum based on ease of movement between classrooms. I couldn't go to the cafeteria, and I remember often eating lunch in the restroom to avoid being seen.

That said, there were people who created a place for me there. My family and friends, of course, but the staff at the academic affairs office were very supportive, and I think the presence of such people was significant. When I met Professor Okuda at Mita last year after 10 years, I felt that Keio had changed so much. Now that the Office of Accessible Education has been established within the Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, I feel envious as it seems the gates are opening wide.

So your place of belonging changed midway through university. Was the Rugby Football Club your place to belong at first?

Since I was an internal student and spent three years of high school in Hiyoshi, I had acquaintances in every faculty and a sense that I shared the same mindset as everyone else, so I certainly had a place to belong. The Rugby Football Club was also definitely a place where I belonged.

In terms of diversity, since graduating, I often think it was great that I could go to SFC. I think campuses definitely have their own "colors." Meeting students studying at SFC and being able to learn with them has been very beneficial for my subsequent career and way of life.

It is unfortunate that there were barriers at Mita more than 10 years ago, but I am glad that a path opened up for you by attending a different campus like SFC.

Now that the student support system is in place, I think it's a wonderful thing that even if someone has a disability, they can study at Mita if they wish to.

Next, Ms. Tanaka, how about you?

I also entered Keio University from high school (Keio Girls Senior High School) and graduated from the Department of Political Science in the Faculty of Law. In high school, I joined the baton twirling club, danced in the Alps stands when the Keio Senior High School baseball team made its first appearance in the Spring Koshien in 45 years, and was passionate about school events.

In university, I belonged to the Athletic Association Golf Team. In my seminar, I studied modern Chinese politics, and at the same time, I participated in an intensive course where I could study my second foreign language four times a week. I spent my student life with the attitude of trying anything I liked or wanted to do.

While Diversity & Inclusion is frequently discussed now, I think diversity has been a very big theme for me since childhood. When I was in elementary school, my hobbies didn't quite match those of other children, and I experienced the struggle of not having a place to belong. Also, when I was in the 6th grade, my family moved to New York for my father's work. Starting to attend a local school while barely speaking English was a major experience that continues to influence me today.

Furthermore, when I was in high school, my younger sister was born with Down syndrome. Becoming sensitive to the prejudices people—including myself—tend to hold about disabilities, and experiencing the gap between those prejudices and reality, was also very significant.

All of these experiences influenced me to aspire to be an NHK announcer. During my job search, I kept saying, "I want to tell the stories of people living their lives to the fullest." You can't understand others just through your own daily life. But by conveying the lives of various people on television, I hoped to broaden viewers' values and contribute to a society that is even slightly easier to live in.

Even after leaving NHK, I continue to do interviews and work as a program caster with similar thoughts. Until last year, I was in charge of a radio program called "Diversity News," where we invited various experts every week to talk about human rights, disabilities, LGBTQ issues, child policies, and more.

Also, since last autumn, I have been studying public policy at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS) with international students from various countries, and I am made to think about diversity there every day as well.

Listening to you, it seems everyone has experienced diversity. It might be important for high school students who have never encountered diversity to come to campus and have various experiences there.

I think it's also important to have several places to belong and several connections, rather than just one. For example, in my case, looking back, I think it was very important that I was able to learn about various values through different connections, such as club activities, seminars, French classes, and large lecture classes.

Multiple places to belong. Now, Mr. Iwahashi, how about you?

I am currently helping with the "Kyosei Cafe" project and "SOGI x Creating a Place to Belong" initiatives starting at the Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. I entered the Faculty of Letters in 2002 and stayed at Keio for quite a long time until 2015. I was at Mita as a student for over 10 years.

The reason I got involved in "creating a place to belong" is that I am a member of a sexual minority myself. When I was at Mita as a student, if you asked if I had a place to belong, my impression was that there weren't many spaces on campus where I could feel at ease. So, when I heard that such a movement was finally starting at Keio, I decided to participate to help create a more comfortable space for young people today than I had.

While acknowledging that there are diverse ways of being for different people, I don't think one must always be open about being a sexual minority on campus. Even without being open at school, I had friends in my clubs and seminars. However, if you ask if I could talk openly about my various worries, that wasn't the case.

Regarding research themes, nowadays almost any field accepts research based on one's own identity, but back then, for example, when I said I wanted to do research on gay issues, I was sometimes told, "You can do it if you're okay with the assumption that there will be no academic posts for you afterwards." That was the case at any university at the time. Since research on identity was considered risky, there was advice to do theoretical research first to secure a post before tackling those themes. Amidst that, I am grateful to my supervisor, Professor Hideo Hama, for defending me and my research.

It's truly a good thing that young sociology researchers today are in an environment where they can utilize their own identities to work on research related to sexual diversity and intersectionality. At that time, it wasn't an era where there were centers for gender and sexuality on university campuses. I think International Christian University was the earliest, but since there were almost no laboratories at Keio with gender studies as a theme at the time, I conducted my research activities while receiving support from gender studies professors at other universities.

Currently, I am active in an organization called akta, operating a community center in Shinjuku Ni-chome, which is a base for HIV and STI prevention and awareness. Shinjuku Ni-chome is like a melting pot of diversity where truly diverse people come, but previously there weren't many places there where one could talk safely about STIs and HIV. So, we continue our activities while prioritizing the creation of a space in the community center where we guarantee psychological safety so people feel it's okay to talk.

Since the themes inevitably become heavy, we use that place as a base to transmit interesting and important things for the community, focusing on how to increase the number of peers. I think those experiences might be applicable to the "Kyosei Cafe" that is about to start.

At the Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, we are attempting various forms of support to create an environment where "no one is left behind," keeping in mind students who might be finding things difficult on campus.

The "Kyosei Cafe" that Mr. Iwahashi is involved in is one of them. While some other universities have established centers for gender diversity, we are thinking about what Keio University can do, and we are working on the idea that the first thing we should do is create a place where people can safely find peers.

The Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion has three pillars: work-life balance, barrier-free access, and diversity. "Kyosei Cafe" is an initiative related to diversity. For barrier-free access, we newly established the Office of Accessible Education.

Regarding work-life balance, attention inevitably goes to childcare and nursing care support, but we are thinking about what it means to go one step further. Can we truly say to female students that Keio University is a place where women can shine? Are we depicting a future where they can thrive? I want female students to envision their future and think about what kind of life they want to lead. To that end, we started the "Future Me" series of life-plan seminars, allowing students to see people like Ms. Tanaka, Asako Tsuji, and Honoka Kamikura, who are having diverse experiences in society.

Also, faculty members seem to be surprisingly lonely, or rather, seeking connections. I thought it would be empowering to start a mentoring program that connects female researchers in their 30s and 40s with women who hold leadership positions within Keio University.

When campuses are different, faculty members have no opportunity to get to know each other at all, and if their fields are different, they don't know what kind of research others are doing or what their daily lives are like. I think that by getting to know each other, they might feel encouraged. Although Professor Shimizu and I belong to different faculties and campuses, we connected through this mentoring program, and I am learning about things like the Yagami Campus.

I spent my elementary, junior high, and high school years in public schools in Saitama Prefecture. Therefore, when I entered, I wondered if someone like me should be at Keio University, but once I came to the Faculty of Science and Technology, there were many people interested in similar things, so I think I felt comfortable. I was able to get along well with the small number of female students in my year, and I think I spent my time comfortably.

The most comfortable time during my four years of university was after I was assigned to a laboratory in my fourth year. I was in the lab from morning till night, doing experiments, reading papers, and learning things from my seniors. My life revolved around the lab, saying "I'm off" and "I'm back" when going to classes, so that was truly my place to belong.

I belonged to the laboratory of Professor Kohei Itoh, who is now the President, back when he was a full-time lecturer. Looking back, it was a laboratory with a very good atmosphere. It was so comfortable that I wanted to study there until my Doctoral Programs.

Then Professor Itoh advised me, "If you're going for a doctorate, go abroad," and I spent five years at a graduate school in the United States. There, I was able to get to know truly various types of people.

It was then that I first experienced being a minority. I didn't have much awareness of being a minority as a woman when I was in Japan, but in the U.S., there were many people around me with that awareness, and I finally realized that women are a minority. Also, there were people in the same grade who had children, and I realized that this kind of life is also possible.

After studying abroad, there was a period when I looked back and wondered what I wanted to do from a perspective different from research, and if just doing research was enough. At that time, I felt a strong desire to pass on my experiences to young people and give them opportunities to learn various perspectives, just as I had been encouraged. I have been working at Keio as an associate professor since April 2018.

The reason I chose Keio as my workplace was that Keio was a very comfortable place for me, so I thought I would be able to voice my opinions here. That is exactly psychological safety, and now that five years have passed since I joined the Faculty of Science and Technology, I think it is a comfortable place to work as a faculty member.

However, I don't think all faculty and staff feel as comfortable as I do. Also, thinking about the students, I think they truly had no place to belong when they started taking online classes due to the pandemic. Even after returning to campus for face-to-face classes, I often receive consultations from students saying they have no friends and can't do homework together, or they don't know who to talk to.

I feel a bit anxious about where the students' place to belong is until their third year, before they enter a laboratory. It's fine for those in clubs, but there are students who didn't have the chance to join due to COVID, so I sometimes wonder where they are during breaks.

Listening to everyone's stories, I clearly understand that a place where you can connect with people and feel safe is a place to belong, and it's better to have several such places rather than just one.

Students are now returning to face-to-face classes, but once they step out of the classroom, they might be searching for a place to belong. I hear that club membership rates and numbers are decreasing at other universities, but fortunately, they haven't dropped that much at Keio University. Even so, perhaps because activity time is shorter than before, I get the impression that they are not very good at making friends or communicating.

Next, let's think about the promotion of diversity. In reality, data clearly shows that diversity is not prioritized in our society. For example, according to the "Gender Gap Index" published by the World Economic Forum in 2022, Japan ranks 116th out of 146 countries, the lowest among the G7 countries. The gender wage gap is also large compared to other countries; in 2021, the wage level for female general workers was 75.2 when that of male general workers was set at 100 (Gender Equality Bureau Cabinet Office).

Since such numbers make issues visible, I don't think showing data is a bad thing. Also, numerical targets might become a means for improvement.

Legal frameworks are also being established. The "Act on the Elimination of Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities" was revised in 2021, and the "Act on Promotion of Women's Participation and Advancement in the Workplace" in 2022. With such laws, target values can be further set. What do you think about setting numerical targets based on numbers and laws and working toward them? Does it make things harder? Or is it because of these target values that initiatives move forward? Or can diversity be shown by some other yardstick?

While putting various attempts into practice, I always have the question of whether the promotion of a coexistent environment can be measured by numbers. What do you think?

I believe that numbers and systems are indeed important yardsticks. For people with disabilities, there are specific things that must be changed, such as being able to move smoothly without steps. Last year, I had many opportunities to interview LGBTQ individuals on my radio program. They repeatedly emphasized that spiritual arguments like "let's be considerate" are insufficient; if systems don't change, people's behavior ultimately won't change, and the current situation for those who are suffering won't improve.

On the other hand, as you said, I think that alone is not enough. If only numbers are highlighted, the original purpose might be left behind. I think the satisfaction and sense of fit of the people there—the feeling of whether those people are truly satisfied—is also important.

For example, as Professor Shimizu mentioned, whether you feel that the opinions you voiced are respected. That kind of thing is very important. The last program I was in charge of at NHK was "Close-up Gendai+," and television stations are very much a male-dominated society with few women. Also, among staff in their 40s and 50s, I was the only one in my early 30s among the performers, so I was sometimes expected to make comments that represented the opinions of young women in the program.

While that was very important to me and I felt a sense of responsibility, I also occasionally felt as if only that was being sought from me, and there were times when I felt I was not being respected as an individual. I think an environment where I feel respected not just as a woman in her 30s, but for my opinions as Izumi Tanaka, is also important.

Even if we simply say diversity, there are many kinds of diversity. It's not just people on the minority side like women, people with disabilities, or LGBTQ individuals; obviously, there are various differences among men as well. Ultimately, every single person is a different human being, so it's important for each individual to first have curiosity about the person in front of them and a desire to value that person. I believe we must not forget that improvements in systems and numerical targets should come after that.

I think what Ms. Tanaka said is very important. For example, words like SDGs, diversity, LGBTQ, and variety are used a lot lately, but as these words become established, voices are rising from various communities saying "no more lip service"—stop using nice-sounding words based on profit-and-loss calculations or cost-performance.

For example, an LGBTQ parade is held every April in Tokyo, and it has become quite a large parade now. Initially, some companies seemed to participate because it could be a marketing target, but as time passes, discussions are being held within both the community and the companies about whether these corporate initiatives are truly helpful to the community. On the other hand, some are thinking deeply about their approach. The perspective of whether it truly helps the target people and the community is very important.

Professor Emeritus Masayoshi Tarui, who is an ethics researcher, is one of the people who guided me into research regarding HIV. He persistently told me that when conducting LGBTQ or minority movements, we must never forget that it is a fight not only for the right to equality but also for the right to life.

At the time, there were parts I didn't fully understand about what that meant, but I understand it now to mean: don't forget that it's a movement regarding the right of diverse people to live safely and healthily, not just saying they are there and are no different from everyone else.

When I hear young sexual minority students today talking about their future, thinking they might be able to marry the person they are currently dating, I think it has become a very good era. On the other hand, while partnerships are recognized, the hurdle for recognizing the system of same-sex marriage is quite high in Japan. Incorporating it into the system is a matter related to the right to life. For example, a partner died of an illness. But because there is no system, the relationship could only be explained as a friend, so they couldn't be there for the final moments—there are truly many such stories.

When we think about systems that guarantee such relationships, I believe "no more lip service" is important at universities and everywhere else.

So, not just saying it. That's why systems provide support. Do you feel the same way, Mr. Sugita?

Yes. Speaking of numbers, I remember my job-hunting days as a student. Everyone says very pleasant things, like "our company meets this percentage of the employment rate for people with disabilities" or "the promotion rate for women is this much." It's not that that's bad, but in reality, it might be an employment format with very limited discretion, or a format where people with disabilities are gathered in one place to work at a special subsidiary.

That might indeed make physical support easier, but I also wonder how that stands as "diversity." In that sense, I feel from experience that it's not just about pursuing numbers.

In the end, how did I choose a company? I judged based on how much the person interviewing me in front of me was truly trying to see my abilities. There is the word equity; I don't want special treatment or to be pampered. It would be best if I could maximize my abilities within the necessary support. I think that's the most important thing.

I have a spinal cord injury, so I understand that well. However, people with disabilities are diverse, including visual and hearing impairments, and there are worlds that cannot be understood just by looking from the outside; facing this is a very difficult task.

There is a world I saw by becoming disabled later in life, but there are also many worlds I don't know. However, I strongly feel that there is a world I saw because I became disabled, and by accepting that, my own breadth has expanded. In that sense, I want to continue experiencing diversity and pursuing what true equality really is.

We only know about ourselves, and it's not easy to know each other. That's exactly why I want to make the university a place to deepen mutual understanding.

By interacting with people who value diverse backgrounds on campus as a place of learning, and because of that experience, one can connect relationships in the same way after going out into society. When I think about how much of a diverse environment has been created on the current campus, it's a difficult question.

One thing I'd like to say about numerical targets in universities is that regarding the number of female faculty members and the number of employees with disabilities, for example, it is decided that the number of female faculty members must be above a certain percentage in every committee. This can lead to female faculty of the same generation having high committee attendance rates, making them unable to do their research.

When my child was very small, I also felt a bit of anger, thinking I couldn't do that much committee activity when I was busy with that too. And now that my child-rearing has settled down a bit, I feel that maybe I'm the one who has to speak up.

People won't be convinced unless we quantify the activities we are doing. When I thought about what to do, referring to corporate examples, a group of faculty members in the Faculty of Science and Technology created a modified version of a diversity score and tried it out on faculty and staff. What we learned from that was that there are many people who don't know about the systems even though they exist. People were surprised to learn that there was a place for female students to rest on the Yagami Campus, or a prayer room for Muslims.

Raising that score leads to increased interest among people on campus, so I think it's important to have indicators that measure awareness rather than just simple percentages.

As you said, increasing awareness is very important. Even if we start various attempts, it's most discouraging to be told "I didn't know." For example, we are distributing free sanitary products for female students in need, but sometimes we are told, "This is the first I've heard of it." Perhaps interest in others is thinning now, or information about things that don't concern oneself is hard to come by. I hope the campus becomes a place where everyone shares both interest and information.

Regarding SOGI (Sexual Orientation & Gender Identity), the partnership systems of each local government are insufficient, but we can expect improvement, even if slow, as various systems and support are introduced in different regions. I think one way is to try everything, including small things, on campus, thereby increasing awareness.

The next thing I want to ask is what should be done to create a community where people can feel safe. First, I want to ask Mr. Iwahashi about the "Kyosei Cafe"—why a cafe? Why is a place for something like "having tea" needed?

Based on my experience so far, I believe that cafe-style initiatives are very important.

A great thing about universities is that they have physical spaces where people can just drop by. There is a kind of serendipity that occurs when people wander in. If a cafe—a space prepared by people with a high interest in certain issues—shows that 'it's really interesting over here' and operates in an open way so that those who drop by can join the group, I think a community will gradually form.

About 10 years ago, I organized an HIV prevention awareness event on the outdoor stage at the Mita Festival. Even if someone like me spoke on a stage amidst the hustle and bustle of the Mita Festival, no one would listen. So, I invited a famous drag queen from Shinjuku Ni-chome to do a show performance while raising awareness. It was a wonderful performance with a theme questioning gender binaries, but they kept taking off more and more clothes. I thought, 'Oh, if this goes to the very end, I'll lose my student status' (laughs).

But what happened then was that a dance club was waiting in the wings for the next slot, and they saw the drag queen's performance and said, 'This is super interesting!' and started dancing around them. More and more people gathered, and when we gave just a brief message about HIV and sexual health at the end, they responded very strongly to it.

So, if we do something attractive and fun and show that engaging with it leads to such interesting things, we can increase the number of allies beyond just those directly involved. If we can do that, I think cafes have great potential.

Another reason I thought such places are very important is that, as I mentioned earlier, I wasn't very open about being a sexual minority within the university. When I was a graduate student, I became known for doing HIV activities and research in Shinjuku Ni-chome, but after that, among the Keio students I met when I was a student, there were cases of people suffering from mental health issues or committing suicide because they were struggling with being a sexual minority. There were also stories of people contracting HIV.

I feel that if I had been open from that time and there had been a space in the university where such things could be discussed, even if prevention wasn't possible, we might have been able to provide support at an earlier stage. I think it is very important to create places where people can talk safely in various locations.

One of the initiatives of the Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion is the 'Body Seminar.' I cannot forget what Junko Mitsuhashi said during the session on 'Transgender' issues. She commented that while universities must, of course, provide knowledge, it is also important for them to be a place of refuge. I was struck by her question of whether the university has a role as a safe place before entering society.

It would be even better if it becomes a place where people feel safe, where they can get the information they need, or where there are people they can talk to casually—a place they can drop into anytime and visit even after graduation.

Various students attend the university. Regarding the 'Kyosei Cafe,' we are still at the stage of considering what kind of place it will actually be, but unless many students say 'this is interesting,' it will become a limited space for only a few people. So, it may be necessary to create a place that feels more open and safe.

Mr. Iwahashi mentioned that he was involved in various off-campus activities since he was a student, and students can engage with society even before they enter it. I think it is also important to properly find and support students who are trying various things, taking on challenges, and expressing themselves in such settings.

For example, I donate to an NPO that supports employment for people with disabilities and I also serve as an MC at fundraising parties. In those activities, high school students from international schools help out proactively, which I thought was wonderful.

I believe that students can experience living within society by having such points of contact with it. What the university can do is properly evaluate students who are taking on such positive challenges. And I think there are also places where we can provide some kind of push or support.

I hope that through the university setting, people can have experiences that make them realize, 'Oh, I am part of the majority.' For example, regarding things like sanitary products, there were worlds I only began to see after I got married. Now that my child is two years old, there are worlds I see through child-rearing as well.

I first became interested in LGBTQ issues when I went to see the movie 'Bohemian Rhapsody' with my wife. I am ashamed of my lack of literacy, but when I learned the word 'heterosexual' there, it was very fresh to realize, 'Oh, this is what I am.' I don't know if 'majority' is the right way to put it, but I felt like I could finally stand in the same place or think about LGBTQ issues. I was very happy about that experience.

I think it's important to know words as a starting point. I thought it would be nice to have a cafe as such a place.

So, if there is a place where people gather naturally and can talk about such topics naturally, students' understanding will also deepen.

Using the word SOGI is also important. It's not just about saying 'let's understand LGBTQ people as others,' but as you just mentioned, it becomes a catalyst for communication, like realizing 'Oh, I'm heterosexual' or 'I have a different sexual orientation.'

Giving students awareness is truly important, and I feel we must support that.

In the Faculty of Science and Technology, there might be fewer students doing extracurricular activities than in other faculties, but for example, during the Yagami Festival, some students distributed ramen from a special subsidiary company that employs people with disabilities. Currently, the Diversity & Inclusion Working Group of the Faculty of Science and Technology is talking about reviewing the accessibility map, and it was decided that instead of just faculty and staff thinking about it, we should listen to students' voices, so we will exchange opinions and work with a student organization.

At that time, since it's hard to talk in a formal meeting setting, there was a proposal to have a meal and create a relaxed atmosphere to talk about various topics. For example, international students are also a minority, so we want to make the campus comfortable for them as well. Also, for people with disabilities, the Yagami Campus has many slopes and stairs, so I hope we can discuss what should be done.

However, while interested students will participate, it doesn't reach students who aren't interested, so I think it's necessary for faculty and staff to create opportunities by holding events and seminars or reaching out to many students.

At the Hiyoshi Campus, we held a 'Children's Cafeteria' for the first time late last year, and I realized that a cafeteria with a clear purpose of eating is easy for people to gather at casually. Children came from nearby elementary schools to talk with university students and participate in quiz contests and games together. Looking at the surveys, everyone wrote that they enjoyed those things.

The university students also said they learned a lot. Whether it's a cafe or something else, I thought that as long as there is an encounter triggered by something different, various interactions will be born from there.

Regarding the relationship between the university and society, we must think about what kind of messages we should send out. For Keio University, what would be the best way to communicate our diversity initiatives or community building?

Empowerment and encouragement for what students are doing is very important. And how we can share the experiences of people who are putting various things into practice is also crucial. For example, media tends to pick up 'good practices' like 'even though they are a student, they can do this,' but for the people there, the hints for living are actually the small communications in the cafeteria, like 'Hey, tell me, why is it going so well for you?'

In the field of public health, we call it 'positive deviance,' but it's about picking up the voices of people whose achievements aren't necessarily extraordinary and who think of it as normal, yet things are going well for them. I think it would be good if a community or cafe could serve as a catalyst for finding such things.

Regarding diversity, I think there are many cases where other universities are more advanced. On the other hand, I hear from faculty and staff at other universities in various places that they have high expectations for Keio to take action.

I heard from a student at a certain university that having a place to belong regarding diversity was one of the major reasons they chose that university. I think the fact that such stories are coming out is very hopeful.

At the time, the era was different and I had some quite tough experiences at Mita, but I hope a more fun space can be created here for young students and that we can hear many such voices at Keio as well.

It would be ideal if, when prospective students choose a university, they apply thinking that Keio University will accept them and that there is a place for them.

It is said that Keio's initiatives are lagging behind other universities, but when we discussed this in the Faculty of Science and Technology working group, the conversation turned to how people at Keio originally lived in an atmosphere of mutual respect, never discriminating and helping those in trouble, so perhaps things were working well even without intentionally creating systems.

Another thing we noticed in the working group is that when we re-read the philosophy of Keio University and the words of Yukichi Fukuzawa, they are full of terms related to diversity, inclusion, and equity. Perhaps that part is not being properly communicated to the world.

It's not just the 'Heaven does not create one person above another' part, but also 'jinkan kosai (society),' 'taji soron' (many matters, many opinions), and various other words. Opinions have been raised that if we think about modern DEI from the perspective of reinterpreting Yukichi Fukuzawa's words, something that everyone can agree on might be born.

Currently, the working group is thinking that if we can create something named 'KeiDGs' modeled after the SDGs and break it down into action goals, it might be easier to spread both within Keio and externally. We think this could clearly communicate what Keio is doing to both internal members and alumni.

When it comes to communicating to society, attracting interest is important, and I think some slightly grand promotion is necessary. We are discussing that borrowing Yukichi Fukuzawa's words might be an appropriate way for Keio to do that.

I also believe that Yukichi Fukuzawa's words and philosophy are very important. When we say 'Diversity & Inclusion,' it can sometimes be taken as 'everyone is different and everyone is good, so anything goes,' but I think, especially in an organization, it's something based on valuing a minimum set of common norms.

At Keio University, I think students study in the same school because they empathize with the school's philosophy, such as independence and self-respect, so it's about reconfirming what it means to study at Keio University.

Learning about differences while at university is also very important. I think places and opportunities where students who don't seem to have commonalities at first glance can gather are also important. Even if it seems difficult at first, in the end, they have the commonality of having chosen Keio University as a place of learning. There is hope in the fact that they can connect through that in some way. And I think it is also very important to promote Keio University's philosophy to the outside world.

Diversity & Inclusion means that even if people have different backgrounds and values, those differences are welcomed and they are part of the same group. The word 'belonging' is also often used. It refers to the sense of belonging to a place. In the case of Keio University, I think there is something extra there.

I think what Professor Shimizu said—that it's not that we haven't done anything—is exactly right.

Exactly as you say, there was a lot of great support when I was a university student. The feelings of those people probably haven't changed at all. When I entered the workforce, I had a very strong desire to earn a proper living on my own. I wanted to show that having a disability has nothing to do with earning money.

When there is someone who has a disability but wants to study, the fact that Keio has a support office so they'll be okay is very important. Communicating that to the outside is indeed very important.

If you ask me for a good idea, I end up with ideas like preparing wheelchairs and everyone trying to row them around the Mita Campus (laughs). Even so, I think students might realize 10 years later that 'that's what doing that meant.'

Keio University has the ideal of becoming a leader of all society. I would like to continue striving to promote a collaborative environment, with the help of Keio University alumni, so that the university campus also becomes a microcosm of future society as a place of leadership. What kind of community and collaborative environment should we aim for to create that microcosm? I'd like to ask each of you for a final word.

I want students to enter society with hope. To be honest, I don't think there is an environment that is perfectly satisfying for everyone from the start. However, if there is a problem and they want to change it, the sense of security that Keio University is a place where they can actually change things with their own power, including systems, will lead to them being able to raise their voices even if problems occur when they enter society.

Talking about how to make things better is important, but as a premise, I hope Keio University will be a place that listens to each individual's voice and can change.

In places where people from various positions gather, the more the gaps and differences in positions become visible just by gathering, the more people may get hurt by various differences. How do we protect the psychological safety of that place? Therefore, it is necessary to create a system for solid facilitation and people who facilitate in such places. Otherwise, I think it will conversely become a situation where 'everyone is different and everyone is good,' but it doesn't help anyone.

I really agree with what Professor Shimizu said about Keio having that kind of culture from the start. However, how much that has spread to prospective students and the outside world is another matter. After going out into the world, I realized again how comfortable Keio was. Perhaps that's why I feel I can work hard outside as well, but I want it to continue to be such a place, and I think it's fine to put these activities out there more.

Listening to the talk today, I feel like I've been given a big homework assignment that there are many things faculty members should do. I felt that giving students diverse experiences is still not enough. When they enter university, they might think that a great professor is suddenly standing far away on the podium. We must create an atmosphere where it's easy to talk not only about academics but also about various social issues and topics. If we do that, I think the campus will naturally become comfortable.

I think seminars that give people the experience of being a minority could also be an option. When I was pregnant and my belly got big, I realized for the first time how grateful I was for handrails on buses and trains, but you don't understand such things unless you experience them yourself. I thought it was important to gradually give students such opportunities.

Since learning at Keio consists of both the regular curriculum and extracurricular activities as two wheels of a cart, I hope we can provide education where diversity can be experienced even within the regular curriculum.

Being a 'place that can be changed' is exactly what's important, and I think it's ideal for everyone to experience that and head out into society with the confidence that they can change things with their own power.

Mr. Iwahashi mentioned that when various people gather, a facilitator becomes necessary, and I want students to learn from the figure of such a facilitator and come to play the same role. Perhaps such leaders will be required in the future. Not just leading, but being able to bring together diverse opinions. I think that connects to the campus as a place to belong, and it makes it easier for everyone to spend time there. I want to value such aspects and communicate them.

Thank you very much for today.