KOMEX Division of Diversity and Inclusion
In 2020, the University of Tokyo issued "the University of Tokyo Statement on Diversity & Inclusion" demonstrating the university's ongoing commitment to the promotion of diversity and inclusion based on the guidelines specified by UTokyoCampus.
However, our goals cannot be achieved overnight.
D&I (diversity and inclusion) cannot be achieved simply by bringing women and minorities to our campus. The promotion of D&I should take seriously the experiences of people who have not been recognised as a part of the community and the views of those whose opinions have been less valued because of structural inequalities. We thus aim to transform the way in which the university works, and to reorganise the environment and existing debates. Getting to know what we previously got by without knowing or thinking about is one small step forward.
In accordance with the ideals of "Diversity and Inclusion" at the University of Tokyo, we have drastically expanded D&I education at the College of Arts and Sciences (Junior Division) since 2023 by offering various interdisciplinary modules (https://www.utdandi.org/ *In Japanese) that include: disability studies, postcolonial studies, feminist science studies, diversity and the law, social justice theory, etc., as well as seminar-based modules for students who want to gain more knowledge about a given topic.
KOSS, the Komaba Campus Safer Space (https://www.utkoss.org/ *In Japanese), which launched in 2020, is another significant actor that helps push our project forward. KOSS is a space where students interested in D&I-related issues such as gender, sexuality, disability, race, and ethnicity, etc. and postgraduate students engaged in academic research on these subjects support each other in both academic and student life by sharing their experiences and knowledge. A safer space is not just a material "space," but an ongoing project to create a community of learning and mutual empowerment. The activities of KOSS are not limited to on-campus ones - we have also hosted a number of online lecture series and talks open to the public, and continuously disseminate information about D&I-related topics.
Members of the D&I division work diligently to pursue our vision of diversity and inclusion as a part of first- and second-year education at the University of Tokyo through a variety of modules in the Junior Division curricula and through KOSS, which provides a diverse and inclusive environment where researchers, postgraduate students, undergraduate students, and those outside the campus can freely interact.
Our mission is not straightforward - we continuously ask such questions as: "What does the promotion of D&I mean on campus, at universities, and in society?"; "How should we take into account the experiences, thoughts and existences that have historically been dismissed, and explore their contributions to academic practices?"; "How should we think and act accordingly?" As a significant part of the liberal arts education at the University of Tokyo, the Division of D&I offers opportunities to learn and think together about these questions.
*In Japanese
Division of Educational Transformation | Division for Science Communication |
Division of Social Outreach | Division of International Cooperation |
Special Division of Environmental and Energy Sciences | Division of Diversity and Inclusion |
Platform for Promoting Education and Research in SDGs |
