Greetings from the Dean（The Division of Interdisciplinary Gender Studies）

03.04.2017 Update

Greetings from the Dean

The Division of Interdisciplinary Gender Studies was established in April 2005 as part of the Ochanomizu University Frontiers of Gender Studies (F-GENS) project―a 21st Century COE (Center of Excellence) program―to emphasize gender research at the graduate school. Based on such scholarly fields as economics, sociology, political science, law, cultural anthropology, geography and environmental science, the division’s gender studies program proactively engages in global education and research on modern social challenges from the perspective of gender, including family, labor, sex, human rights, education, development assistance, the environment and technology.

While the realization of a gender-equal society and the enrichment of gender-sensitive research and education are recognized as urgent challenges in modern Japan, there is in fact an overwhelming shortage of talent who can resolve these issues in various specialized fields. To eliminate that gap, the Division of Interdisciplinary Gender Studies acts as a global base that cultivates women equipped with high-level expertise, investigative abilities, interdisciplinary knowledge and an international perspective. These women will take on the challenges of implementing a creative society and conducting research with a gender-based viewpoint, and become next-generation leaders.

A primary goal of the Frontiers of Gender Studies (F-GENS) program is to build a research and education base of interdisciplinary gender studies within Ochanomizu University’s 21st Century Center of Excellence (COE) Program. F-GENS’ efforts led to the April 2005 establishment of the Division of Interdisciplinary Gender Studies, whose aim is to centralize the discipline of gender studies within the graduate school.

The field of gender studies covers a broad variety of methods and subjects. Being a budding discipline entails objectively reconstituting knowledge gained from existing disciplines as new knowledge. Our doctoral program in gender theory links disciplines such as economics, sociology, political science, jurisprudence, cultural anthropology, geography and environmental science to create more of this new knowledge. The program’s subjects include the various issues of the modern age, such as family, work, gender, human rights, education, developmental aid, the environment, technology and more.

Another trait of the Division of Interdisciplinary Gender Studies is that it advances various programs through global practices backed by research activities. In fact, our division serves as an international research center.

Making society gender-equal has become a pressing issue in Japan. This requires better gender-sensitive research and education. However, there is a dearth of talent in each specialized fields. Our division’s objective is to develop the next generation of female leaders with the high-level expertise, analytical abilities, interdisciplinary skills and global perspective needed to boldly take on gender issues through research activities and social practices.

Our efforts have steadily borne fruit, and the division has produced many capable talents in the fields of both research and social practices. Our doctoral program graduates have won numerous prizes and awards for their doctoral dissertations and research. This includes the Japan Association of Gender and Law Award, the Research Society for Woman’s History Award, the Human Geographical Society of Japan Award, the Japan Association of Economic Geographers Award, the Kikue Yamakawa Award, the Hajime Kawakami Award, the Japan-Korea-China Joint Conference on Geography’s Young Geographer Prize, the Ryoko Akamatsu Youth Prize, as well as “best paper” awards from groups such as the Population Association of Japan, the Association for Overseas Koreans and the Hodogaya Foundation.

Our division serves as an open forum for energetic researchers who share our goals and seek to engage in dedicated research and creative practices.

KOBAYASHI Makoto
Dean of Division of Interdisciplinary Gender Studies
April 1, 2017