The Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion is currently considering ways of implementing an experimental mentoring program for women's empowerment and leadership development at Keio University. For the 2022 academic year, a total of 38 women who work as faculty members agreed to be placed into mentor/mentee pairs for a pilot program lasting approximately one year.
To reflect on the time between the program's kickoff event in July and the end of the year, the office organized an event to review their interim report.
What is the APWiL Mentoring Program?
The APWiL Mentoring Program coordinates and matches mentors and mentees nominated from participating universities across a variety of regions. They provide support throughout a year-long mentorship.
The mentor and mentee discuss and set goals for their time together, meeting approximately once every two months. They submit both mid-term and final reports of their progress.
The program also includes workshops and events focused on women in leadership, women's empowerment, and career development. They host a graduation ceremony for the program participants at the end of the year.
What is the Keio Mentoring Program (Pilot Program)?
The Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion is currently considering ways of implementing an experimental mentoring program for women's empowerment and leadership development at Keio University. Keio University believes that its women leaders should be at the forefront of school management, promote reforms, and pioneer new paths forward.
Based on the mentor and mentee experiences gained through Keio's participation in the APWiL Mentoring Program, the school has set out with its faculty members to establish its own "Mentoring Program Committee."
The university is experimenting with formats for this mentoring program by incorporating characteristics and know-how from the APWiL Mentoring Program for female faculty members.
Components:
Time Period: July 2022 - March 2023
Consultations between mentors and mentees to set goals and schedules for the year
Discussions themed around leadership and empowerment to provide a space for both sides to learn from each other
Open workshops to be held apart from individual mentor/mentee sessions
Interim Report Event
On December 5, Keio University held an event to review its Mentoring Program (Pilot Program) interim report.
16 participants attended the interim report event which consisted of a workshop with a topical lecture and interactive discussion. The lecture was delivered by Tamao Sasada, a representative of Bank of America and President of BofA Securities in Japan, who spoke about women and leadership, using her experiences with BofA Securities initiatives as examples.
The event provided a rich opportunity for participants to share in lively discussion groups about shifts in attitudes and potential futures they have discovered for themselves and the university as a whole.
The final briefing for the program is scheduled for late March and will feature a "Graduation Ceremony" held by and for the program participants.
