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[Event Report] AY 2022 Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Promotion Week

The Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion held an educational event titled "2022 Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Promotion Week" from Friday, February 24 to Monday, March 13, 2023 (co-organized with the Keio University Faculty Development Committee and supported by the Office for Promotion of Equality and Diversity at Waseda University).

Six programs were held throughout the week. They included a wide variety of talks, film screenings, discussion sessions and seminars related to the Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion's three key initiatives: work-life balance, barrier-free access, and diversity. During the event, speakers from various fields took the stage and many Keio students, faculty and staff members, including those from affiliated schools, also participated in person or online. Participants were eager to share their thoughts during discussions as well as during Q&A sessions, contributing to the improvement of Keio University's environment for promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion.

In addition, event organizers worked to ensure information accessibility by providing live-captioning for all of the programs and sign language interpretation for portions of the programming.

 


 

We would like to share with you some of the feedback we received from those who participated in the week's programming, along with photos from the event.

 

February 24 (Fri)

How to Survive Life in Graduate School: Discussion Session with Alumni



- I learned a lot from listening to talks about the various career paths of graduate school alumni. I was glad that the questions from the moderator matched the points I was concerned about.

- I was able to visualize what life in graduate school would be like. I think it was very useful not only for graduate students, but also for undergraduates and students from affiliated schools who are worried about their future career paths, to learn about "what comes next".

 

February 24 (Fri)

Sustainability from a Campus Perspective



- I had some knowledge of the SDGs, but I had never really thought about how to translate them into action, so this was a great exercise for me.

- Previously, I could not understand how SDG activities influenced our lives nor comprehend the meaning behind such initiatives, but after being provided with actual data and evidence during the lecture, such as future projections of global warming, I finally felt like I was able to grasp the urgency of the situation. Furthermore, we also learned about specific activities at SFC and I felt that we also need to implement changes at our own campus, one at a time.

 

March 1 (Wed)

Health Seminar: Facing and Living with Cancer




- I only thought of "cancer" as something to be scared of, but the presentation and the data it included was easy to understand, and it changed my perception. Thank you very much.

- I gained a lot of awareness and knowledge from this very technical yet easy-to-understand lecture. I had always felt that cancer was a somewhat distant thing but close to half of all people suffer from it regardless of gender. It reminded me to take charge of my health and keep up with my medical checkups.

- I thought it was an excellent seminar that provided a comprehensive understanding of cancer through both general and detailed discussions. I feel very fortunate to have attended.

 

March 2 (Thu)

The Secret to Balancing Work and Caregiving: Knowing the Basics of Caregiving and Managing Caregiving While Working



- I was able to learn the basics of the long-term care system and what I need to do before I can use it. I also appreciated how detailed the explanations were, which included expertise based on practical experience. I really learned a lot.

- I found the topic very easy to approach because the presentation involved relatable and realistic examples. I thought this was a very important topic because caregiving responsibilities could fall on anyone.

 

March 6 (Mon)

Film: Tomodachi Yameta (I quit being your friend) 1-week limited screening with special panel (sign language interpretation available)



- I felt it was great that Dr. Nakajima, the panel facilitator, asked general questions that non-disabled people would have in a way that was easy to understand.

- I think it is important for every person to be self-aware of their own idiosyncrasies when learning different ways to communicate.

 

Thoughts on the film (excerpts)

- I was shocked to learn about the different ways sign language could be used. It would be good if many people, including the young generation who are about to become full-fledged members of society, could see this film and be impacted in the same way I was.

 

March 13 (Mon)

A New Inclusive Society created from "Experiential Dialogue"



- It gave me a chance to think about what is important for people of different backgrounds to live together. I was especially moved by the warmth of Shimura's speech.

- I thought the content, the types of student involvement, the activities that get to the core of @ease, and the steps to understanding it, were excellent.

- It was a good opportunity to learn new things. I was particularly surprised to hear at the end of the session that wearing eye masks or face masks can undermine one's sense of walking for people with visual impairments. It never occurred to me that there was such a thing, so it was a great learning experience. Thank you very much.

 

An archive of this event will be posted at a later date. For anyone interested in the programs, they will be included in the event archive which will be uploaded on the Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion website.

 

We would like to express our gratitude once again to everyone who participated in the event as well as those who helped organize it.