Details of the Initiative

On Wednesday, December 16, 2020, from 14:00 to 16:00, we held a special online lecture titled “How do the top leaders of Japanese companies view diversity management?” This project has been held every year since academic year 2018 within the Academic Festival sponsored by the university as part of educational and research perspectives and social enlightenment activities. In academic year 2020, the Gender Center of the School of Information and Communication organized this webinar-style event on Zoom as a new trial in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Diversity refers to differences in nationality, race, gender, sexual orientation, disability, age, etc., as well as differences in values, abilities, experiences, knowledge, etc. This project focused on the promotion of human resources diversity as the main objective of enhancing corporate competitiveness. We invited lecturers Mr. Seiji Yasubuchi, President and CEO of AXA Holdings Japan Co., Ltd., and Ms. Keiko Tashiro, Deputy President of Daiwa Securities Group Inc. The panel discussion and Q&As were facilitated by Ushio. Before their lectures, third-year students of Ushio Seminar gave a presentation about the companies, including an introduction of the lecturers. Some participants who are in the process of their job search commented that they would like to work for a company with managers such as the lecturers.

The online special lecture titled “How do the top leaders of Japanese companies view diversity management?” was held. Lectures by two executives of companies engaged in advanced initiatives for diversity management, panel discussions, which I facilitated, and Q&As with more than 200 participants were also actively conducted.
Three executives gave lectures and held panel discussions on diversity management in the financial industry. Before the lecture, the students gave a presentation about the companies, and in the second part, we had a discussion that I facilitated. The hall, with a capacity of 192 people, was so popular that there was only standing room.
We invited the leaders of five companies that place diversity at the core of corporate management to give lectures and participate in an 8-hour session that I facilitated. In this event, before each lecture, a student gave a presentation about the company, and opinions were exchanged actively with more than 500 visitors. After that, the event ended in a great success.
In the event shown in photo (2), the students of Ushio Seminar gave a presentation on the diversity management efforts of each company, including an introduction of each lecturer, to welcome Kazuhiro Higashi, President of Resona Holdings Inc., Chie Toriumi, Executive Vice President of Nomura Securities Co., Ltd., and Tamao Sasada, President of Merrill Lynch Japan Securities Co., Ltd. The students were all smiles after the performance.
In the online lecture titled “How do the top leaders of Japanese companies view diversity management?” Mr. Seiji Yasubuchi, President and CEO of AXA Holdings Japan Co., Ltd., and Ms. Keiko Tashiro, Deputy President of Daiwa Securities Group Inc., gave lectures, and the students gave a presentation including introducing the lecturers.