April 10th, 2024
Following the Noto Peninsula earthquake that occurred on January 1st, Associate Professor Minako Yoshii of the University's School of Education visited the affected areas in Ishikawa Prefecture in late March to provide assistance with soup kitchens and offer words of adivce to temporary housing residents.
Three months have passed since the Noto Peninsula earthquake occurred on April 1st, and many people are still forced to live under difficult conditions.
Associate Professor Yoshii, who is conducting disaster prevention research on post-disaster life and shelter management, visited Wajima City, Suzu City, and Anamizu Town from March 23rd to 25th, sharing information with researchers and acquaintances who had already been to the disaster areas, together with a graduate student, whose parents live in Anamizu Town.
Associate Professor Yoshii said, "There are still some houses that are left tilted and debris in the affected areas. Water supply has been cut off in many areas, and the victims are forced to live in a difficult environment, making it clear that support for rebuilding their lives is a challenge. We also realized that although volunteers have been coming in little by little, it takes time to get to and from the affected areas due to the lack of transportation, and that activities are not progressing as fast as we would like for it to be."
April 6th, 2024
On the 6th, when the cherry blossoms on campus were in full bloom, the entrance ceremony for the graduate school students of Mukogawa Women's University was held in the Media Hall of the Kusaka Memorial Multimedia Hall. In addition, the entrance ceremony for Mukogawa Junior High school was held in the morning and that for the Senior High school in the afternoon at the Koe Memorial Auditorium.
In FY2024, a total of 145 students newly entered the graduate school, including those in the master's, doctoral, and major programs. Since the graduate school is coeducational, some in the audience were male.
The entrance ceremony for 134 students from the attached junior high school and 237 students from the attached senior high school took place at the Koe Memorial Auditorium on the university campus. The junior high school and high school have started two courses this year, the SOAR Global Science Course and the SOAR Exploration Course, and the students enrolled this year are the first generation of classes for each course.
The junior high school entrance ceremony opened with a performance by the orchestra club. Principal Shigeto Serada gave the following words in his address: "The two new courses will engage in a full range of exploratory activities. In addition, we will nurture students to be active in international society through overseas training and the acquisition of English proficiency tests, and provide career education appropriate for the centennial era of Japanese life. We encourage students to think and act freely and develop their talents and characteristics by taking advantage of the environment in which they are blessed to have role models of high school and university students around them.”
The representative student introduced his daily efforts to balance club activities and studies, and said, "The process of striving toward your goals is what makes you grow.” The student representative encouraged the students to "enjoy your studies, club activities, and on-campus events to the fullest, and create many wonderful memories."
April 4th, 2024
On the 6th, when the cherry blossoms on campus were in full bloom, the entrance ceremony for the graduate school students of Mukogawa Women's University was held in the Media Hall of the Kusaka Memorial Multimedia Hall. In addition, the entrance ceremony for Mukogawa Junior High school was held in the morning and that for the Senior High school in the afternoon at the Koe Memorial Auditorium.
In FY2024, a total of 145 students newly entered the graduate school, including those in the master's, doctoral, and major programs. Since the graduate school is coeducational, some in the audience were male.
The entrance ceremony for 134 students from the attached junior high school and 237 students from the attached senior high school took place at the Koe Memorial Auditorium on the university campus. The junior high school and high school have started two courses this year, the SOAR Global Science Course and the SOAR Exploration Course, and the students enrolled this year are the first generation of classes for each course.
The junior high school entrance ceremony opened with a performance by the orchestra club. Principal Shigeto Serada gave the following words in his address: "The two new courses will engage in a full range of exploratory activities. In addition, we will nurture students to be active in international society through overseas training and the acquisition of English proficiency tests, and provide career education appropriate for the centennial era of Japanese life. We encourage students to think and act freely and develop their talents and characteristics by taking advantage of the environment in which they are blessed to have role models of high school and university students around them.”
The representative student introduced his daily efforts to balance club activities and studies, and said, "The process of striving toward your goals is what makes you grow.” The student representative encouraged the students to "enjoy your studies, club activities, and on-campus events to the fullest, and create many wonderful memories."
April 3rd, 2024
The entrance ceremony for the 2024 academic year of Mukogawa Women's University and Junior College was held at the Koe Memorial Auditorium on the Main Campus on March 3rd. The ceremony was divided into three sessions on the 3rd and 4th. 756 students from the three faculties (School of Letters, School of Food Sciences and Nutrition, and School of Architecture) and the Junior College's Department of Dietary Life and Food Sciences attended the ceremony on the 3rd. 71 of the first generation of students of the Department of History and Culture in the School of Letters, which opened in April 2024, also attended the ceremony. Despite the rain, students in ceremonial uniforms were seen all over campus taking commemorative photos with their families and friends.
At the entrance ceremony, President Kazuyoshi Seguchi welcomed the students with a "Declaration of Admission." In his address, President Seguchi introduced the eight qualities of the "MUKOGAWA COMPASS," a human resource development policy announced on April 1st to respond to the new era, and said, "I hope you will acquire these qualities during your university years and use them as a foundation for your personal success." He added, "The difference between high school and university is that university students are treated as adults. Students study in 12 schools and 20 departments in a variety of fields of specialization. Universities collaborate with industry, local governments, and other universities in a variety of ways, and your learning has the potential to extend far beyond the campus. I hope that the unknown world of university shines brightly in your eyes now," he encouraged.
The representative of new students, Ms. Minaho Yokote, a first-year student in the Department of History and Culture, made a strong pledge to lead a fulfilling university life. The representative of current students, Mai Sogo, chairperson of the General Affairs Committee, gave the following words of welcome: "When you are facing difficulties, please rely on the people around you. And don't forget to smile. I hope that when you graduate, you will be glad to have been a Mukojo student."
After the entrance ceremony, the new students were divided by department and participated in an orientation session. In the Department of History and Culture, two classes of students gathered in one classroom, where they were met by eight faculty members. Department Chair Yasuhiro Muto said, "This department is dedicated to the study of history and culture. Let's do our best so that the next four years of study will be the beginning of the history of this department and the making of the history of each and every one of you."
The entrance ceremony will be held on the 4th tomorrow, and a total of 2,440 students from the university and junior college will start their new student life.
Later on in the day, an informative lecture was held for parents and others who attended the ceremony, explaining student life, employment, and future support after graduation, and other topics.
April 1st. 2024
On April 1st, the 2024 academic year began at Mukogawa Women's University, which now has 12 schools and 20 departments with the opening of the Department of History and Culture in the School of Letters, and the faculty and staff started the new academic year a few days earlier than the entrance ceremony.
At the opening plenary session, Chancellor Ryo Okawara encouraged the administrative staff to "work together as one for a strong administrative team that is trusted by students and faculty. Looking ahead to the next 15 years as the largest women's comprehensive university in Japan heading toward its 100th anniversary, he cited four major obstacles: the declining population of 18-year-olds, diverse social issues, lagging education in Japan, and the slump in women's universities, and said, "We are expected to face difficult circumstances, but change is an opportunity for growth." He called on everyone to think together about the direction in which we can contribute to society through education and research as a school corporation and further develop as one.
There are 45 newly appointed faculty members. At the plenary session, the new administrative staff members were introduced, and the representative made a powerful speech, saying, "I would like to face my duties with sincerity and chart my own career path toward the 100th anniversary of the university."
Mukogawa Women's University has established the human resource development policy "MUKOGAWA COMPASS" as part of the "New Mukogawa Women's Education" reforms that have been implemented since FY2021, and announced it on its website on this day. The policy is presented on the university's website and other media on the day of the event.
March 29th, 2024
The Institute for the Women's Career Advancement and Gender Equality Development Leadership held "Leadership Development Training for Women Researchers" from March 4th to the 15th, with a total of 251 participants from all faculty, staff, and graduate students (master's and doctoral degree programs, coeducational) of the university taking the online and face-to-face courses.
The program was part of the FY2023 "MEXT Grant-in-Aid for Human Resource Development in Science and Technology: Initiative for Realization of a Diverse Research Environment (Female Leader Development Type)" program. The Initiative for Realization of a Diverse Research Environment (Female Leader Development Type) supports the development of a research environment that gives consideration to the work-life balance of female researchers, supports resuming work after maternity leave, and encourages proactive promotion, in order to increase diversity in the research environment and produce outstanding research results.
The theme of the first session, held on March 4, was "Assertive Communication.” Participants learned the basic concepts of assertive communication, how to listen, and how to communicate, with the aim of creating a comfortable working environment and facilitating work through their own communication. The second session (March 8) focused on "anti-harassment measures" and discussed communication that does not lead to harassment. In the third session (March 11), based on the contents of the first and second sessions, participants considered leadership from various perspectives, not only understanding the role and abilities of a leader, but also becoming aware of how to manage them by utilizing their own strengths and understanding the motivation behind leadership positions. The final session (March 15) was "Intercultural Understanding”. Participants considered how to perceive different cultures without being bound by stereotypes, understand their characteristics, and have a mindset of accepting diversity.
Each theme consisted of a lecture and group work. Participants incorporated what they understood in the lectures into their own experiences in each of the sessions, and learned from each other's experiences and ideas in the group work sessions. Participants commented, "It gave me a reason to change my way of thinking," "I want to start using it immediately starting tomorrow," and "Everyone's response to the same case was slightly different, and I thought this is what diversity is all about."