Miyoko Watanabe
Deputy Govt Director
Japan Science and Expertise Company
Japan
AsianScientist (Jun. 2, 2020) – On many fronts, Japan is a veritable scientific powerhouse. Because the flip of the 21st century, Japanese researchers have recurrently dominated science Nobel Prizes. Simply final yr, for example, Akira Yoshino gained the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the event of the lithium-ion battery.
In gentle of this, growing the visibility of girls in science and creating extra alternatives for feminine researchers have change into two causes strongly championed by Watanabe. This comes as no shock—in any case, in 1979, she made historical past as Toshiba R&D Heart’s first-ever feminine researcher. Rising by way of the ranks of scientific management in Japan, Watanabe is continuous to problem the established order as in her concurrent place as director of JST’s Workplace for Range and Inclusion.
On this interview with Asian Scientist Journal, Watanabe takes a glance again at her trailblazing profession beginnings and displays on how these experiences have formed her outlook on science and life.
I used to be the primary feminine researcher at Toshiba. My preliminary analysis concerned {the electrical} characterization of compound semiconductors. Nothing was anticipated of me, besides to be current. This gave me the liberty to do fundamental analysis in semiconductor physics. I wrote a whole lot of papers, revealed in high journals and was acknowledged as a very good researcher.
Alternatively, male researchers on the firm didn’t have a lot freedom, since they have been anticipated to do utilized analysis. However they’d entry to factories, which we didn’t have, and got extra alternatives to find out about enterprise.
JST’s priorities are to advertise analysis and improvement (R&D) and create information with social worth. As range performs a vital position in realizing a sustainable future, I want to promote analysis carried out by numerous people.
One other side to think about is the target of science. The worth of science can’t be measured solely by its contribution to financial prosperity. Science is a world public good that contributes to sustainable improvement and well-being.
You will need to elevate consciousness on the worth of gender range in analysis. Many researchers have no idea this sufficient. For instance, the financial worth of patents by mixed-gender groups is 54 p.c larger than these from male-only groups. The highest 10 p.c of interdisciplinary analysis papers additionally comes from mixed-gender groups. Kyushu College confirmed that feminine researchers had extra revealed and cited papers than male researchers. By publicizing these outcomes, extra folks will perceive the deserves of gender range.
We typically ask choice makers why they don’t promote feminine researchers. Most of their solutions are the identical—they can’t discover wonderful feminine candidates. However that is just because they don’t know many feminine researchers within the first place. Because of this JST arrange the Sensible Feminine Researchers Award (Jun Ashida Award) final yr. Collaborating with designer Jun Ashida was a key level as this confirmed that science could be linked to trend. Each fields search novelty, in any case.
We additionally set up an annual symposium for junior highschool ladies and their mother and father and lecturers. Lots of them don’t know that it’s potential to change into researchers and engineers. They assume that science levels are solely for individuals who’d prefer to change into docs, pharmacists or lecturers. Because of this we present them feminine researchers, founders and businesspeople, in order that they know there are numerous profession choices in the event that they pursue science.
Many Japanese persons are not conscious of the fantastic feminine researchers we’ve. If we’ve efficient science communication, feminine scientists will likely be extra fashionable.
The method of science has additionally modified. Beforehand, we carried out R&D in closed programs, however now the general public may contribute to science and expertise. Scientists due to this fact want to speak extra with residents utilizing new strategies of science communication. Many individuals get data on-line, so citizen science has change into fashionable. Massive knowledge could be collected by way of citizen science—and as we’ve seen, that is vital particularly in emergency conditions like COVID-19.
One initiative is the annual Science Agora, an open science fora the place stakeholders get collectively and talk science. One other initiative is the Science Window publication, an academic science journal for lecturers and college students meant to foster scientific literacy. Roughly 39,000 private and non-private colleges in Japan have complimentary subscriptions to this journal. It is a crucial element of our efforts to help science communication and STEM schooling.
Along with the Science Council of Japan, we launched the idea of “Gender Equality 2.0 (GE 2.0)” on the Gender Summit 10 in Could 2017. GE2.0 advocates that gender equality shouldn’t be an remoted downside. It’s associated to different elements, together with geography, ethics, tradition, age and so forth. Because of this gender equality shouldn’t be an issue unique to ladies and ladies, however an issue for everybody. Subsequently, we need to promote gender equality along with different folks in society.
Many nations have adopted quota programs and affirmative motion to advertise gender equality. Nonetheless, these will not be fashionable in Japan. We respect the autonomy of individuals even in selling gender equality; that is the Japanese manner.
Minorities play an vital position in each supplies science analysis and society. In semiconductors, my analysis confirmed that dopants are essential for {the electrical} units that are actually ubiquitous in trendy society. Equally, minority folks can contribute significantly to society, so I’m proud to be a minority within the discipline. In actual fact, I’ve been at all times free and open to new challenges exactly as a result of I’ve by no means been a part of the bulk.
This text is from a month-to-month sequence referred to as Asia’s Scientific Trailblazers. Click on right here to learn different articles within the sequence.
Copyright: Asian Scientist Journal; Picture: Miyoko Watanabe.
Disclaimer: This text doesn’t essentially mirror the views of AsianScientist or its workers.