天美影视

On Wednesday, May 17, 2023, eleven students from our university were invited by the Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in Japan (Takanawa, Minato-ku, Tokyo) to visit the embassy and engage in exchanges and discussions with business professionals. Last year, as part of a cultural exchange program, School of Business invited Ms. Aleksandra Kova?, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Serbia, to our university to give a lecture on the 140-year history of friendship between Serbia and Japan. Dean of School of Business, Nobuhiko Kubota, accompanied the students on this visit.

Ambassador Kovac had been exchanging views with J-Win (a non-profit organization that supports diversity management) on gender issues and women's advancement in society, and requested that we hold an exchange event between our university students and business professionals at the Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in Japan, which has now come to fruition.

This time, with the theme of "Women's Advancement in Society," Ambassador Kovac, female diplomats from the embassy, and three female executives from J-Win gathered together for a discussion with our university students that lasted for over three hours.

First, Ambassador Kova? touched upon the situation of women's advancement in Serbia, explaining that opportunities for women to play an active role in society have increased significantly in the last 20 years or so. He mentioned that Serbia is actively creating an environment where women can thrive, citing examples such as Prime Minister Ana Brnabi?, Serbia's first female prime minister, and the enactment of a law requiring that more than 40% of candidates on the list during elections be women.

Then, three members of J-Win, who hold top positions in major Japanese companies, shared their stories, which also served as self-introductions. They all shared stories of how they overcame numerous challenges to reach their current positions, as they entered the workforce around the time the Equal Employment Opportunity Law was enacted, but gender discrimination was still prevalent at the time.

Following that, our students introduced themselves and engaged in a discussion, asking various questions to the J-Win representatives. Every student spoke their mind without hesitation and actively expressed their opinions.

The participating students from our university were grateful for the valuable experience of visiting an embassy, a place they rarely have the opportunity to visit, and hearing from Ambassador Kova?, female diplomats Ivana and Marija, as well as top female executives from major Japanese companies. They also felt a strong desire to put what they learned to good use in the future.

Feedback from participating students of our university

?At first, I was nervous in front of the people who lead major corporations, but thanks to everyone's friendly personalities and easy-going atmosphere, each student was able to express their own thoughts, and I am grateful that they answered our questions very carefully.

While I identified the current situation and challenges in Japan, where gender equality is progressing globally, including in the Republic of Serbia, I also heard that systems are being put in place to enable women to play an active role, and I felt that it is important to consider how I myself will act.

I learned that unwavering effort, an unyielding spirit of challenge, and self-confidence are the keys to opening up career paths.

In Serbia, systems to promote women's participation in society are being implemented as laws, and Japanese companies are also making progress in adopting them. Learning that many women, including those who attended, are benefiting from this momentum and thriving has eased my anxieties about my career. Hearing various perspectives on "work-life balance" gave me a good opportunity to think concretely about my life plan, which I hadn't considered before, and I was deeply impressed by the valuable answers I received.

I learned that it is necessary to take initiative, such as voicing my opinions, continuing to pursue my dreams, and broadening my perspective to include overseas opportunities.

I learned the importance of having a strong will and continuing to work towards the direction I want to go.

I want to become a working adult who can pursue what I want to do wholeheartedly, without giving up on either marriage or work.

I decided that I wanted to pursue my ideal lifestyle and career without giving up either, and to tackle those things with confidence.

I realized that true confidence is something you acquire through effort. I want to dedicate myself fully to what I've decided to work hard at and build my confidence.

attendees

Aleksandra Kova?, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Serbia
Diplomats from the Republic of Serbia (Ivana and Marija)
Atsuko Oka, Senior Managing Executive Officer and Head of Research and Planning Division, Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation
Takako Suzuki, Executive Officer, Aflac Life Insurance Co., Ltd.
Honami Matsugasaki, Executive Officer, Deputy Head of Audit Department and Domestic Branch Audit Department, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation

Students participating from our university

＜School of Business＞
Shiho Itagaki (School of Business Department of Marketing 3rd year)
Fuka Suzuki (School of Business Department of Business Administration 3rd year)
Aio Hiramatsu (School of Business Department of Marketing 3rd year)
Ayumi Uchida (School of Business Department of Business Administration 3rd year)

＜School of International Politics, Economics and Communication＞
Urara Sakamoto（School of International Politics, Economics and Communication Department of International Politics 4 years)
Kaeko Hijikata（School of International Politics, Economics and Communication Department of International Politics 3years)
Nanami Inudo（School of International Politics, Economics and Communication Department of International Economics 2years)
Ms. Takane Okano (School of International Politics, Economics and Communication Department of International Politics 1 year)
Ms. Tamari Kurihara (School of International Politics, Economics and Communication Department of International Politics 1 year)

＜Faculty of Law＞
Fumine Matsumaru（Faculty of Law Department of Law 3rd year)
Aika Hondachi (Faculty of Law Department of Law 3rd year)