The Tohoku University Global COE Program, “Gender Equality and Multicultural Conviviality in the Age of Globalization” (selected in FY2008 in the Social Sciences)
This Global COE (GCOE) advances the achievements of Tohoku University’s 21st Century COE Program, “Gender Law and Policy Center” from a general social sciences perspective, and aspires to establish a world-class research and education center on gender equality and multicultural conviviality in the age of globalization. Collaborating with the Institute of Social Science (ISS) at the University of Tokyo and other institutions at home and abroad, our GCOE aims to build a research and human resources development framework that will foster young researchers, legal professionals, and policy specialists in a global arena.
We also hope that our research and educational findings will be reflected in actual policies. This GCOE Program analyzes new social issues emerging from the recent rise of globalization. It pursues societal conditions necessary for realizing gender and other social equalities from a multicultural conviviality viewpoint, as well as conditions for resolving conflicts among different socio-cultural groups. The GCOE Program attempts to develop a dynamic and diversified approach towards issues related to gender equality in an era of globalization. This is also a challenging Program that seeks pluralism in a convivial society by looking beyond gender by integrating aspects like race, culture, age, and disabilities.
In order to carry out this challenging Program, we have established fifteen research projects and conducted work with a number of research associates since FY 2008. GCOE Research by FY2010 has resulted in four books in the GCOE Project Members’ Book Series, four books in the GCOE Project Research Book Series, and the 2008, 2009, and 2010 volumes of the GEMC journal. To support young researchers, the Program commenced the Cross-National Doctoral Course (CNDC), which is a joint doctoral program that offers participating students an opportunity to attain joint degrees from their home institutions and from Tohoku University. As of April 2011, a total of 22 students from the University of Sheffield, ENS-Lyon, Université Lumière Lyon 2, Tsinghua University, and Chinese Academy of Social Sciences have entered the doctoral program at Tohoku’s School of Law through the CNDC. They have been working on their thesis and joint researches. Seven more students are scheduled to join in October 2011. In addition, as new overseas partner institutions, Yonsei University, Seoul National University, and National Taiwan University joined this program from last year.
In July, 2010 the Research Center for Gender Equality and Multicultural Conviviality was moved to the 1st floor, Extended Education & Research Building, Katahira Campus, Tohoku University. More than 7,500 books are available at the research center, and it operates as both a resource center and research base for young researchers. We strongly hope that the research center will be important research center as “think tank” for Tohoku University’s gender equality policies. Also we wish the research center will contribute to society by being open to the public (For further information, please refer to the website of Research Center for Gender Equality and Multicultural Conviviality).
GCOE has been extending its network along with its domestic branch at the University of Tokyo’s ISS and overseas satellite bureaus (e.g. the University of Ottawa, Canada). To promote the GCOE’s programs and activities, we offer our website in six languages and our annual “FACTBOOK.”
Through collaborations with researchers, research and education organizations, governmental agencies, and civic groups, we strive towards achieving our GCOE Program objectives. We thank you for your kind support and cooperation in our endeavors.
June, 2011
GCOE Program Leader
TSUJIMURA Miyoko
(Professor, School of Law, Tohoku University)
GCOE Program Sub Leaders
OHNISHI Hitoshi
(Professor, School of Law, Tohoku University)
MIZUNO Noriko
(Professor, School of Law, Tohoku University)
ISS Collaboration GCOE Program Leader
OSAWA Mari
(Professor, Institute of Social Science, The University of Tokyo)
