October 8th, 2024
On October 4, events were held at Mukogawa Women's University Main Campus, the junior high and high school, the kindergarten, and the nursery school to commemorate the founder of Mukogawa Gakuin, Mr. Kiichiro Koe.
Since Mr. Koe passed away on September 6, 1981, and his funeral was held on October 6, the institute has designated this day as the “Day of the School Ancestor”. This year marked the 43rd anniversary.
The commemorative event at the University was held in the Memorial Hall's in KM building. Chancellor Ryo Okawara said, “Mukogawa Gakuin faced a crisis of existence when half of its buildings were lost in the Pacific War seven years after its founding, but it overcame the crisis thanks to the fierce efforts of Mr. Koe and students. I would like to pay tribute to those predecessors who laid the foundation for the development of Mukogawa Gakuin today,” he said in his address. He concluded his speech by saying, “I would like to report to Koe-sensei that the school is in a difficult situation due to the declining birth rate, but all the directors, faculty members, and staff here are making efforts to overcome this tough state we face."
It is customary to listen to a recording of Dr. Koe's voice recording on the day of. The attendees listened to Koe-sensei's empowering voice as he spoke of the importance of “bringing together trustworthy people and valuing harmony among people in the management of a private school."
October 8th, 2024
The MWU Writers-in-Residence 2024 was held on August 24 and 25 at the Tanrei-gakuen Training Center, with the participation of 12 students.
The “MWU Writers in Residence 2024” is a unique program of the Department of Japanese Language and Literature of the School of Letters in which students of any grade are free to participate. The guest lecturer for this year's program will be a writer from the year 2021.
This year's guest lecturer is novelist Gregory Kesnajat, who won the 2nd Kyoto Literary Award in 2021 for “Kamogawa Runner”. As an author who writes in Japanese, which is not his native language, he lectured about his encounter with the Japanese language, his first novel in Japanese, his ingenuity in conception and expression, as well as tips on how to win awards for his novels.
After the lecture, the students moved to a place where they could concentrate freely and tried their hand at writing, and on the second day, they read their writing to each other and exchanged opinions to improve the accuracy of their respective works and complete them.
Sae Aoyama, a fourth-year student in the Department of Japanese Language and Literature, who participated in the event, commented, “It was a truly meaningful experience as I was able to interact with students who share the same goals beyond their grade level and hear in-depth discussions that I would not normally be able to learn in a lecture."
October 8th, 2024
Mukogawa Women's University has concluded a comprehensive partnership agreement with “Ronald McDonald House Charities Japan,” which operates “Ronald McDonald House Charities Japan,” a nationwide facility for families accompanying children who are hospitalized or attending hospital visits for medical treatment, and “McDonald's Japan Corporation,” which operates McDonald's restaurants in Hyogo Prefecture. With the conclusion of the agreement, the three parties will work together to support sick children and their families through the “Ronald McDonald House,” develop human resources capable of solving various issues, improve research capabilities, and promote regional contributions. This is the second time in Japan and the first time in the Kansai region that Donald McDonald House Charities Japan has concluded a partnership agreement with a university.
At the university, the School of Business Administration has been working with McDonald's on an industry-university collaborative project to “develop human resources for sustainability” since fiscal year 2022. With a view to supporting the “Donald McDonald House Kobe (Kobe House),” the only one of its kind in Hyogo Prefecture, starting this year, students will receive lectures from those involved, visit “Kobe House,” and participate in training at McDonald's restaurants. The students of the affiliated high school and neighboring high schools have also begun to participate in the project, leading to the conclusion of this agreement in an effort to develop the project into a university-wide initiative.
Mr. Tadashi Iwanaka, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Ronald McDonald House Charities Japan, which operates 12 Donald McDonald Houses in Japan, said, “The operation of the Houses is entirely supported by donations and volunteers. In this time of declining birthrates, we want to support pediatric care and local communities by advocating the importance of family-centered care to keep children happy and smiling."
The students are scheduled to stand as volunteers at McDonald's stores and call for donations at the “Blue Mac Day” charity event to be held at McDonald's stores nationwide on and around October 20.
October 5th, 2024
The graduate school degree award ceremony dated September 30, 2024, and the university and junior college diploma and degree award ceremony were held on October 5 in the Media Hall of the Kusaka Memorial Multimedia Hall.
Sixty-four students who earned the credits necessary to acquire qualifications at the graduate school, the university, and the junior college during the first semester each received diplomas from President Kazuyoshi Seguchi, representing the graduate school, the university, and the junior college, respectively.
After the ceremony, some graduates were in tears as they were approached by their professors, and others were seen holding their diplomas and degrees and taking pictures on campus with their parents and former teachers.
October 3rd, 2024
On October 2nd, the MUKOJO Future Education Program SOAR (SOAR) was held for the first time at Mukogawa Women's University Junior and Senior High School for approximately 230 first-year high school students.
SOAR is a customized education program developed by the University's Research Institute for Women's Career Advancement and Gender Equality Development to help students deepen their understanding of issues surrounding women and to strengthen the ability to lead their respective lives independently. The program has been offered to university students since 2022, and the first session was held for high school students in order to raise potential career awareness from high school.
Professor Kyoko Takahashi, Director of Research Institute for Women's Career Advancement and Gender Equality Development, opened the event by saying, “Let's all acquire the strength to be our utmost self and learn to live life to the fullest, and to carve out a lifelong career in the best way suited to you." Professor Akemi Nakamura of the School of Education gave a lecture on “Gender and Sexuality” and Professor Chieko Takahashi of the School of Business Administration gave a lecture on “Career Design and Life Planning.”
Professor Nakamura introduced the topics, sexuality, gender, and individual sexuality with illustrations. She asked, “What color do you think of when you hear the word ‘boy’?” What kind of scene do you imagine when you hear the word “mother”? She asked such questions as “What color do you think of when you hear the word ‘boy’?
Using data, Professor Chieko Takahashi explained that despite the increase in the number of working women in Japan, the advancement of women in the economy and politics has not progressed. On the other hand, she said that since the number of female leaders and workplaces where women can work comfortably is on the rise, “let's rewire our minds to acknowledge that women should continue to work and become leaders, rather than being caught up in the assumption of how women should be."
Students responded to the professors' invitations by raising their hands, speaking up, and taking notes.
September 30th, 2025
Construction has begun on the Project Building at the Hama-Koshien Campus, which will serve as a learning facility for the School of Environment and Sustainability, which will open in April 2025. Construction is scheduled to be completed in August 2025 to coincide with the start of the first term students' projects. You can see an image of the completed building on the YouTube channel of the Public Relations Office.
The “Project Building” will be located in the west area of the Hama-Koshien Campus. It is a two-story wooden building with a long north-south axis, and a total of four project rooms will be located on the first and second floors to the south and north of the atrium lounge.
What catches the eye is the highly flexible modular design and environmental considerations. Natural materials such as wood and diatomaceous earth-based materials are used extensively. Breezeways will be provided in various locations and highly insulated double glazing will be used to reduce environmental impact and allow students to experience living in harmony with the environment on a daily basis. With a focus on local production, the plan is to use Hyogo made cypress and Japanese cedar for some of the lumber.