Against the backdrop of aging society and declining birthrate, there are concerns about the decline in Japan’s national power. In this program, we will focus on “5. Gender Equality” and “8. Job Satisfaction and Economic Growth” of the SDGs, and collaborate with small and medium-sized companies in Japan that aim to create new value by utilizing the diversity of their human resources. Students from the Netherlands and Finland will be invited to work with Japanese students to explore models in which an environment in which diverse human resources can work leads to the growth of companies and countries.

It is said that Japan is an advanced country in terms of issues. In particular, the aging of society and the declining birthrate are serious issues that directly lead to a decrease in human resources and a shrinking market. In this program, we will pay particular attention to SDG 5, “Gender Equality,” and SDG 8, “Job Satisfaction and Economic Growth,” and work with small and medium-sized companies in Japan where women are strongly involved in value creation. This is because we believe that the future of Japan depends on SMEs, which account for 99% of the total number of domestic companies and 65% of the total number of employees, promoting behavioral change with an eye to social issues. We will invite as guest lecture from industriy where artisans, once thought to be male-dominated, are playing an active role, companies that use women’s unique sensibilities to propose aesthetically pleasing products while reducing environmental impact, and companies that make things, one of Japan’s strengths. In addition, we will invite as guest lecturers a labor and social security corporation run by a female labor and social security attorney with the motto “Innovation in the way companies work and the environment in which children are raised” and a person in charge of promoting a project to support female entrepreneurs at a consulting firm. We will design a multifaceted learning program on gender equality, job satisfaction, and the creation of opportunities for economic growth, including legal systems and financial support.

The program will be led by a professor specializing in the study of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), who will maximize the value of the program through overall coordination and liaison with companies. Participants are planned to be invited from partner business schools in the Netherlands and Finland. Students from J.F. Oberlin University will also be invited to participate in the program, creating an environment where students from Japan, the Netherlands, and Finland can learn from each other. It is hoped that the participating students will apply what they have learned in this program to social issues closer to home.

日本は課題先進国であると言われる。中でも高齢化・少子化問題は、人財減少と市場縮小に直結する重大な問題である。本プログラムでは、特にSDGs5の「ジェンダー平等」、SDGs8「働きがいと経済成長」に注目し、主に女性が価値創造に強く関わる国内中小企業と協働する。国内企業数で99%、従業員数で65％を占める中小企業が、社会課題を見据えて行動変容を促進することは日本の将来を左右すると考えているからである。男性優位と思われていた職人が活躍する業種、女性ならではの感性で環境負荷を減らしつつ審美的な商品提案をする企業、日本の強みであるものづくりの企業代表取締役を外部講師として招聘する。さらに、「企業の働き方と子どもたちの育つ環境にイノベーションを」をモットーにして女性の社会保険労務士が経営・活躍する社会保険労務士法人や、女性の起業家支援プロジェクトをコンサルティングファームにて推進している担当者を外部講師として招聘し、法制度や金融支援なども含めて、多面的にジェンダー平等や働きがいと経済成長の機会創出に関する学びを設計する。
指導には、中小企業研究を専門とする本学教授があたり、プログラム全体のコーディネーションや企業との調整を通じてプログラムの価値を最大化する。参加者は、オランダとフィンランドの協定ビジネススクールの学生で、ともに人口小国であり、ジェンダー・多様な人材の活用を国力の充実につなげている両国である。本学の学生参加も募り、日本、オランダ、フィンランドの３カ国で学び合う環境を作る。参加学生には、本プログラムで学んだことを、さらに身近な社会課題に当てはめて考えるきっかけとすることを期待する。