Ceremony held for UOsaka asiam Activity Contributions Awardees

On February 3, the award ceremony for the six winners of the AY2025 UOsaka asiam Activity Contributions Award was held in the President’s Office.
The ceremony was attended by President KUMANOGOH Atsushi, Professor Emeritus KUDO Mayumi, Executive Vice President HAYASHI Mikako (Director, Center for Diversity & Inclusion), Professor UMEDA Junko (Joining and Welding Research Institute), and the six award winners.

This award was established in AY2023 by the University of Osaka to recognize members of asiam, a network for female students in natural sciences, who actively engage in and make significant contributions to activities that cultivate qualities in themselves and other female students to become the researchers and leaders who will pioneer our future. This award was made possible by contributions to the University of Osaka Foundation for the Future Project “Gender Equality” by Professor Emeritus Kudo.

At the ceremony, President Kumanogoh presented each winner with an award certificate and a supplementary prize and delivered congratulatory remarks.

President Kumanogoh highly praised the significance of asiam’s wide-ranging activities and the exchanges that transcend faculties, graduate schools, and academic years, noting that they symbolize the diversity and inclusion the University of Osaka strives to promote. He emphasized that these initiatives have a substantial impact on both society and the next generation, while also serving as role models for younger students. He concluded with words of encouragement, expressing his hope that the winners would build on the experience gained through these activities, further develop their expertise, become leading female researchers who will shape the future, and contribute to the continued growth of asiam.

Professor Emeritus Kudo then spoke about the background and aspirations behind the founding of asiam. She explained that the initiative began in response to a strong request from female students at the time to be treated as individuals with their own unique identities, and that activities were launched under the guiding philosophy of “as I am.” She further noted that asiam’s efforts to broaden participation in the natural sciences beginning at the elementary school level are increasingly recognized as important by companies and other organizations.

Later, award winners and the ceremony attendees engaged in pleasant conversation, during which the awardees talked about their research themes.

Now in its fifth year, asiam’s activities have fostered strong “vertical, horizontal, and diagonal” connections, which were evident in the warm and friendly conversations among this year’s award winners. The president and other attendees expressed renewed expectations for asiam's activities, where female students collaborate to expand their positive impact on society and future generations.