2025 Volume 95 Issue 1 Pages 17-22
Nara Women's University in Japan opened the Faculty of Engineering, the first of its kind, in April 2022 because women's advancements in the field of engineering had been lagging behind those of men. An increase in female engineers is necessary for the development of Japan's industry and economy; however, to achieve this goal, engineering education that is attractive to women is necessary. According to the survey, engineering that is attractive to women focuses on the needs of people and society.
To understand the needs of people and society, a liberal arts education is necessary. In addition, to select a problem to solve from among the many problems faced by people and society, individuals must know their preferences, strengths, and weaknesses. Therefore, the liberal arts education at Nara Women's University fosters self-awareness, thus enhancing the regular liberal arts education.
Self-awareness is the basis for deciding what to do. "Initiative" is knowing "what one should do" and doing it, so finding problems to solve by oneself based on self-awareness creates initiative.
Until now, women have been a minority in the field of engineering, which is a disadvantage in terms of expressing individual abilities. Therefore, the Faculty of Engineering at a women's university, where only women can study engineering, has attracted attention and received support from organizations both in Japan and overseas.
