Japan’s education ministry asks University of Tokyo to review presidential selection — The Japan Times

Japan’s Ministry of Education has asked the University of Tokyo to review the procedure for selecting its new president. This is the first time the country’s government has made such a request to a university, The Japan Times reports.

Education Minister Yoshihiro Seki said the university’s management policy council should independently examine the presidential selection process. According to him, this is necessary to ensure that the institution’s governance system meets its accountability obligations.

Candidate placed second in the vote

At the end of September, the Presidential Selection and Review Committee chose Yuko Fujigaki, a professor at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, as the 32nd president of the University of Tokyo. She will become the first woman to hold the position and is due to begin a six-year term in April.

However, Fujigaki placed second in two rounds of polling among administrators and faculty members. In the final vote among three candidates, Takao Someya, a professor of electrical and electronic engineering, received 1,107 votes, Fujigaki received 553, and Ryūji Yamamoto, a law professor, received 451.

More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.

Committee’s explanations deemed insufficient

The committee consists of 16 members. Its chair, Hiroko Kuniya, explained that candidates were assessed based on profiles, recommendations, interviews, video messages, voting results and committee members’ positions during discussions. Following the review, Fujigaki received the greatest support within the committee.

The decision drew criticism from the public, politicians and some faculty members, who questioned the purpose of holding the votes. Minister Seki said the explanations released by the committee contained no new details, including about internal discussions that were not disclosed due to confidentiality.

The committee said it was seeking a leader with high ethical standards who could restore trust in the university after a series of scandals. Over the past year, several university professors were arrested on bribery charges, while an internal investigation identified more than 20 other ethics violations.