The education ministry has requested that the University of Tokyo review how it selected its new president after the institution chose a woman for the role for the first time despite her finishing second in a faculty vote. The selection raised questions over how the screening body came to its decision.
It was the first time for the government to make such a request regarding how a university selected its president.
“A self‑directed review of the process behind the presidential selection to ensure the University of Tokyo’s governance is fulfilling its accountability obligations is the first step toward reform,” education minister Yoshihiro Seki said on Tuesday, adding that the request called for an inspection by the university’s management policy council.
Yuko Fujigaki, a professor at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, was picked by the University President Screening & Inspection Committee in late September to become the University of Tokyo’s 32nd president. She finished second in two rounds of an administrative and faculty member poll, however, prompting questions as to why she was chosen. Fujigaki is slated to start her six‑year term next April.
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