About Project

Kyoto University Hospital strives to “provide safe and secure medical care” based on the three basic principles of the mission of a university hospital concerning medical care, research, and education; “provide safe, high-quality medical care as an open, patient-centered hospital,” “contribute to society through the development and practice of new medical care,” and “foster medical professionals with a sense of responsibility and mission as professionals and a rich sense of humanity.

While striving to fulfill our mission, we also place importance on building the careers of medical professionals working at the hospital and on promoting diversity. We have introduced the Career Support Program for Medical Practitioners and the Plus One Program with the aim of increasing the ratio of female faculty members. The fact that the hospital was selected for the fiscal 2023 Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare’s project to support medical professionals of child-rearing generation at this time, when a new in-house nursery is open in 2024, will further boost our efforts. We will continue to aim for further development in the future.

Kyoto University Hospital

Director　Akifumi Takaori

Among the three basic principles of Kyoto University Hospital, one major mission is to foster excellent medical professionals. From the viewpoint of human resource development, it is important to have a supportive environment as well as high motivation. In order for healthcare professionals to continue to grow throughout their lives, an environment based on the concept of work-life integration (synergy between work and private life) is required.

Based on this concept, Kyoto University Hospital opened its in-house nursery “Kirara” in 2008 and has provided “pick-up & childcare” service every weekday as well as nighttime childcare once a week since 2016. The in-house nursery is open under a new structure in 2024 and is expected to be further enhanced. In addition, “Komomo,” a nursery for convalescent children established in the hospital building, is operated by the Kyoto University Gender Equality Promotion Center.

Taking the opportunity of the adoption of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare’s project to support medical professionals of child-rearing generation, the Faculty of Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine and the hospital will work together to foster excellent medical professionals while also responding to the work style reforms.

Kyoto University Hospital
Assistant Director
　Takashi Mizowaki

(In charge of Education,
Human Resources, and
Gender Equality Promotion)

Kyoto University has been working to increase the ratio of female faculty members under the “Kyoto University Action Plan for the Promotion of Gender Equality” since FY2022. Focusing on the School of Medicine of Kyoto University alone, 7 out of 66 professors are women, and the ratio has been increasing especially in recent years. In November 2023, a roundtable meeting of female professors was held, and active opinions were expressed on the support for young doctors and researchers as well as the creation of a support infrastructure to further encourage the ambitions and dreams of students. A summary of the meeting is available in the 2024 New Year issue of the Alumni Magazine and on the Graduate School’s website.

The University has a long history of supporting female researchers through the Gender Equality Promotion Center. Furthermore, as part of the promotion of Diversity Equity & Inclusion (DE&I), Kyoto University is making further DE&I efforts, including the opening of Kyoto University Kids’ Community (KuSuKu) in December 2023, a day-care center for first through sixth graders for Kyoto University faculty and staff. We hope that the adoption of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare’s project to support medical professionals of child-rearing generation will further promote the creation of a foundation where everyone can play an active role, regardless of gender or occupation.

Graduate School of Medicine,
Kyoto University
Director Tadashi Isa

Kyoto University has formulated the “Kyoto University Action Plan for the Promotion of Gender Equality” with the goals of achieving a 20% ratio of female faculty members and a 25% ratio of female members of the Board of Directors by FY2027.

The University has been promoting efforts to support female researchers mainly through the Gender Equality Promotion Center, and the Graduate School of Medicine is also promoting its own efforts. In addition to reducing the workload of faculty members who are raising children and improving the nursery and breastfeeding space, we have also enhanced our information website to support female researchers and students. We hope that the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare’s project to support medical professionals of child-rearing generation will develop into an initiative that connects the framework of the Graduate School and the hospital.

Graduate School of Medicine,
Kyoto University
Assistant Director Motoko Yanagita

(In charge of Gender Equality)

Kyoto University has established the Gender Equality Promotion Center to address gender equality through university-wide efforts to support various reinstatement and childcare programs. In addition, Kyoto University Hospital is one of the first hospitals to open a childcare facility for sick children (currently operated as a nursery room for convalescent children), introduced a career support program for medical practitioners in FY2016 to enable flexible work styles, and has been proactive in its efforts to support the child-rearing generation, including 26-hour childcare service and cay-care pick-up service. Furthermore, a new in-house daycare center is opened in 2024, and the momentum for childcare and career support is further increasing.

Under these circumstances, we would like to express our sincere gratitude to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare for adopting our project in FY2024 Support Project for Medical Professionals of Child-Rearing Generation and giving us the opportunities to implement support programs for medical professionals of child-rearing generation, following last year’s program.

We named our project “KUSNoKI (Kyoto University hospital Supporting Network of Keeping up career and Innovation) Project” after the camphor tree, the symbol of Kyoto University. The camphor tree is said to be characterized by its ability to grow steadily into a large tree over a long time, and we hope that this project will also continue to grow steadily as a presence that is close to each person.

Kyoto University
Center for Medical Education & Internationalization

Assistant Director・Professor
　Hitomi Kataoka
(KUSNoKI Project Execution Manager)