Join the Centre for Japanese Research for an engaging event that explores the critical issue of gender disparities in Japanese higher education inviting two scholars, Dr. Fumiya Uchikoshi and Dr. Holly Hummer from Harvard University. Despite overall parity in university attendance, women remain significantly underrepresented at selective national universities in Japan. This study uncovers how structural constraints in the admissions system, coupled with cultural expectations, shape young women’s aspirations and limit their “imagined futures.” Drawing on large-scale quantitative data and in-depth interviews with high-achieving high school students, the research reveals why female applicants are less likely than their male counterparts to aim for selective institutions, even when equally qualified. The findings shed light on how educational systems and social norms intersect to reproduce inequality, with broader implications for gender and higher education worldwide. Don’t miss this opportunity to gain new insights into the intersection of gender, education, and social structures.
About Dr. Fumiya Uchikoshi:
Fumiya Uchikoshi is an Academy Scholar at the Harvard Academy for International and Area Studies, housed at the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs at Harvard University. He is a social demographer who studies family inequality and educational stratification. Broadly speaking, his research interests include 1) causes and consequences of demographic change and 2) the relationship between the “diversified” college expansion and social stratification. I am also working on 3) family formation among Asian Americans.
About Dr. Holly Hummer:
Holly Hummer recently joined UBC as an Assistant Professor of Sociology. Her work focuses on the social and cultural mechanisms shaping individuals’ life plans, including their career and family decision-making. Much of her recent research focuses on women’s childlessness and reproductive decisions in the United States and Japan. Prior to joining UBC, she was a Visiting Scholar at the University of Washington and earned her PhD in 2024 from Harvard University.
