Universities attempt to draw more women into the sciences

Efforts to encourage female students to take university science courses are picking up pace in Japan, including the use of quotas for the number of women in entrance examinations and the creation of new engineering faculties at women’s schools, reports JIJI.

According to a 2019 survey by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, only 7% of female university students in Japan major in science and engineering, the smallest share among its member economies. At Tokyo Institute of Technology, which has decided to set aside a quota for female students, beginning with entrance exams for students to be enrolled in April 2024, women account for only around 13% of all students in its bachelor degree programmes.

Schools such as Nagoya University, Shimane University and the University of Toyama have also introduced quotas for female students. An increasing number of universities are offering female students scholarships equivalent in value to admission fees.
Full report on The Japan Times site