Symposium: The Global Future of Women’s Universities

Alison Rose spoke on the global future of women’s universities on Saturday, with a panel of distinguished guests hosted by Showa Women’s University, Tokyo.

Our Principal discussed the challenges facing British students today, and the role of a women’s college in Cambridge today. She spoke alongside Bo Kyung Yang, President of Sunghsin Women’s University, Korea, Dace Treija-Masi, Ambassador Extraordinary of the Latvian Embassy in Japan, and Mariko Bando, Chancellor of Showa Women’s University, Japan.

The speakers compared the progress of women’s education, together with broader equality issues, across the different countries. Though we have seen a great deal of progress in the 100 years since Showa Women’s University was founded, and the 150 years since Newnham’s foundation, we still have a long way to go.

“It was a truly ideal opportunity for us to consider the future of women’s Universities and women’s higher education. I hope we can cooperate and  change the world in the coming years,” said Prof Sonoko Shima, Vice-President of Showa. Prof Sonoko also joined us online for Newnham’s inaugural 150th lecture – despite it taking place at midnight in Japan!

Her colleague Dr Satoko Shimazaki wrote to us “Listening to Ms. Rose, who talked passionately about something we should call ‘Newnham spirit’ with the background of your famous entrance gate, I was very much encouraged … The memories of the day I visited Newnham, the breeze from the garden, the touch of the grass, conversations with the excellent tutors and afternoon tea break at common room … vividly came back to me, who had tended to be rather in ‘vacant and in pensive mood’ after Japan’s declaration of emergency.”

Representatives from Showa visited Newnham in 2019, as part of their centenary celebrations (shown in the photo above), and we are very pleased to build this global relationship.