October 16, 2023 - The Asia Foundation co-hosted and co-sponsored “The Korea-Japan Seminar: Growing as Women Leaders in STEM Fields"  with the Korea Foundation for Women in Science, Engineering and Technology (WISET) on October 11, 2023. The seminar was organized by Sookmyung Women’s University Research Institute of Asian Women. Approximately 40 persons attended the seminar, and women experts from various STEM fields from Korea and Japan presented and discussed their experiences and know-how in working in the fields and provided practical advice.

The first speaker, Ms. Urara Takaseki, the CEO of Omotete, a Japanese startup, shared her experiences as a woman in her 20s pursuing a Ph.D. in a STEM field as well as managing her business. She mentioned that the experience of founding a company pushed her to consider different perspectives and act proactively.

Prof. Yoojin Lim from the AI Graduate School, Sookmyung Women’s University shared her experiences as a researcher and a Ph.D. student in the United States and Japan. She shared how she overcame the challenges of studying abroad while rearing a child and as a parent.

The final speaker, Dr. Changok Kim, a senior researcher at Samsung Display, shared her journey to becoming a specialist in Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD), the strengths and challenges as a female researcher in the field, and her experience in continuously developing her career while juggling with family responsibilities.

The discussion session moderated by Prof. Minsun Jang from the Department of Life Systems, Sookmyung Women’s University was followed by various questions from the audience.  Lively discussions included Korea’s startup support systems, what talents employers are looking for when recruiting employees, trends of women-related policies, and the different business environments for startups in Japan and the United States. The audience and speakers also discussed the strategies to achieve goals and success and the motivation for continuous career growth. The speakers emphasized the necessity of expanding mentorship opportunities for women and reducing the women’s promotion gap resulting from marriage and childbirth for female professionals in STEM.

Prof. Jang mentioned the limited opportunity for students studying STEM to communicate with various female experts in their fields, including CEOs, professors, and working professionals, despite the importance.

In this respect, the seminar contributed to expanding the opportunity.

Photo by Sookmyung Women’s University