In Japan, government-led university reforms have been performed in universities across Japan. Kyoto University has also followed this trend, concentrating authority within the university on the president and strengthening top-down decision-making by the administrative committee. This process has resulted in the abolition of faculty councils, and the refusal to negotiate collectively with students. Disciplinary action against students who voice opposition was unreasonable and unfair. The participation of government bureaucrats, business executives, and other external committee members in decision-making has induced a dictatorship by the administrative committee and eroded the academic freedom and autonomy atmosphere at Kyoto University.
The current president, Nagahiro Minato, as a provost during his term as Vice President from 2014-2020, has been abusing student disciplinary actions, enforcing regulations on billboards, and destroying club activity cultures and student communities to this day in the name of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to depriving students of their rights, he also forced the abolition of the medical clinic, which was a stronghold to protect the health of students and researchers.
We demand the following from the president and the administrative committee, which has continued to force through university reforms as Kyoto University’s executives since assuming office in October 2020.
[Our demands]
Reopen the Health Clinic on campus at the same level as before it was abolished.
Stop the restrictions on intra- and inter-student activities beyond the reasonable anti-COVID-19 measurement.
Stop intervention in the November Festival.
Stop intervention against the student dormitories.
Eliminate Kyoto University’s standing signboard regulations.
Stop the introduction of the police to interevent student activities.
Repeal the obscure student disciplinary regulations and withdraw the disciplinary actions against students who protest the administrative committee that has been in place since 2016.
End unilateral class reforms (such as the CAP system) that restrict students’ academic freedom
End hiring and firing faculty and staff as non-regular employment and actively convert them to permanent or long-term employee positions.
Respond in good faith to the collective negotiation demands of student self-governing bodies and faculty unions, and manage the university based on agreements.
If the demands above cannot be met, hold a collective negotiation in the management system of the university in a form in which all interested parties can participate.