NICT Held “Diversity Training 2025”

On December 19, 2025, the NICT Diversity Promotion Office held “Diversity Training 2025” for NICT staff members in a hybrid format, combining an on-site session at NICT Headquarters (Koganei, Tokyo) with online participation.

The purpose of this training was not only to provide participants with basic knowledge and the latest trends in diversity promotion, but also to offer each individual involved in NICT’s diversity initiatives an opportunity to gain new perspectives and insights.

---

First Half: Lecture and Role-Playing Workshop

In the first half of the program, participants attended a lecture on fundamental concepts and recent developments in diversity, followed by an experiential workshop conducted in a role-playing format.

By taking on roles representing different positions and values, participants were able to deepen their understanding of the importance of mutual respect and empathy. The exercise encouraged them to view diversity as a personal matter and to reflect on its significance in their own work and behavior. Participants shared feedback such as:
• “By playing a role different from my own, I gained many new insights.”
• “Although I believed I understood diversity conceptually, I realized how challenging it can be to speak up when standing in a different set of values.”
• “I would like to be more mindful of my own biases going forward.”

---

Second Half: Guest Lecture by Miki Oikawa

In the second half, we welcomed Ms. Miki Oikawa, who serves as a Director at Mazda Motor Corporation and as an Outside Director at Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company, Limited, as an external guest speaker.

Drawing on her extensive professional experience and real-world examples, Ms. Oikawa delivered a lecture on the image of future leadership and the importance of organizational culture. She emphasized key messages such as “Diversity means enabling everyone to thrive” and “Diversity is fundamentally about transforming organizational culture,” providing participants with many valuable insights.

---

Participant Feedback and Future Initiatives

Throughout the training, participants reported gaining:
• a deeper understanding of diverse work styles and work–life balance,
• perspectives on building mutual understanding by considering others’ viewpoints, and
• greater awareness of unconscious bias.

Many participants also commented that they would like to apply these insights to their daily work, including efforts to create psychologically safe workplaces and enhance team management practices.

NICT will continue to promote initiatives that deepen understanding of diversity across the organization and support practical, actionable implementation going forward.