University of Tokyo urged to review next president selection

Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology has formally requested the University of Tokyo to review the selection process for its next president. This marks the first time the ministry has issued such a request to a university.

The controversy stems from the September selection of Yuko Fujigaki, a professor at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, to succeed Teruo Fujii in April 2027. While Fujigaki is set to become the institution’s first female president in its 150-year history, she placed second in an internal opinion vote among faculty and staff, receiving 25.5% of the vote compared to 51.0% for Takao Someya.

Education Minister Yoshihiro Seki criticized the university’s previous responses as being “limited to a superficial explanation” and noted that the institution has not fully disclosed the evaluation of each candidate. The ministry’s request emphasizes that selection processes must be based on objective facts and avoid relying on unverified, anonymous, or non-public information. The university has stated it intends to fulfill its accountability and conduct a verification of the process through its management policy meeting and auditors.