Interviewed by Dr. Kayoko Yamamoto 山本佳世子, Editorial Committee Member at Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun (a daily business newspaper in Japan). 日刊工業新聞社論説委員、編集局科学技術部編集委員

日刊工業新聞・経営ひと言／東京農工大学のウレット・レンゴロ教授「育児休業を取得」 （2019/7/22 科学技術・大学）www.nikkan.co.jp/articles/view/524712

「育児で３カ月休んだが、『自分がいない方がよいのか』と思うほど研究室は活発だった」というのは、東京農工大学大学院工学研究院教授のウレット・レンゴロさん。「『先頭を切ってくれた』と若い男性教職員らに感謝された」という育児休業取得。「自宅で乳児を抱えながら」研究室セミナーの録画を見たり、メール指示をしたりした。

以前から教員は口を出さず「とんでもない質問をする下級生に上級生が鍛えられる」ようにしてきた。そんな休業取得に適した研究室運営ノウハウも周囲に伝えている。

“I took 3 months off for childcare, but the lab was so active that I wondered if it would be better without me,” said Wuled Lenggoro, a professor at the Graduate School of Engineering at Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology. He took childcare leave and was thanked by young male faculty members who said “You took the lead.” While at home with his infant, he watched recorded lab seminars and gave instructions by email. Professor Lenggoro manages the lab in a way that avoids intervening so that “upperclassmen can be trained by underclassmen who ask outrageous questions. He is also passing on lab management know-how that is conducive to taking childcare leave to those around him.

An interview article. Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun (one of the leading daily newspaper in Japan) on Management Word: Taking Childcare Leave (2019/7/22)