The University of Tokyo (UTokyo) Names First Female President Since Its Founding

[Financial News correspondent Seo Hye-jin in Tokyo] Japanese media outlets, including Yomiuri Shimbun, reported on the 29th that UTokyo, widely regarded as Japan's most prestigious university, has elected its first female president since its founding. 
UTokyo elected Yuko Fujigaki, 64, a professor at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, as its next president the previous day. She will take office on April 1 next year, succeeding current President Teruo Fujii, and will serve a six-year term. 
The faculty and staff preference vote produced a different result from the final decision. In two rounds of voting the previous day, Professor Fujigaki finished second both times. In the second round, which narrowed the field to three candidates, she received 553 votes, trailing Vice President Takao Someya by a wide margin. Someya received 1,107 votes, a majority.
The president of UTokyo is not determined solely by the voting results. The Presidential Selection and Audit Committee, comprising members from inside and outside the university, makes the final decision after considering candidate interviews and presentations of their views, among other factors. 
Professor Fujigaki graduated from the University of Tokyo's Faculty of Liberal Arts in 1985 and earned a doctoral degree from the university's graduate school. Her areas of expertise are science, technology and society studies and scientometrics. She has been a professor at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences since 2010 and has served as an adviser to the president, a director and vice president.
The new president faces the task of restoring confidence in the university's administration. Amid a series of misconduct cases involving faculty and staff, UTokyo was placed under "continued review" in the government's assessment for recognition as an "Internationally Excellent Research University." The government review body has warned that it may suspend the review if new misconduct related to the university's governance emerges.
[email protected] Seo Hye-jin Reporter