公平であること

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４月からシンガポールに来て，できたばかりの大学に教員として着任しました．新しい大学のカリキュラムを作って，学生を教えて，自分の研究室を立ち上げて，研究成果を出すのが主な仕事です．今のところ，少なくとも６年間くらいは滞在しようと思っています．というよりも，今の段階で私にどれだけ滞在するかの選択肢があるわけではなく，６年間での自分の成果を総合的に評価されて，十分であれば終身雇用になり，不十分なら大学を去るという，アメリカの大学式の仕組みで採用されています．まず６年間，３０代中盤にやる仕事としては申し分ない面白さがあると思いますので，毎日しっかりやりたいと思います．

この９ヶ月は色んな国や研究所を回って，得難い経験ができました．研究発表は１０回以上やりましたし，企業からのポジションのオファーもありました．少し前にこの９ヶ月に何をしたかを書いたのですが，副次的には，自分の仕事人としての価値に一定の自信を持てるようになりました．ゼロから人間関係を円滑に構築してプロジェクトを遂行する自信も，ある程度持てるようになりました．結局短期の仕事を４つ行いましたが，その倍以上の企業や大学に対して就職活動はしましたし，自分を売り込む練習にもなったと思います．今さらですが就職活動も少し上手くなったかもしれません．

就職活動と言えば，日本でもアメリカでも，シンガポールでも良く使われる behavioral question [ref]と言うのでしょうか，「リーダーシップ経験は？」「異分野／異文化のチームで働いた経験は？」「その時のあなたの役割は？」みたいな質問[/ref]は，やり取りできる内容の割には効果が過大評価されていると思います．文脈を持たない「リーダーシップ」や「グローバル」は言葉遊びで私には価値がわからないのですが，[ref]その言葉遊びを上手にこなす練習を若者に課して，社会の資源を無駄にしているのが現状とも思います．無理矢理にリーダーシップ体験に繋がる話を盛らせるようなことです．[/ref]そんな言葉遊びの枠組みに対して，自分のキャリアに沿った文脈で意味がある内容や，問題意識を加えられた９ヶ月だとも思っています．まだ咀嚼している段階のものも多いのですが，これからのキャリアに必ずプラスになる期間でした．キャリアを度外視しても人生を充実させる一助になったことは間違いありません．

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１つブラジルで働いていた時のことで，ずっと印象に残っていることです．  ブラジルは貧富の差が激しく，大学院生の中でも裕福な家に育った学生と，そうでない学生がいます．国内トップの公立大学であるサンパウロ大学に入れること自体が，かなりの家族の裕福さを意味する（つまり，入学のために十分準備ができたので，お金があったことを意味する）らしいのですが，その中でも差があるのは明白でした．裕福な側になると，昼食はいつも車で自宅に帰って，メイドさんの作った食事を家族と食べる学生もいました．私も何度か連れてってもらったことがありますが，立派な家で，品の良い家族に歓迎してもらったものです．相対的に貧しい側の学生は大学の学食で食べることになります．こちらも何度も一緒に行きましたが，学生らしい和気藹々とした感じはあるものの，雑多でゴミゴミした感じは否めません．明示的に言葉には出しませんでしたが，裕福な学生は学内で食事をすることに気が進まないようでした．

ブラジルは研究環境においても，頼んだ実験用の試薬が届くまでに数週間かかるなど，日本やアメリカとは比べられない悪条件でした．設備については，どの大学や都市でも，必要なものが全て手に入るわけではなく，隣街にある大学や研究所まで車を走らせる，というようなことがざらにあったようです．（ちなみにサウジアラビアは発注から到着にかかる時間が数ヶ月単位でしたので，実験のために他の施設を使いに飛行機に乗ったこともありました．さらに大変な国でした．）

そんな中で，１つずっと引っかかっていることがあります．１人の裕福な学生が，自分の資金を出して研究に必要なものを購入していた，ということです．これが良いことなのか，正すべきことなのか，ずっとわからずにいました．その学生は車を持っていて，必要であれば自分で車を走らせて，必要な設備を使用しに行くこともできましたが，他の学生の中には，別の誰かが同じ施設に行く用事があって同乗できるまで，実験が止まってしまう学生もいました．結果，同じ研究室内にも関わらず，結果を出しやすい学生とそうでない学生がいました．ここでは私は訪問研究員の立場だったので何かを変える立場にいなかったのですが，もし自分が研究室を主宰する立場なら，研究室内でこのような差が生まれることを是とするべきでしょうか．その場合，学生が出しうる結果の差をどう判断しますか．そして卒業要件が同じなのは公平でしょうか．

一度その学生に「あなたが自分のお金を使うことは，あなたにとってもフェアではないし，そのような状況は，研究室のメンバーにフェアなのか僕はわからない．研究室の金を使って正規のプロセスで購入してはどうだろうか．」と懸念を伝えたことがありました．回答は「あなたはブラジルとは比較にならないくらい恵まれたボストンの大学で研究をしてきたけど，じゃあそれはフェアなのか．自分は少しでも良い条件で研究を進めたいと思うから，自分で購入できるものはして，早く研究を進めたい．」というものでした．ブラジルの当該研究室内での公平さ，についての問題提起だったので，私のバックグラウンドを比較に出されたのは予想外でしたが，この学生の気持ちもわかりますし，一概に非難できるものでもありません．余談ですが，この学生は長らく希望していた通りに，ボストンの大学に短期留学する機会を得ました．

ところで，この学生の返答にもあるように，このような環境の差異の問題は一研究室内だけの話ではありません．研究室間の獲得予算による差もあれば，大学間によるもの，国による裕福さの違いまであります．より恵まれた環境を求めて不可逆的に人が動くことは止められません．「お前は恵まれた環境を求めるな」と言うことは，より良い環境を求める個人に対して不公平です．一方で，流れるままにしておけば，決して研究室間の格差も，国による研究環境の格差も埋まることはありません．（そしてそもそも格差が悪いのか，はわかりません．１つの研究所に全てのリソースをつぎ込んだ方が，全体として生産性が高いのかもしれません．）こう言っている私も，ある程度の研究環境，資金，独立性が提供される環境を求めてシンガポールに来たのは間違いないところです．

一方で，大学は研究機関であるだけでなく，教育機関でもあります．学生に対しては，結果を出して論文を書くことを求めますが，そのプロセス自体を教育と捉えることが多いかと思います（少なくとも私は今はそう思っています）．その観点から見ると，同じ研究室内で，同じような基準で評価される学生が持つリソースが異なることを認めても良いのか．私はまだ答えがわかりません．

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これはただの一例ですが，同じような問題には，今後も直面するだろうと思います．研究環境を何度か変えたことの利点の１つは，こういった問題を問題と捉えられるようになったこと，だと思います．有り体な言い方ですが，物事を相対化する基準点をいくつも持つことにより，常識だと思っていたことを見つめ直す基準が増えたことです．今後の自分の仕事は「研究を行うこと」から「研究環境を提供して，研究を行うこと」にシフトしていきます．その中で様々な白黒つかない問題に向き合うことは，楽しみであり，圧倒される気分でもあります．

77 thoughts on “公平であること”

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