Report on BAITEQ @ SoftBank – Headquarters Tour & Networking Event 2025

Date: Tuesday, May 20, 2025, 17:30–21:00
Venue: SoftBank Takeshiba Headquarters
Organizers: Beyond AI Promotion Office, SoftBank Corp., B’AI Global Forum, Institute for AI and Beyond, The University of Tokyo
Supported by the Institute for AI and Beyond, The University of Tokyo
(Click here for details of the event)

On May 20, 2025, B’AI Global Forum, in cooperation with SoftBank, held “BAITEQ @ SoftBank – Headquarters Tour & Networking Event 2025” at SoftBank Takeshiba Headquarters. This event served as a follow-up to the “B’AI Women in Tech” event held in June of the previous year, and once again facilitated vibrant exchanges between students in STEM fields and SoftBank employees, while also reflecting on DE&I practices in the workplace.

The event consisted of two parts: the office tour, and the panel discussion and networking session featuring SoftBank employees.

In the first part of the program, participants were given a tour of a tech company’s office, where they observed how the workspace was designed to foster seamless communication among employees.

At the beginning of the second part, Dr. Ai Hisano (Director of B’AI Global Forum) gave an overview of B’AI Global Forum’s activities. She also explained that the reason for the name change from “Women in Tech” to “BAITEQ” was because the initiative aims to reflect a broader commitment to fostering inclusive workplaces that support people of diverse backgrounds, not limited to gender.

Next, a SoftBank employee introduced the company’s DE&I initiatives, and three employees in their second to fourth year at the company participated in a panel discussion covering five themes, including their visions as engineers, future career plans, and experiences of being a “minority” in school or the workplace.

The final networking session provided a valuable opportunity for open and candid conversations between students and SoftBank employees on topics of mutual interest.

The event reaffirmed the importance of continuing to create opportunities for dialogue not only among students but also between students and the professionals, making it a highly meaningful occasion for all involved.