![\"20160708](\"http:\/\/www.waseda.jp\/inst\/diversity\/assets\/uploads\/2016\/08\/20160708-024.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nThis lecture introduced audience members to the childrearing, education, health care, nursing care, pension, tax,\u00a0and social insurance systems of Denmark, focusing on the country’s history and present situation in terms of good\u00a0work-life balance, gender equality, and social inclusion, and compared this with the situation in Japan. In addition,\u00a0the audience was told about how Denmark, with its distinctive status as the first country in the world to recognize\u00a0same-sex marriage, incorporates LGBT education from childhood. With regard to the employment situation in\u00a0Denmark, audience members were introduced to the term \u201cFlexicurity.\u201d This term combines the flexibility of a\u00a0society having a robust employment system that allows for childbirth and childrearing without the need to stop working, as well as an environment where companies are able to hire and fire easily, resulting in people changing\u00a0jobs once every four years, with the security of a substantial unemployment benefits system together with education\u00a0and training for those looking for work. The fact that Denmark is the most business-friendly country (Forbes, 2015,\u00a02016) in the world was also touched upon. With regard to education, it was emphasized that people are taught from\u00a0childhood to be self-reliant and to think for themselves. The speaker invited the audience members to reexamine the\u00a0importance of adopting diverse perspectives in thinking for themselves, telling them, \u201cI want all of you to take the\u00a0content of today’s lecture and feel for yourselves why Denmark is the world’s happiest country.\u201d<\/p>\n