Temple Japan to reform as Japanese university in '09

Temple University Japan (TUJ) will reorganize in 2009 as a full-fledged Japanese university, TUJ and other sources said over the weekend.

The change will allow TUJ to offer full Japanese university degrees, a step made possible with the abolishing this month of a regulation that had obliged Japanese universities to own campus land and buildings.

According to TUJ Dean Kirk R. Patterson, "The biggest hurdle in setting up an official Japanese university has been removed," and paves the way for TUJ to become the first foreign university to be designated a Japanese university.

The move is expected to intensify competition among universities nationwide for a smaller pool of students.

Temple University, operated by the Pennsylvania state government, opened TUJ in 1982, one of the first such branches run by foreign universities. TUJ now has about 2,800 students, of whom 1,700, or about 60 percent, are Japanese.

TUJ leases buildings in Tokyo, Osaka and Fukuoka. It conducts classes in English based on curricula from Temple's main U.S. campus.

In 2005, regulations were changed to allow TUJ students to receive discounts on commuter passes, a benefit that those attending Japanese universities already receive.

However, under existing rules, TUJ bachelor's or postgraduate degrees are not recognized as Japanese university degrees, although they are deemed official U.S. university degrees.

In 2003, Japanese universities became able to use leased land and buildings in special deregulated zones. That rule was dropped this month, effectively allowing foreign schools to become Japanese universities.

A new Japanese university is required to have assets to support education activities if it fails to reach full enrollment capacity in the first four years.

TUJ will be required to expand its teaching staff, which is now fewer than the minimum set for Japanese universities, Patterson said.

The increase must be approved by the education ministry's Council for University Chartering and School Juridical Person.

Patterson said TUJ and education ministry officials will discuss ways to enable the planned new TUJ to offer U.S.-style education as far as possible.

At present, six foreign universities, including Temple, operate branch schools in Japan.(IHT/Asahi: April 23,2007)
http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200704230052.html