More effort needed to attract foreign students

To entice more top-notch students from abroad, we need to make learning in Japan more attractive to foreign students.

The government's Asian Gateway plan includes a goal of tripling the number of foreign students enrolled at universities and other educational institutions in Japan--currently standing at 120,000--by the end of 2025.

The Education Rebuilding Council, for its part, proposed in its second report that Japan draft a new policy on foreign students that furthers national strategies, including industrial and diplomatic policies.

In the course of the council's discussions, some called for setting a target of accepting 1 million foreign students.

Japan's standing in the international community would be boosted if it could nurture an affinity for Japanese culture among excellent human resources from abroad.

At a time when human resources are increasingly moving across national borders, hiring capable foreign workers who have studied in this country would certainly give Japanese companies a competitive edge.

When the government came up with a plan in 1983 to accept 100,000 foreign students, students from abroad numbered a meager 10,000. After having reached this target, the emphasis should now shift from increasing the quantity of students to attracting top-quality students.
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International scholars

The United States and European nations are fighting for the lion's share of excellent foreign students. The number of people studying abroad has drastically increased globally, especially in terms of students from Asia. One estimate puts it that their numbers will roughly triple by the end of 2025.

Students from China and South Korea account for 80 percent of the foreign students in Japan, but the fact remains that many top-notch students from these countries are studying in the United States.

How can Japan catch up with the United States as a magnet for excellent foreign students?

Under the Asian Gateway plan, Japan will aim to maintain at least its current share of foreign students, or about 5 percent of foreign students in the world, while also ensuring foreign students coming to Japan are of high quality.

In order to attract highly qualified human resources, the nation must have an education system that is based on high standards and cutting-edge research. It is also necessary to expand the scope of classes taught in English.
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Boost appeal

One thing that diminishes the attractiveness of Japan as a destination for studying is reluctance on the part of Japanese companies to hire foreigners, citing language problems and differences in customs.

In some cases, students keen to study in Japan sent letters of inquiry to professors, but had to abandon their plans because their letters went unanswered.

Britain has offices responsible for helping students wishing to study in the country in 110 nations, while Germany has such offices in 13 nations.

The Japan Student Services Organization on the other hand, has offices in South Korea and three other countries.

The Asian Gateway plan proposes increasing the number of overseas offices which provide counseling to students wishing to study in Japan and give necessary advice when they return from Japan. The government should promptly take necessary steps in line with this proposal.

Other issues the nation must address are increasing the number of students studying Japanese in foreign countries and improving the housing situation in Japan, which foreign students find difficult to cope with.

The nation cannot afford to waste any time in taking effective measures to encourage more foreign students to study in Japan.

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, June 4, 2007)
(Jun. 4, 2007)

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/editorial/20070604TDY04008.htm