Japanese colleges allowed to offer courses overseas

The education ministry has issued a notification to allow Japanese universities and graduate schools to offer their undergraduate and graduate courses overseas in an apparent move to support their extension abroad, ministry sources said Monday।

While no universities have concrete plans to go international at present, it will be possible for students to gain credits at Japanese colleges without visiting Japan।

So far, Japanese colleges have been required to establish local subsidiaries when they promote educational and research activities overseas।

In advancing overseas, colleges and graduate schools need to fulfill certain criteria in the number of teachers and in facilities, according to the sources at the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology।
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Japan welcomes Chinese students

There are a multitude of talented people among Chinese students, and if it had not been for the Chinese students, Japan could not have achieved so much in its education for overseas students, said a Japanese education ministry official in a recent interview with Xinhua। "Chinese students are often referred to as being well-grounded in their academic studies, outstanding in their theoretical level and fine in their personal qualities at universities here," said Yuichi Oda, who is in charge of student exchange programs in the higher education bureau of Japan's Education Ministry। In colleges of Japan's universities, students from China command a large share, and they have played an important role in Japan's higher education, he added. "In a sense, Japan's education for overseas students can not possibly make progress without the participation of those from China," the official said. Chinese students account for more than 60 percent of overseas students studying in Japan, a marked rise from some 20 percent in 1983, according to Oda. Chinese students began to study in Japan in 1972 when the two nations normalized their diplomatic relations, but the number remained small until 1978, he said. It hit a peak in 2005 when a total of 80,592 Chinese students were studying in Japan. "There have been an increasing number of Chinese students studying in Japan since 1979 when the Chinese government-funded student exchange programs were launched," said Oda. In July 2008, six Japanese government departments, including the education, foreign and justice ministries, launched a program aiming to attract 300,000 overseas students to Japan. Under the program, relevant authorities will simplify immigration procedures, facilitate the internationalization of universities and provide support for overseas students in their daily life and employment. "Japan heartily welcomes Chinese students to Japan and is looking forward to a greater number of Chinese students under the program," Oda said.Source:Xinhua