Britain's Minister for Higher Education Bill Rammell said Wednesday the number of university applications in England hit an all-time high this year, up 6 percent from last year, sparking a rise in those hoping to study Japanese.
The figures showed that applications in what were described as a number of "strategic subjects" including Japanese -- as well as physics, chemistry, biology, French and German -- had "increased significantly."
The research, conducted by the University Central Admissions Service, tabled a 37 percent year-on-year rise in applications to study Japanese in England in 2007, taking the total number of applicants for the subject to 1,058.
"The department has done a lot of work to increase the take-up of studies in the strategic subjects and this includes Japanese as a foreign language," a spokesperson for the government's Department for Education and Skills told Kyodo News.
A UCAS spokesperson added that the rise in applications to study Japanese could be partly attributed to an increased diversity of subjects offered at high school, with Japanese growing in popularity as a subject to be added to the school curriculum.
The numbers of international students applying to English universities also saw a boost between 2006 and 2007, with an increase in applicants from both the European Union and other overseas countries, including Japan.
http://asia.news.yahoo.com/070425/kyodo/d8ono5mg0.html
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Govt to propose restriction on graduate school intakes
The government's Education Rebuilding Council reached a basic agreement Monday on a draft proposal that includes a cap on the percentage of state-run university students admitted to graduate schools at the same university, at about 30 percent.
The draft proposal, part of efforts to revitalize graduate education, was approved at a meeting of the council's third subpanel on general education-rebuilding measures, which took place in the Prime Minister's Office.
Capping access to graduate schools is viewed as an effective method of improving quality at the graduate level as it should make it easier for state-run universities to attract talented students from outside their own undergraduate programs.
Initially, the subpanel planned to set the limit at about 20 percent, but raised the figure to 30 percent to head off opposition from university officials.
The draft proposal also includes plans to attract more foreign students and foreign researchers, particularly from China and India, funded by dedicated budgets in official assistance development, as well as for preferential tax treatment for state-run graduate schools to make it easier for them to receive donations from the private sector, to place them on a firmer financial footing.
(Apr. 24, 2007)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20070424TDY02008.htm
The draft proposal, part of efforts to revitalize graduate education, was approved at a meeting of the council's third subpanel on general education-rebuilding measures, which took place in the Prime Minister's Office.
Capping access to graduate schools is viewed as an effective method of improving quality at the graduate level as it should make it easier for state-run universities to attract talented students from outside their own undergraduate programs.
Initially, the subpanel planned to set the limit at about 20 percent, but raised the figure to 30 percent to head off opposition from university officials.
The draft proposal also includes plans to attract more foreign students and foreign researchers, particularly from China and India, funded by dedicated budgets in official assistance development, as well as for preferential tax treatment for state-run graduate schools to make it easier for them to receive donations from the private sector, to place them on a firmer financial footing.
(Apr. 24, 2007)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20070424TDY02008.htm
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
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
Monday, April 23, 2007
Indian schools make a mark
Every day at the Global Indian International School (GIIS) in Tokyo's Edogawa Ward starts with yoga. All the students -- from kindergarteners to 14-year-old ninth-graders -- have a 20-minute session in their classrooms. The focus is on breathing, which it's thought helps them to relax and concentrate better during lessons.
So, it was hardly a surprise to find that in a fourth-grade math class that followed, the 9-year-olds were full of enthusiasm to tackle a new problem -- how to correctly read such a huge figure as 21,439,127 in the Western way of counting numbers.
"Twenty-one million, four-hundred-and-thirty-nine thousand, one hundred and twenty seven," a student slowly recited before the others. "Yes, that's correct. Very good," the teacher responded. They have already learned that the number is described differently in the Hindu-Arabic number-counting system.
"Next," the teacher says, "please write down the numeral 84,769,801 in both the Indian Place-Value System and the International Place-Value System."
The children's faces lit up with smiles when they worked it out and showed their right answers to the teacher. But they were even more joyful when the teacher told them it was 10.30 a.m. -- break time -- and they could tuck into snacks and drinks they'd brought from home.
GIIS opened in July last year in Minami-Shinozakicho in Tokyo's Edogawa Ward, a 5-minute walk from Mizue Station on the Shinjuku subway line. Now with about 170 mostly Indian pupils aged 3 to 14, it is presently the fifth Asian branch of the Singapore-based international school, and the only one in Japan. Another is planned for Yokohama next year.
As GIIS follows the Indian government-authorized Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) curriculum, it ensures that graduates can enter schools back home and stay on track for college there. Should they wish to attend university in Japan, they would first have to pass the government test allowing them to take entrance exams at individual universities.
A new phenomenon in Japan, the arrival of Indian international schools here follows on the heels of the rapid growth in the number of Indian residents -- in turn largely driven by the IT sector's demand for highly skilled engineers, with whom India is famously well-blessed.
Kindergarteners at Global Indian International School in Edogawa Ward start off the day by practicing yoga.
Children lunch in their classrooms, eating meals brought from home.
According to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, the city now hosts 7,581 Indian residents, compared with 4,398 in 2002, and the year-on-year growth rate of 8.4 percent (according to data released last month) is the fastest of any ethnic group.
Clearly, more and more Indian parents are having to think hard about how to educate their children.
Daughter's education
It was a problem that Niyanta Deshpande, director of GIIS in Tokyo, faced. He came to Japan nine years ago with his wife to work in IT sales and marketing. He says that he had few problems with either the language (he's now a fluent Japanese speaker) or the food. But he realized that his Japan-born daughter's education was an issue.
"We didn't realize initially that we had a problem, but as our child grew up we realized we did. My daughter could speak only Japanese in the day-care center. She could not speak Indian languages or English there. That's why I sent them [his wife and daughter] back to India when my daughter was 3."
Now, with his daughter aged 4, Deshpande is preparing to resume life together with his family in Japan.
But it's not just Indian people who are welcoming Indian-style education here, with many Japanese becoming aware of the high academic standards it offers -- especially in mathematics.
Rumors among people that Indian children "memorize the multiplication tables from 1×1 to 99×99 in India" have done a lot to fuel this interest, which has been reflected in press headlines such as "Indian schools boast astonishing math skills."
Deshpande said that media reports may have been exaggerated, but he can instantly multiply 55×55, for example, using techniques he was taught by his grandmother. He added that 99×99 is very easy, too. "Simply do 99×100," he explained with a smile, "then subtract 99."
At the school, English is the language used, but Japanese students and those of other nationalities are welcome if their English is sufficient, Deshpande said. There are now 16 Japanese students.
In a fourth-grade math class at Global Indian International School, students line up to show their answers to the teacher.
Compared with other international schools -- some of which charge tuition fees of about 2 million yen a year -- GIIS's fees are around 700,000-800,000 yen yen.
"It's a challenge to keep the cost low," Deshpande said. "But the management part of my job is rather simple. The most interesting part is that we are trying to have a very good relationship with our neighborhood and the local community. I think it is very important for us.
"In this school, all children have a chance to learn the Japanese language and Japanese cultural things such as origami and calligraphy so they can develop their understanding of the country. That will help toward Japan and India being strategic partners in many ways, not only in business but also in global politics."
India International School in Japan (IISJ) is Tokyo's other Indian international school. IISJ, too, has become increasingly popular since its opening in 2004 with 27 pupils, as it also follows the CBSE curriculum and the fees are reasonable. Currently, some 170 students are enrolled, including five Japanese, in the school in Morishita, Koto Ward.
Students sing at the opening ceremony of the newly relocated India International School in Japan in Morishita, Koto Ward.
To cope with its growth, IISJ this month moved into five floors of a seven-story building near its original location, giving it 4,000 sq. meters of floor space -- five times more than before.
But schools such as this and GIIS are not just catering to Tokyo's Indian population, they also make it possible for more Indian families to relocate here, IISJ Director Nirmal Jain said.
Two birds; one stone
"Because the school is here, Japanese companies can get more mature, experienced engineers to work for them," she noted. "Middle-aged engineers are ready to come because the school gives a suitable education. So the growing number of students is a natural development."
Regarding teachers, she said she did not find it difficult to find good ones because many Indian wives who come here with their husbands have a teaching license. Previously, she said, they had nowhere to work in Japan and stayed at home -- so establishing an Indian school has killed two birds with one stone.
At the opening ceremony of the new IISJ school building, Vibhav Kant Upadhyay, chairman of India Center in Tokyo, said one of the most important aspects of the school is that Indian children can get the same education as they would in Delhi.
But he also echoed the widely held view that the school will serve to foster relations between the two countries. "We are investing in the future of the Japan-India relationship 30 years from now," he said.
It's a sentiment obviously being shared by an ever-widening community of people right here and now -- where the mysteries of instant 55×55 multiplication are among the many pearls of wisdom now being brought from the distant subcontinent.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fl20070422x2.html
So, it was hardly a surprise to find that in a fourth-grade math class that followed, the 9-year-olds were full of enthusiasm to tackle a new problem -- how to correctly read such a huge figure as 21,439,127 in the Western way of counting numbers.
"Twenty-one million, four-hundred-and-thirty-nine thousand, one hundred and twenty seven," a student slowly recited before the others. "Yes, that's correct. Very good," the teacher responded. They have already learned that the number is described differently in the Hindu-Arabic number-counting system.
"Next," the teacher says, "please write down the numeral 84,769,801 in both the Indian Place-Value System and the International Place-Value System."
The children's faces lit up with smiles when they worked it out and showed their right answers to the teacher. But they were even more joyful when the teacher told them it was 10.30 a.m. -- break time -- and they could tuck into snacks and drinks they'd brought from home.
GIIS opened in July last year in Minami-Shinozakicho in Tokyo's Edogawa Ward, a 5-minute walk from Mizue Station on the Shinjuku subway line. Now with about 170 mostly Indian pupils aged 3 to 14, it is presently the fifth Asian branch of the Singapore-based international school, and the only one in Japan. Another is planned for Yokohama next year.
As GIIS follows the Indian government-authorized Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) curriculum, it ensures that graduates can enter schools back home and stay on track for college there. Should they wish to attend university in Japan, they would first have to pass the government test allowing them to take entrance exams at individual universities.
A new phenomenon in Japan, the arrival of Indian international schools here follows on the heels of the rapid growth in the number of Indian residents -- in turn largely driven by the IT sector's demand for highly skilled engineers, with whom India is famously well-blessed.
Kindergarteners at Global Indian International School in Edogawa Ward start off the day by practicing yoga.
Children lunch in their classrooms, eating meals brought from home.
According to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, the city now hosts 7,581 Indian residents, compared with 4,398 in 2002, and the year-on-year growth rate of 8.4 percent (according to data released last month) is the fastest of any ethnic group.
Clearly, more and more Indian parents are having to think hard about how to educate their children.
Daughter's education
It was a problem that Niyanta Deshpande, director of GIIS in Tokyo, faced. He came to Japan nine years ago with his wife to work in IT sales and marketing. He says that he had few problems with either the language (he's now a fluent Japanese speaker) or the food. But he realized that his Japan-born daughter's education was an issue.
"We didn't realize initially that we had a problem, but as our child grew up we realized we did. My daughter could speak only Japanese in the day-care center. She could not speak Indian languages or English there. That's why I sent them [his wife and daughter] back to India when my daughter was 3."
Now, with his daughter aged 4, Deshpande is preparing to resume life together with his family in Japan.
But it's not just Indian people who are welcoming Indian-style education here, with many Japanese becoming aware of the high academic standards it offers -- especially in mathematics.
Rumors among people that Indian children "memorize the multiplication tables from 1×1 to 99×99 in India" have done a lot to fuel this interest, which has been reflected in press headlines such as "Indian schools boast astonishing math skills."
Deshpande said that media reports may have been exaggerated, but he can instantly multiply 55×55, for example, using techniques he was taught by his grandmother. He added that 99×99 is very easy, too. "Simply do 99×100," he explained with a smile, "then subtract 99."
At the school, English is the language used, but Japanese students and those of other nationalities are welcome if their English is sufficient, Deshpande said. There are now 16 Japanese students.
In a fourth-grade math class at Global Indian International School, students line up to show their answers to the teacher.
Compared with other international schools -- some of which charge tuition fees of about 2 million yen a year -- GIIS's fees are around 700,000-800,000 yen yen.
"It's a challenge to keep the cost low," Deshpande said. "But the management part of my job is rather simple. The most interesting part is that we are trying to have a very good relationship with our neighborhood and the local community. I think it is very important for us.
"In this school, all children have a chance to learn the Japanese language and Japanese cultural things such as origami and calligraphy so they can develop their understanding of the country. That will help toward Japan and India being strategic partners in many ways, not only in business but also in global politics."
India International School in Japan (IISJ) is Tokyo's other Indian international school. IISJ, too, has become increasingly popular since its opening in 2004 with 27 pupils, as it also follows the CBSE curriculum and the fees are reasonable. Currently, some 170 students are enrolled, including five Japanese, in the school in Morishita, Koto Ward.
Students sing at the opening ceremony of the newly relocated India International School in Japan in Morishita, Koto Ward.
To cope with its growth, IISJ this month moved into five floors of a seven-story building near its original location, giving it 4,000 sq. meters of floor space -- five times more than before.
But schools such as this and GIIS are not just catering to Tokyo's Indian population, they also make it possible for more Indian families to relocate here, IISJ Director Nirmal Jain said.
Two birds; one stone
"Because the school is here, Japanese companies can get more mature, experienced engineers to work for them," she noted. "Middle-aged engineers are ready to come because the school gives a suitable education. So the growing number of students is a natural development."
Regarding teachers, she said she did not find it difficult to find good ones because many Indian wives who come here with their husbands have a teaching license. Previously, she said, they had nowhere to work in Japan and stayed at home -- so establishing an Indian school has killed two birds with one stone.
At the opening ceremony of the new IISJ school building, Vibhav Kant Upadhyay, chairman of India Center in Tokyo, said one of the most important aspects of the school is that Indian children can get the same education as they would in Delhi.
But he also echoed the widely held view that the school will serve to foster relations between the two countries. "We are investing in the future of the Japan-India relationship 30 years from now," he said.
It's a sentiment obviously being shared by an ever-widening community of people right here and now -- where the mysteries of instant 55×55 multiplication are among the many pearls of wisdom now being brought from the distant subcontinent.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fl20070422x2.html
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Panel OK's plan to attract 1 mil. foreign students by '25
An Education Rebuilding Council subcommittee agreed Wednesday on a plan to accept more foreign students into universities and graduate schools in Japan, and to set a target figure of 1 million such students by 2025.
The No. 3 subcommittee plans to include these proposals in its second report to be compiled in May.
Members of the subcommittee, which is tasked with internationalizing higher education, met in the morning at the Prime Minister's Office.
They reached a basic agreement to recommend:
-- Introduction of a unified Japanese-language examination for foreign students wishing to go on to higher education in Japan.
-- Expansion of the scholarship system to encourage foreign students to choose Japan as a place of study.
-- Letting foreign students start the academic year in September, the beginning of the academic year in most overseas countries.
-- Having more classes held in English.
-- Adopting a more flexible credit-transfer system.
(Apr. 19, 2007)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20070419TDY03011.htm
The No. 3 subcommittee plans to include these proposals in its second report to be compiled in May.
Members of the subcommittee, which is tasked with internationalizing higher education, met in the morning at the Prime Minister's Office.
They reached a basic agreement to recommend:
-- Introduction of a unified Japanese-language examination for foreign students wishing to go on to higher education in Japan.
-- Expansion of the scholarship system to encourage foreign students to choose Japan as a place of study.
-- Letting foreign students start the academic year in September, the beginning of the academic year in most overseas countries.
-- Having more classes held in English.
-- Adopting a more flexible credit-transfer system.
(Apr. 19, 2007)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20070419TDY03011.htm
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Universities seek to balance intake quotas
While some of the country's universities experienced difficulty trying to meet their intake quotas, others accepted more students than their enrollment quotas, according to evaluations conducted last year by three authorized university evaluation organizations.
The independent evaluation system to ensure university standards began in the 2004 academic year, with the Fundamental Law of Education stipulating that all universities be evaluated at least every seven years. The three organizations are the National Institution for Academic Degrees and University Evaluation, the Japan University Accreditation Association, and the Japan Institution for Higher Education Evaluation.
In the last academic year, 73 universities were evaluated.
The Japan University Accreditation Association found that Minobusan University in Minobucho, Yamanashi Prefecture, had an average enrollment rate of 63 percent for the past five years.
The association asked the university to submit a report on its plans for improvements before the end of June 2009, without conducting an assessment, citing the need for the university to adopt drastic measures to improve its standards.
The university met its enrollment quota for this academic year with 40 new students, and said it would try to fulfill the enrollment quota to improve its finances.
In addition, at least 12 universities had enrollment rates 20 percent to 30 percent lower than their intake quotas, which could possibly affect their fiscal stability.
On the other hand, Gifu Keizai University's business and sports management department, a new department established last year, accepted 258 students, a figure much higher than its 70-student quota. The Japan Institution for Higher Education Evaluation was concerned the university's facilities and educational system might not be able to cope with so many students.
"We accepted more students for the new department because we feared we might not be able to meet our quota," said a Gifu Keizai University official.
This year, after doubling its intake quota to 150 and hiring two more lecturers, the university accepted 198 students.
The Japan University Accreditation Association demanded that 18 universities--including Waseda University in Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo, which had enrollment rates 1.2 times to 1.4 times higher than its intake quotas--reduce their enrollment rates, saying that large student bodies might make it difficult to provide adequate teaching.
Universities are given a free hand to implement the organizations' evaluations and suggestions.
While many universities are evaluated by just one organization, some prefer to have multiple assessments to improve their reputation.
(Apr. 18, 2007)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20070418TDY03001.htm
The independent evaluation system to ensure university standards began in the 2004 academic year, with the Fundamental Law of Education stipulating that all universities be evaluated at least every seven years. The three organizations are the National Institution for Academic Degrees and University Evaluation, the Japan University Accreditation Association, and the Japan Institution for Higher Education Evaluation.
In the last academic year, 73 universities were evaluated.
The Japan University Accreditation Association found that Minobusan University in Minobucho, Yamanashi Prefecture, had an average enrollment rate of 63 percent for the past five years.
The association asked the university to submit a report on its plans for improvements before the end of June 2009, without conducting an assessment, citing the need for the university to adopt drastic measures to improve its standards.
The university met its enrollment quota for this academic year with 40 new students, and said it would try to fulfill the enrollment quota to improve its finances.
In addition, at least 12 universities had enrollment rates 20 percent to 30 percent lower than their intake quotas, which could possibly affect their fiscal stability.
On the other hand, Gifu Keizai University's business and sports management department, a new department established last year, accepted 258 students, a figure much higher than its 70-student quota. The Japan Institution for Higher Education Evaluation was concerned the university's facilities and educational system might not be able to cope with so many students.
"We accepted more students for the new department because we feared we might not be able to meet our quota," said a Gifu Keizai University official.
This year, after doubling its intake quota to 150 and hiring two more lecturers, the university accepted 198 students.
The Japan University Accreditation Association demanded that 18 universities--including Waseda University in Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo, which had enrollment rates 1.2 times to 1.4 times higher than its intake quotas--reduce their enrollment rates, saying that large student bodies might make it difficult to provide adequate teaching.
Universities are given a free hand to implement the organizations' evaluations and suggestions.
While many universities are evaluated by just one organization, some prefer to have multiple assessments to improve their reputation.
(Apr. 18, 2007)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20070418TDY03001.htm
Monday, April 16, 2007
New steps aim to raise Japan's share of Asian students on campus
With the rising number of students worldwide seeking overseas educations, Japan hopes to gain a larger share of Asian students.
To that end, the government plans to allow transfer of college credits earned overseas, sources said over the weekend.
The move will enhance partnerships between domestic and Asian colleges through such moves as "twinning" programs for easy transfer of credits, according to the Asian Gateway Strategic Council, a policy group chaired by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
To promote academic and personnel exchanges, the panel will also propose a rating system that would measure a Japanese school's level of internationalization.
The policy panel's guideline is due out in May. The panel was set up to explore measures to make Japan more open to foreign workers and other internationalization moves.
Under the twinning program, foreign students entering Japanese colleges after completing their second year overseas will be able to complete their undergraduate degree by studying three more years in Japan. Currently, most foreign students here take longer to graduate because they first study at Japanese language schools.
The new program would reduce their total stay in Japan and financial cost, the panel's draft guideline said.
The panel also advises setting up information centers in Asian countries to advise prospective students.
A rating system will also be set up to evaluate Japanese schools on their readiness to accept foreign students, and on what they have achieved through academic partnerships with overseas colleges.
After implementing the 1983 "Plan to Accept 100,000 Foreign Students," Japan raised its share of foreign students to 100,000 by 2003. The upward trend slowed after that, however, dropping in 2006 for the first time in nine years.
The number of students worldwide seeking educational opportunities abroad is expected to rise in the next two decades. Japan aims to increase its quota of foreign students, which today totals less than 120,000.
The worldwide number of students seeking degrees outside their home countries equaled 1.8 million in 2000, but by 2025, that figure is predicted to rise fourfold.
The panel will continue hearing opinions from experts and concerned ministries until May. The panel's report will be included in this year's government guideline for structural reforms to be compiled in June.
(IHT/Asahi: April 16,2007)
http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200704160086.html
To that end, the government plans to allow transfer of college credits earned overseas, sources said over the weekend.
The move will enhance partnerships between domestic and Asian colleges through such moves as "twinning" programs for easy transfer of credits, according to the Asian Gateway Strategic Council, a policy group chaired by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
To promote academic and personnel exchanges, the panel will also propose a rating system that would measure a Japanese school's level of internationalization.
The policy panel's guideline is due out in May. The panel was set up to explore measures to make Japan more open to foreign workers and other internationalization moves.
Under the twinning program, foreign students entering Japanese colleges after completing their second year overseas will be able to complete their undergraduate degree by studying three more years in Japan. Currently, most foreign students here take longer to graduate because they first study at Japanese language schools.
The new program would reduce their total stay in Japan and financial cost, the panel's draft guideline said.
The panel also advises setting up information centers in Asian countries to advise prospective students.
A rating system will also be set up to evaluate Japanese schools on their readiness to accept foreign students, and on what they have achieved through academic partnerships with overseas colleges.
After implementing the 1983 "Plan to Accept 100,000 Foreign Students," Japan raised its share of foreign students to 100,000 by 2003. The upward trend slowed after that, however, dropping in 2006 for the first time in nine years.
The number of students worldwide seeking educational opportunities abroad is expected to rise in the next two decades. Japan aims to increase its quota of foreign students, which today totals less than 120,000.
The worldwide number of students seeking degrees outside their home countries equaled 1.8 million in 2000, but by 2025, that figure is predicted to rise fourfold.
The panel will continue hearing opinions from experts and concerned ministries until May. The panel's report will be included in this year's government guideline for structural reforms to be compiled in June.
(IHT/Asahi: April 16,2007)
http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200704160086.html
Council eyes budget boost for national universities
The Education Rebuilding Council has mapped out recommendations to increase significantly the government budget for national universities, including a call for a review of its plan to cut university grants, for its second report to be released in May, sources close to the council said Sunday.
The council, chaired by Nobel laureate Ryoji Noyori, will suggest that the government earmark a budget that gives priority to higher education, such as universities and graduate schools, the sources said.
Finding ways to balance rebuilding education and fiscal reconstruction, the two areas being touted as the most important issues by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, is a big challenge when compiling the fiscal 2008 budget.
The draft compiled by the council points out that Japan's education budget is very low compared with other industrialized countries, the sources said.
As such, the council will recommend special outlays that can be distributed in line with contents of university programs to rebuild education, the sources said.
Regarding the government plan to cut grants to national universities, the draft proposes an amount to cover their minimum utility fees and overhead costs for their facilities, the sources said.
Furthermore, with regard to the special educational and research outlays, the draft suggests that the outlays be distributed in line with the evaluation of university education and research programs rather than doing so solely based on the number of lecturers and students, the sources said.
In its second report, the council also plans to mention concrete measures for increasing the education budget, the sources said.
There have been suggestions that, aside from the Education, Science and Technology Ministry's education budget, official development assistance be used to invite scholars from overseas or that a portion of consumption tax be used for education.
Japan's budget for public education accounts for 3.7 percent of its gross domestic product, a figure lower than the 5.9 percent in France and 5.7 percent in the United States.
(Apr. 16, 2007)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20070416TDY02009.htm
The council, chaired by Nobel laureate Ryoji Noyori, will suggest that the government earmark a budget that gives priority to higher education, such as universities and graduate schools, the sources said.
Finding ways to balance rebuilding education and fiscal reconstruction, the two areas being touted as the most important issues by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, is a big challenge when compiling the fiscal 2008 budget.
The draft compiled by the council points out that Japan's education budget is very low compared with other industrialized countries, the sources said.
As such, the council will recommend special outlays that can be distributed in line with contents of university programs to rebuild education, the sources said.
Regarding the government plan to cut grants to national universities, the draft proposes an amount to cover their minimum utility fees and overhead costs for their facilities, the sources said.
Furthermore, with regard to the special educational and research outlays, the draft suggests that the outlays be distributed in line with the evaluation of university education and research programs rather than doing so solely based on the number of lecturers and students, the sources said.
In its second report, the council also plans to mention concrete measures for increasing the education budget, the sources said.
There have been suggestions that, aside from the Education, Science and Technology Ministry's education budget, official development assistance be used to invite scholars from overseas or that a portion of consumption tax be used for education.
Japan's budget for public education accounts for 3.7 percent of its gross domestic product, a figure lower than the 5.9 percent in France and 5.7 percent in the United States.
(Apr. 16, 2007)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20070416TDY02009.htm
NPO aims to help Latin teens (in Japan)
A nonprofit organization in Toyota, Aichi Prefecture, is raising funds from businesses and individuals to help teenagers, mainly from Latin America, find better jobs.
The NPO, called Yumeiku Project (Dream Education Project), will use the funds to help the teens learn basic Japanese, so their communicative skills will improve sufficiently to drag them out of menial jobs into employment that is more technically demanding.
Under the projected program, the teenagers will be instructed about information technology skills required for the workplace and be given a grounding in Japanese corporate culture.
About 15,000 foreigners currently live in the city, home to Toyota Motor Corp.'s headquarters. They are largely from Latin American countries--about half of them from Brazil.
Most of them stay in apartment complexes in the Homi district on a hill in the city.
"We hope to educate Latin American teenagers to get along well in Japanese society," said Ushio Hamada, leader of the Dream Education Project.
The group was launched last April after Hamada received an inquiry from Torcida, another nonprofit organization based in the city, that wanted to know if it could help foreign teenagers find well-paying jobs.
Torcida has been teaching Japanese to foreign children in the Homi district for 10 years.
"We were afraid most of our students would end up doing odd jobs offered by temp agencies. It's difficult for them to set their life's goals very high," a Torcida member said.
"We asked [Hamada] if he had any idea about to how help them brighten their future," the member added.
The NPO hopes to collect a total of 4 million yen from businesses and individuals. It will ask recipients to return 10,000 yen a month over a one-year period once they find suitable employment.
All repayments will be used to replenish the group's funds.
(Apr. 16, 2007)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20070416TDY19003.htm
The NPO, called Yumeiku Project (Dream Education Project), will use the funds to help the teens learn basic Japanese, so their communicative skills will improve sufficiently to drag them out of menial jobs into employment that is more technically demanding.
Under the projected program, the teenagers will be instructed about information technology skills required for the workplace and be given a grounding in Japanese corporate culture.
About 15,000 foreigners currently live in the city, home to Toyota Motor Corp.'s headquarters. They are largely from Latin American countries--about half of them from Brazil.
Most of them stay in apartment complexes in the Homi district on a hill in the city.
"We hope to educate Latin American teenagers to get along well in Japanese society," said Ushio Hamada, leader of the Dream Education Project.
The group was launched last April after Hamada received an inquiry from Torcida, another nonprofit organization based in the city, that wanted to know if it could help foreign teenagers find well-paying jobs.
Torcida has been teaching Japanese to foreign children in the Homi district for 10 years.
"We were afraid most of our students would end up doing odd jobs offered by temp agencies. It's difficult for them to set their life's goals very high," a Torcida member said.
"We asked [Hamada] if he had any idea about to how help them brighten their future," the member added.
The NPO hopes to collect a total of 4 million yen from businesses and individuals. It will ask recipients to return 10,000 yen a month over a one-year period once they find suitable employment.
All repayments will be used to replenish the group's funds.
(Apr. 16, 2007)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20070416TDY19003.htm
Women flock to join 'college of change'
Saturday, March 31, was the final day of school for 47 graduates of the interestingly named I'M Personal College in Tokyo.
After the graduation ceremony in the morning, they had a party with around 60 invited guests in a Roppongi club, where they danced, snacked and partied just like new graduates do at such events in Japan. But there was a unique difference: more than half the graduates were stay-at-home mothers or housewives.
When the school opened in 1989, its one-year "business school" for housewives might have been an eyebrow-raiser. But 18 years on, it now has some 1,500 graduates, and its educational scope has widened from housewives in particular to women in general.
Organizing the annual graduation party is considered one of the most important challenges for students, whose curriculum aims to prepare them for professional roles in the business world. So, at that event, they were not only enjoying themselves but also working hard to ensure that the gathering ran smoothly.
"I cannot believe that I am doing this," said new graduate Chiyako Fuwa, a stay-at-home mother of two, whose key role was as a time-keeper and director of the event. "The preparations for this have been very tough, but it is a very exciting experience," she said. "I feel like I can do anything if I can do this," she added with a beaming smile.
Specifically, the school runs two courses -- one for students who wish to become writers; the other for those aiming to be counselors. Either way, students take classes once a week for a year, at a cost of around 300,000 yen. This year, about half the writing-course students, and most taking the counseling classes, were housewives aiming to get a job as their next step.
"Over the past 18 years," said 59-year-old school founder Kazuko Nagai, "I've often thought that I couldn't keep it going. It was financially very hard, especially in the first 10 years. I repeatedly debated with myself if I should close this school.
"But I didn't close. That's because of the graduation day. Every time I attend the ceremony, I truly think I was right to have kept this school going one more year. It is impressive to see how these students change during the one-year course."
In fact, the school was born out of Nagai's own struggles in life. She got married two years after graduating from a university in Tokyo without having any job experience. In those days, single women over 25 were often compared with "Christmas cakes," she recalls. In other words, society regarded them as having passed their "sell-by dates."
As a housewife, Nagai realized that her life's work had become that of "housekeeper" -- but she knew that didn't suit her. Constantly, she says, she worried whether she could raise her two children properly while having no money of her own.
Then, at age 33, she began studying at night school to become an advertising copywriter. By the time she was 40, two years after setting up her own ad agency, she was winning prizes for her work. That, though, wasn't enough, and when she was 41 Nagai founded her school to help raise women's awareness and send more of them back into the working world.
"At 40, I looked around and saw housewives of my age questioning their lives," she says. "Their grown-up children no longer needed much care, and their husbands were very busy taking important positions at work. Some said their job had basically finished -- though probably they would have to look after elderly parents or in-laws in the future.
"Listening to them," she said, "I wondered how these healthy, mature women could be thinking of retiring in their 40s."
Also, Nagai's innate feminist philosophy gave her another drive.
"Our generation, baby boomers, tried to pursue equal opportunities for men and women in society. Wearing jeans of the same design, we tried to introduce the idea of 'married couples who live like friends.' But, in reality, I thought that if housewives in their 40s accept that way of living, they would not be able to change the lifestyle of their daughters' generation."
Although the situation for working women in Japan is improving, with ever more holding down jobs after marriage, and the equal employment opportunity law now 20 years old, Nagai sees the need for schools like hers continuing, since women's participation in decision-making in society is still low.
Indeed, female lawmakers account for only 11 percent of current Diet [Parliament] members. According to 2006 statistics from the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry, just 10.3 percent of people in managerial posts are women.
To change this situation, Nagai argues that it is crucial to create a system to give more chances for housewives to acquire skills and work in society.
"I believe that unless we increase the total number of working women, we will never see a Diet in which half the members are women," she said. "I'm glad to help in working toward that goal."
Nagai speaks softly, but she is no comforting mother. Faced with a student making excuses for not having done her homework, or turning up late for classes, she can be severe toward their "unprofessional attitude" -- which she calls "housewife disease."
"This school can be a clinic to cure that disease. I tell students they should regard their homework as their actual work, and their classes as their work appointments," Nagai said.
"But at the same time, it's amazing to see how they can change during the one year. They become more independent and start living their lives fully."
Fuwa, the graduate working as a time-keeper at the event, said one of the most important things she got from the school was "courage" -- courage to take a step forward in life. She now plans to work as a freelance writer for magazines.
"I've been a housewife for 10 years and it took a lot of energy to get out of the house and change my lifestyle. Now, I feel confident about myself, and I think I can rise to any challenge," she said.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fl20070415x3.html
After the graduation ceremony in the morning, they had a party with around 60 invited guests in a Roppongi club, where they danced, snacked and partied just like new graduates do at such events in Japan. But there was a unique difference: more than half the graduates were stay-at-home mothers or housewives.
When the school opened in 1989, its one-year "business school" for housewives might have been an eyebrow-raiser. But 18 years on, it now has some 1,500 graduates, and its educational scope has widened from housewives in particular to women in general.
Organizing the annual graduation party is considered one of the most important challenges for students, whose curriculum aims to prepare them for professional roles in the business world. So, at that event, they were not only enjoying themselves but also working hard to ensure that the gathering ran smoothly.
"I cannot believe that I am doing this," said new graduate Chiyako Fuwa, a stay-at-home mother of two, whose key role was as a time-keeper and director of the event. "The preparations for this have been very tough, but it is a very exciting experience," she said. "I feel like I can do anything if I can do this," she added with a beaming smile.
Specifically, the school runs two courses -- one for students who wish to become writers; the other for those aiming to be counselors. Either way, students take classes once a week for a year, at a cost of around 300,000 yen. This year, about half the writing-course students, and most taking the counseling classes, were housewives aiming to get a job as their next step.
"Over the past 18 years," said 59-year-old school founder Kazuko Nagai, "I've often thought that I couldn't keep it going. It was financially very hard, especially in the first 10 years. I repeatedly debated with myself if I should close this school.
"But I didn't close. That's because of the graduation day. Every time I attend the ceremony, I truly think I was right to have kept this school going one more year. It is impressive to see how these students change during the one-year course."
In fact, the school was born out of Nagai's own struggles in life. She got married two years after graduating from a university in Tokyo without having any job experience. In those days, single women over 25 were often compared with "Christmas cakes," she recalls. In other words, society regarded them as having passed their "sell-by dates."
As a housewife, Nagai realized that her life's work had become that of "housekeeper" -- but she knew that didn't suit her. Constantly, she says, she worried whether she could raise her two children properly while having no money of her own.
Then, at age 33, she began studying at night school to become an advertising copywriter. By the time she was 40, two years after setting up her own ad agency, she was winning prizes for her work. That, though, wasn't enough, and when she was 41 Nagai founded her school to help raise women's awareness and send more of them back into the working world.
"At 40, I looked around and saw housewives of my age questioning their lives," she says. "Their grown-up children no longer needed much care, and their husbands were very busy taking important positions at work. Some said their job had basically finished -- though probably they would have to look after elderly parents or in-laws in the future.
"Listening to them," she said, "I wondered how these healthy, mature women could be thinking of retiring in their 40s."
Also, Nagai's innate feminist philosophy gave her another drive.
"Our generation, baby boomers, tried to pursue equal opportunities for men and women in society. Wearing jeans of the same design, we tried to introduce the idea of 'married couples who live like friends.' But, in reality, I thought that if housewives in their 40s accept that way of living, they would not be able to change the lifestyle of their daughters' generation."
Although the situation for working women in Japan is improving, with ever more holding down jobs after marriage, and the equal employment opportunity law now 20 years old, Nagai sees the need for schools like hers continuing, since women's participation in decision-making in society is still low.
Indeed, female lawmakers account for only 11 percent of current Diet [Parliament] members. According to 2006 statistics from the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry, just 10.3 percent of people in managerial posts are women.
To change this situation, Nagai argues that it is crucial to create a system to give more chances for housewives to acquire skills and work in society.
"I believe that unless we increase the total number of working women, we will never see a Diet in which half the members are women," she said. "I'm glad to help in working toward that goal."
Nagai speaks softly, but she is no comforting mother. Faced with a student making excuses for not having done her homework, or turning up late for classes, she can be severe toward their "unprofessional attitude" -- which she calls "housewife disease."
"This school can be a clinic to cure that disease. I tell students they should regard their homework as their actual work, and their classes as their work appointments," Nagai said.
"But at the same time, it's amazing to see how they can change during the one year. They become more independent and start living their lives fully."
Fuwa, the graduate working as a time-keeper at the event, said one of the most important things she got from the school was "courage" -- courage to take a step forward in life. She now plans to work as a freelance writer for magazines.
"I've been a housewife for 10 years and it took a lot of energy to get out of the house and change my lifestyle. Now, I feel confident about myself, and I think I can rise to any challenge," she said.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fl20070415x3.html
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Few takers for early college entry
The early enrollment of second-year high school students in universities has attracted few participants in the decade since the system was introduced, according to the Education, Science and Technology Ministry.
This spring, only 10 students nationwide enrolled in universities early, and only 72 participated in the system over the decade.
The system initially was a measure to reform universities, but only six universities have used it so far.
Due to this lack of interest, the ministry has decided not to expand the system, for which only second-year high school students are eligible.
No high school student has applied for early enrollment to Showa Women's University in Setagaya Ward, Tokyo, since its three departments, including the human life sciences department, introduced the system in the 2005 academic year.
A university spokesman said, "We believe we'll eventually get an early enrollment application as long as we keep the door open."
The first early entrant enrolled in Elisabeth University of Music in Hiroshima this spring--three years after the system was introduced.
A university spokesman said: "Better students tend to prefer universities in Tokyo. However, the early entry system helps us to attract talented students earlier than other schools, so we believe the system is a survival measure for provincial universities."
The system was introduced in 1997 to provide youths with education appropriate to their particular personalities and abilities in contrast to the usual egalitarian, uniform education.
Although there were concerns that the system would prompt universities to tap better students earlier, some universities regard the system as an effective way to attract students.
However, in recent years, only an average 10 students a year have taken advantage of early enrollment.
Forty-seven students have entered Chiba University early since it introduced the system in the 1998 academic year, while 21 students have enrolled in Meijo University in Nagoya since the 2001 academic year.
Two students entered Aizu University in Aizu-Wakamatsu, Fukushima Prefecture, and one student each enrolled in Seijo University in Setagaya Ward, Tokyo, and Elisabeth University of Music. The three universities introduced the system between the 2005 and 2006 academic years.
This spring, Chiba University accepted six early entrants, but other universities attracted on average only one student or none under the system.
According to the ministry's survey, in the 2004 academic year, 29 universities discussed introducing the system, but the number dwindled to five in the 2006 academic year.
The ministry has offered several reasons why the system has failed to attract universities and students:
-- The system has few advantages for either universities or individual students.
-- It is difficult to measure the applicants' outstanding qualities, which are required for acceptance as an early entrant.
-- If an early entrant fails to graduate from the university, he or she is only certified as a middle school graduate.
Due to the system's lack of popularity, the ministry has decided for the time being to prohibit younger students from applying, saying it is difficult to evaluate the system's value.
"The early entrant system is necessary to develop work personnel for the country," said Chiba University Prof. Nobuo Ueno, who was involved in the introduction of the system at the university.
"I'd like people to be aware that some youths can develop their capabilities further through a specialized education," He added.
(Apr. 12, 2007)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20070412TDY02008.htm
This spring, only 10 students nationwide enrolled in universities early, and only 72 participated in the system over the decade.
The system initially was a measure to reform universities, but only six universities have used it so far.
Due to this lack of interest, the ministry has decided not to expand the system, for which only second-year high school students are eligible.
No high school student has applied for early enrollment to Showa Women's University in Setagaya Ward, Tokyo, since its three departments, including the human life sciences department, introduced the system in the 2005 academic year.
A university spokesman said, "We believe we'll eventually get an early enrollment application as long as we keep the door open."
The first early entrant enrolled in Elisabeth University of Music in Hiroshima this spring--three years after the system was introduced.
A university spokesman said: "Better students tend to prefer universities in Tokyo. However, the early entry system helps us to attract talented students earlier than other schools, so we believe the system is a survival measure for provincial universities."
The system was introduced in 1997 to provide youths with education appropriate to their particular personalities and abilities in contrast to the usual egalitarian, uniform education.
Although there were concerns that the system would prompt universities to tap better students earlier, some universities regard the system as an effective way to attract students.
However, in recent years, only an average 10 students a year have taken advantage of early enrollment.
Forty-seven students have entered Chiba University early since it introduced the system in the 1998 academic year, while 21 students have enrolled in Meijo University in Nagoya since the 2001 academic year.
Two students entered Aizu University in Aizu-Wakamatsu, Fukushima Prefecture, and one student each enrolled in Seijo University in Setagaya Ward, Tokyo, and Elisabeth University of Music. The three universities introduced the system between the 2005 and 2006 academic years.
This spring, Chiba University accepted six early entrants, but other universities attracted on average only one student or none under the system.
According to the ministry's survey, in the 2004 academic year, 29 universities discussed introducing the system, but the number dwindled to five in the 2006 academic year.
The ministry has offered several reasons why the system has failed to attract universities and students:
-- The system has few advantages for either universities or individual students.
-- It is difficult to measure the applicants' outstanding qualities, which are required for acceptance as an early entrant.
-- If an early entrant fails to graduate from the university, he or she is only certified as a middle school graduate.
Due to the system's lack of popularity, the ministry has decided for the time being to prohibit younger students from applying, saying it is difficult to evaluate the system's value.
"The early entrant system is necessary to develop work personnel for the country," said Chiba University Prof. Nobuo Ueno, who was involved in the introduction of the system at the university.
"I'd like people to be aware that some youths can develop their capabilities further through a specialized education," He added.
(Apr. 12, 2007)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20070412TDY02008.htm
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Korean universities seek ‘internationalization’
Education ministry plans to relax regulations for foreign applicants, those studying overseas
Starting next year, South Korean universities will recognize a greater amount of course credits earned at foreign universities. In addition, the secondary school curriculum in several Asian nations will be given approval by the South Korean government so that students in those countries can more easily gain admission to South Korean universities. Such plans are part of a government blueprint aimed at "internationalizing" the South Korean education system, the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development said on March 2.
According to the ministry’s data, 11,326 South Korean students earned a total of 162,097 credits from foreign universities in 2005. However, as domestic universities are only allowed to count foreign-earned credits toward a maximum of half of the required credits for graduation, only 162 of those students who had studied abroad were able to earn a double major. By abolishing such regulations, the ministry hopes to encourage students to study at both foreign and domestic universities and to make it easier to earn a double major while doing so.
As part of efforts to court more foreign students, the ministry plans to approve the secondary school curriculum in the Philippines, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and some regions of China so that students there can more easily get into South Korean universities. Those nations require 10 or 11 years of education prior to entering university, whereas the South Korean government requires 12, which has been a stumbling block for students in those countries to study in Korea.
The ministry also plans to ease another rule in order to allow South Korean universities to more easily build branch schools overseas. In addition, the ministry plans to require universities to raise the amount of English-only classes to 3.1 percent by 2010 from the 2.19 percent level in 2006. The ministry will also require each university to hire more foreign professors in order to raise the number from the average 3.67 percent of the faculty at Korean universities in 2006 to 5.0 percent by 2010.
http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/193996.html
Starting next year, South Korean universities will recognize a greater amount of course credits earned at foreign universities. In addition, the secondary school curriculum in several Asian nations will be given approval by the South Korean government so that students in those countries can more easily gain admission to South Korean universities. Such plans are part of a government blueprint aimed at "internationalizing" the South Korean education system, the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development said on March 2.
According to the ministry’s data, 11,326 South Korean students earned a total of 162,097 credits from foreign universities in 2005. However, as domestic universities are only allowed to count foreign-earned credits toward a maximum of half of the required credits for graduation, only 162 of those students who had studied abroad were able to earn a double major. By abolishing such regulations, the ministry hopes to encourage students to study at both foreign and domestic universities and to make it easier to earn a double major while doing so.
As part of efforts to court more foreign students, the ministry plans to approve the secondary school curriculum in the Philippines, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and some regions of China so that students there can more easily get into South Korean universities. Those nations require 10 or 11 years of education prior to entering university, whereas the South Korean government requires 12, which has been a stumbling block for students in those countries to study in Korea.
The ministry also plans to ease another rule in order to allow South Korean universities to more easily build branch schools overseas. In addition, the ministry plans to require universities to raise the amount of English-only classes to 3.1 percent by 2010 from the 2.19 percent level in 2006. The ministry will also require each university to hire more foreign professors in order to raise the number from the average 3.67 percent of the faculty at Korean universities in 2006 to 5.0 percent by 2010.
http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/193996.html
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Keio University, Kyoritsu University of Pharmacy ink merger deal
Keio University and Kyoritsu University of Pharmacy, both based in Tokyo's Minato Ward, concluded an agreement Monday for Kyoritsu's merger into Keio on April 1, 2008, Keio University said.
Under the accord between the two private universities, Keio will have a pharmaceutical faculty and graduate school pharmaceutical division, both to be located on the current Kyoritsu campus.
All the current Kyoritsu students will be transferred to Keio upon the merger as the pharmaceutical university will be disbanded.
Keio University currently has nine undergraduate faculties and 11 graduate departments.
Kyoritsu University of Pharmacy has only one pharmaceutical school for undergraduates and one for graduates.
The two universities have traditionally had links as Kyoritsu was established by a Keio graduate.
http://asia.news.yahoo.com/070326/kyodo/d8o3o5tg0.html
Under the accord between the two private universities, Keio will have a pharmaceutical faculty and graduate school pharmaceutical division, both to be located on the current Kyoritsu campus.
All the current Kyoritsu students will be transferred to Keio upon the merger as the pharmaceutical university will be disbanded.
Keio University currently has nine undergraduate faculties and 11 graduate departments.
Kyoritsu University of Pharmacy has only one pharmaceutical school for undergraduates and one for graduates.
The two universities have traditionally had links as Kyoritsu was established by a Keio graduate.
http://asia.news.yahoo.com/070326/kyodo/d8o3o5tg0.html
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Panel eyes exams for college graduation
As a part of an effort to maintain high educational standards in undergraduate schools, the government has agreed to study the introduction of graduation exams for undergraduates to ensure students reach the expected level of academic achievement before they graduate, government sources said.
The Education Rebuilding Council, a powerful advisory body to the prime minister, on Tuesday mapped out the plan under which graduation from university would be contingent on the result of an undergraduate examination administered by the university.
The council is likely to include the plan in its second report to be submitted in May. "Even though some students haven't learned simple multiplication, some universities allow them to enter--though this is an extreme example," a council member said during the meeting.
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20070322TDY02004.htm
The Education Rebuilding Council, a powerful advisory body to the prime minister, on Tuesday mapped out the plan under which graduation from university would be contingent on the result of an undergraduate examination administered by the university.
The council is likely to include the plan in its second report to be submitted in May. "Even though some students haven't learned simple multiplication, some universities allow them to enter--though this is an extreme example," a council member said during the meeting.
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20070322TDY02004.htm
Monday, March 12, 2007
Rural universities pinning hopes on makeovers
Due to the falling birthrate, the total student body quota of universities will exceed the number of prospective students in the near future. Considering this, rural universities are increasingly wary as students tend to prefer well-known urban universities such as those in Tokyo and Osaka.
To survive this harsh competition, many universities are trying a variety of approaches to attract more students.
Akita Keizaihoka University has decided to change its name to North Asia University on April 1.
The school has already notified prospective freshmen by letter, saying the university is determined to meet new challenges, unconstrained by its past image. The university decided to change its name following an observation by Ken Koizumi, president of the university, that the school brand value "may have its expiration date."
Nasu University, a single-department college in Nasu-Shiobara, Tochigi Prefecture, that opened in 1999, has moved its campus to Utsunomiya and changed its name to Utsunomiya Kyowa University. The name of its urban economics department also has been changed to the City Life Department.
The school's enrollment had fallen below the quota just four years after its founding. In the 2004 academic year, the number of students was only about half of its capacity of 800. The new campus, a seven-story building, is located in the most urbanized area in the prefecture, about 700 meters from JR Utsunomiya Station.
In an effort to lure young people, the university has set up courses with colorful names such as "Become a student CEO," as well as home economics ones, mainly for female students, and apparel industry studies.
Meanwhile, public and private universities in Tochigi Prefecture established the Consortium of Universities in Tochigi in April 2005. Member schools of the consortium cooperate in such ways as acknowledging academic credits earned in other universities and offering extramural lectures.
Similar programs have also been adopted in Yamagata, Yamanashi and other prefectures.
Another attempt to attract students, adopted by two departments of Hokuriku University in Kanazawa starting this year, is to accept admission on a recommendation basis from all 5,200 full-time comprehensive high schools across the nation.
Hiroshima University held education counseling sessions in 11 cities across the nation in 2006.
In the Tokyo, Osaka and Takamatsu sessions, it even offered students lectures on its past entrance exams.
Hiroshi Kuroki, a journalist who specializes in education, said, "What's important for the universities is to work on reforming themselves with an eye to 10 or 20 years from now, and not to resort to employing cheap gimmicks just to gain popularity."
(Mar. 9, 2007)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20070309TDY03002.htm
To survive this harsh competition, many universities are trying a variety of approaches to attract more students.
Akita Keizaihoka University has decided to change its name to North Asia University on April 1.
The school has already notified prospective freshmen by letter, saying the university is determined to meet new challenges, unconstrained by its past image. The university decided to change its name following an observation by Ken Koizumi, president of the university, that the school brand value "may have its expiration date."
Nasu University, a single-department college in Nasu-Shiobara, Tochigi Prefecture, that opened in 1999, has moved its campus to Utsunomiya and changed its name to Utsunomiya Kyowa University. The name of its urban economics department also has been changed to the City Life Department.
The school's enrollment had fallen below the quota just four years after its founding. In the 2004 academic year, the number of students was only about half of its capacity of 800. The new campus, a seven-story building, is located in the most urbanized area in the prefecture, about 700 meters from JR Utsunomiya Station.
In an effort to lure young people, the university has set up courses with colorful names such as "Become a student CEO," as well as home economics ones, mainly for female students, and apparel industry studies.
Meanwhile, public and private universities in Tochigi Prefecture established the Consortium of Universities in Tochigi in April 2005. Member schools of the consortium cooperate in such ways as acknowledging academic credits earned in other universities and offering extramural lectures.
Similar programs have also been adopted in Yamagata, Yamanashi and other prefectures.
Another attempt to attract students, adopted by two departments of Hokuriku University in Kanazawa starting this year, is to accept admission on a recommendation basis from all 5,200 full-time comprehensive high schools across the nation.
Hiroshima University held education counseling sessions in 11 cities across the nation in 2006.
In the Tokyo, Osaka and Takamatsu sessions, it even offered students lectures on its past entrance exams.
Hiroshi Kuroki, a journalist who specializes in education, said, "What's important for the universities is to work on reforming themselves with an eye to 10 or 20 years from now, and not to resort to employing cheap gimmicks just to gain popularity."
(Mar. 9, 2007)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20070309TDY03002.htm
Thursday, March 08, 2007
English Orated Here - Asian universities switch to English
To stop the flight of their best and brightest to the Ivy League, top Asian universities are moving to give many, even most, of their courses in English.
Asia has long yearned to create its own Ivy League for the great mass of students who can't afford to make it to Harvard. Now it has found a shortcut.
Two years ago Yonsei, South Korea's oldest and most prestigious private university, set up the Underwood International College (UIC), which offers a four-year program of all-English-language classes to compete with the best institutions in America and Europe.
By providing generous scholarships and high pay, the UIC has attracted top students and faculty members from around the world, making it an academic landmark in Asia. "Classes here are as tight as Ivy League classes," says Park Se Ung, a freshman at Yonsei's UIC. "For the final exam, I couldn't sleep at all for days."
Meanwhile Yonsei itself is offering more classes in English to keep students from seeking overseas study. Other elite universities, including Korea University and Ewha Woman's University, also recently created English-only undergraduate programs. And the same basic strategy—designed to both prevent brain drain and attract top foreign students—is spreading beyond Korea.
While the national universities of Singapore and Hong Kong have long been considered good alternatives to U.S. schools because of their heavy use of English, other non-English-speaking countries like Japan and China have introduced similar programs. Japan's prestigious Waseda University, for example, has run a successful English college since 2004, which focuses heavily on Asian culture, history, politics and other liberal arts. Beijing University and other top Chinese schools have also increased their English-language class offerings.
Asia's top students are signing up. For decades, the region's brightest flocked to the United States and other English-speaking nations for college. The big-name diplomas they earned—and the English fluency they gained—guaranteed success, whether they remained abroad or returned home. But since the start of the decade, more elite Asian universities have begun to promise the same thing, and students are jumping at the chance to stay closer to home—particularly in Northeast Asia.
The shift is driven in part by growing job opportunities in the region, where students with domestic school connections tend to be rewarded in finding jobs because of their strong alumni ties. Post-9/11 visa restrictions for foreign students and rising tuition rates in the U.S. have also accelerated the trend. "Asian students have to have Asian networks to have successful careers," says Mo Jongryn, dean of Yonsei's UIC. "Even if they work on Wall Street, Asians are usually sent to Asian desks."
No country has embraced the move more than Korea. In 2002, for instance, Korea University offered less than 10 percent of its classes in English, but the proportion rose to 35 percent last year and is expected to hit 60 percent by 2010. The effort is part of a desperate attempt to retain students; Korea is perhaps the world's biggest supplier of overseas students, with nearly 200,000 from the elementary to the graduate level currently studying abroad.
About a quarter of them study in the U.S., constituting the biggest foreign-student group there. In addition to creating a brain drain, their flight has lasting economic and social implications: overseas students spend roughly $5 billion a year. And fathers working alone in Korea who send money to their children and wives overseas are called "lonely geese" because of their migratory visits to their families; their tragic life stories, including suicides, often make headlines.
South Korea also aims to attract more foreign students by globalizing its universities. Currently, only 0.2 percent of students in the country are foreign—the lowest in the OECD. To lure others, universities are capitalizing on the rising overseas presence of Korean companies. Yonsei's UIC, for example, last year introduced a regional corporate scholarship program, where enterprises like Samsung and LG select and sponsor students from countries where they do business.
Terry Santoso, who ranked in the top 5 percent at his Jakarta high school, originally planned to study at Nanyang Technology University in Singapore, but joined the UIC last fall after LG offered him an $18,500-a-year scholarship. Santoso is also guaranteed a job with LG when he returns to Indonesia after graduation. In addition to the financial support, he is relieved to be studying in a familiar environment. "I don't have the kind of culture shock I would have in the U.S.," he says. "It is easier to adapt to Korean culture because it is the same Asian culture as my country's."
To be sure, Asia's new English-language universities face some significant hurdles. Standards generally remain below those of top Western schools; more than three quarters of the world's top-100 universities are in Europe and America, according to the Times of London Education Supplement. Critics argue that the academic standards in Asia's English-only classes are especially weak because both professors and students lack language proficiency.
At Korea University, the push to introduce English-language education has been so strong that the faculty recently voted out the president who initiated the campaign. Furthermore, Asia's universities face new competition from Western institutions seeking to establish a presence in the region: Stanford and Johns Hopkins recently set up campuses in China and MIT in Singapore.
Still, the new English-language schools are confident that even the Ivy League will soon be running scared. According to Yonsei's UIC, the average SAT score of its students is close to that of Northwestern University. Korean student Park Se Ung recently chose to attend Yonsei over Cornell, where he was also accepted. "If I decide to work in Korea, Yonsei would give me a better chance than Cornell," he says. "Besides, I get to stay closer to my family for four years, while saving their money."
John Frankl, a UIC professor who taught at Harvard before coming to Korea three years ago, argues that his Korean students are just as motivated and bright as Harvard's. "Top private universities in the U.S. may not be affected by us that much," he says. "But state and other private schools will be seriously challenged."
Jean Kang, a political scientist at Ewha, says graduates from the university's English undergraduate program were hired by top-notch global firms like Baker & McKenzie or accepted by prestigious graduate programs like Harvard Law School. "These are the future leaders of Asia with perfect English and strong Asian connections," she says. And diplomas from some of the finest schools in the region.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17202839/site/newsweek/
Asia has long yearned to create its own Ivy League for the great mass of students who can't afford to make it to Harvard. Now it has found a shortcut.
Two years ago Yonsei, South Korea's oldest and most prestigious private university, set up the Underwood International College (UIC), which offers a four-year program of all-English-language classes to compete with the best institutions in America and Europe.
By providing generous scholarships and high pay, the UIC has attracted top students and faculty members from around the world, making it an academic landmark in Asia. "Classes here are as tight as Ivy League classes," says Park Se Ung, a freshman at Yonsei's UIC. "For the final exam, I couldn't sleep at all for days."
Meanwhile Yonsei itself is offering more classes in English to keep students from seeking overseas study. Other elite universities, including Korea University and Ewha Woman's University, also recently created English-only undergraduate programs. And the same basic strategy—designed to both prevent brain drain and attract top foreign students—is spreading beyond Korea.
While the national universities of Singapore and Hong Kong have long been considered good alternatives to U.S. schools because of their heavy use of English, other non-English-speaking countries like Japan and China have introduced similar programs. Japan's prestigious Waseda University, for example, has run a successful English college since 2004, which focuses heavily on Asian culture, history, politics and other liberal arts. Beijing University and other top Chinese schools have also increased their English-language class offerings.
Asia's top students are signing up. For decades, the region's brightest flocked to the United States and other English-speaking nations for college. The big-name diplomas they earned—and the English fluency they gained—guaranteed success, whether they remained abroad or returned home. But since the start of the decade, more elite Asian universities have begun to promise the same thing, and students are jumping at the chance to stay closer to home—particularly in Northeast Asia.
The shift is driven in part by growing job opportunities in the region, where students with domestic school connections tend to be rewarded in finding jobs because of their strong alumni ties. Post-9/11 visa restrictions for foreign students and rising tuition rates in the U.S. have also accelerated the trend. "Asian students have to have Asian networks to have successful careers," says Mo Jongryn, dean of Yonsei's UIC. "Even if they work on Wall Street, Asians are usually sent to Asian desks."
No country has embraced the move more than Korea. In 2002, for instance, Korea University offered less than 10 percent of its classes in English, but the proportion rose to 35 percent last year and is expected to hit 60 percent by 2010. The effort is part of a desperate attempt to retain students; Korea is perhaps the world's biggest supplier of overseas students, with nearly 200,000 from the elementary to the graduate level currently studying abroad.
About a quarter of them study in the U.S., constituting the biggest foreign-student group there. In addition to creating a brain drain, their flight has lasting economic and social implications: overseas students spend roughly $5 billion a year. And fathers working alone in Korea who send money to their children and wives overseas are called "lonely geese" because of their migratory visits to their families; their tragic life stories, including suicides, often make headlines.
South Korea also aims to attract more foreign students by globalizing its universities. Currently, only 0.2 percent of students in the country are foreign—the lowest in the OECD. To lure others, universities are capitalizing on the rising overseas presence of Korean companies. Yonsei's UIC, for example, last year introduced a regional corporate scholarship program, where enterprises like Samsung and LG select and sponsor students from countries where they do business.
Terry Santoso, who ranked in the top 5 percent at his Jakarta high school, originally planned to study at Nanyang Technology University in Singapore, but joined the UIC last fall after LG offered him an $18,500-a-year scholarship. Santoso is also guaranteed a job with LG when he returns to Indonesia after graduation. In addition to the financial support, he is relieved to be studying in a familiar environment. "I don't have the kind of culture shock I would have in the U.S.," he says. "It is easier to adapt to Korean culture because it is the same Asian culture as my country's."
To be sure, Asia's new English-language universities face some significant hurdles. Standards generally remain below those of top Western schools; more than three quarters of the world's top-100 universities are in Europe and America, according to the Times of London Education Supplement. Critics argue that the academic standards in Asia's English-only classes are especially weak because both professors and students lack language proficiency.
At Korea University, the push to introduce English-language education has been so strong that the faculty recently voted out the president who initiated the campaign. Furthermore, Asia's universities face new competition from Western institutions seeking to establish a presence in the region: Stanford and Johns Hopkins recently set up campuses in China and MIT in Singapore.
Still, the new English-language schools are confident that even the Ivy League will soon be running scared. According to Yonsei's UIC, the average SAT score of its students is close to that of Northwestern University. Korean student Park Se Ung recently chose to attend Yonsei over Cornell, where he was also accepted. "If I decide to work in Korea, Yonsei would give me a better chance than Cornell," he says. "Besides, I get to stay closer to my family for four years, while saving their money."
John Frankl, a UIC professor who taught at Harvard before coming to Korea three years ago, argues that his Korean students are just as motivated and bright as Harvard's. "Top private universities in the U.S. may not be affected by us that much," he says. "But state and other private schools will be seriously challenged."
Jean Kang, a political scientist at Ewha, says graduates from the university's English undergraduate program were hired by top-notch global firms like Baker & McKenzie or accepted by prestigious graduate programs like Harvard Law School. "These are the future leaders of Asia with perfect English and strong Asian connections," she says. And diplomas from some of the finest schools in the region.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17202839/site/newsweek/
Friday, March 02, 2007
Colleges offer carrots to honors students
National universities have increasingly introduced systems to financially support honors students, including scholarships and tuition waivers, since the entities became independent administrative institutions in 2004.
Although similar programs have long been employed by private universities, 23 of 83 national universities have either introduced or have decided to implement programs in the past three years. These include Osaka and Hiroshima universities, while Hitotsubashi University will launch a program in April.
The trend stems from the universities' efforts to attract better students as the number of applicants will match the number of entrants accepted by universities this spring, resulting in fierce competition among universities for top students.
Osaka University started a scholarship program for high academic achievers in the 2005 academic year. The program provides a 200,000 yen scholarship for students with strong academic records between their first year and the first half of their second year, during which time students take liberal arts classes.
In the first year, 46 students out of 415 who applied received the scholarship, while 49 of the 242 applicants received it in the second year.
One of the university's academic goals is to provide students with a well-rounded education.
Eiichi Takasugi, head of the Institute for Higher Education Research and Practice, said, "It's important for students to study a variety of subjects before specializing, so we hope the scholarship will motivate students academically."
Hiroshima University's programs, which were introduced this academic year, provide 200,000 yen to new entrants who achieve high scores on its entrance examination. Outstanding students in the second or upper years have half of their annual tuition, or 267,900 yen, waived.
This academic year, 52 new entrants and 80 other students enjoyed the benefits. A university spokesman said, "We hope more high school students will want to enroll in Hiroshima University and remain motivated after entering the school."
Shimane and Kagawa universities also began halving tuition for honors students in their second year or higher this academic year. Sixty-six Shimane University students and 42 Kagawa University students were chosen for the rewards.
The trend has been accelerated because national universities have been allowed broader authority over their finances since becoming independent administrative institutions.
Universities can independently change budget allocations for scholarships and tuition waivers.
Hitotsubashi University boasts that its scholarship program will give students the largest allowance per student among national university scholarship programs.
The university covers the program with a fund comprising donations that was established in 2004. The program will give 80,000 yen a month for a year to 12 students in each of the second, third and fourth years.
A university spokesman said, "We hope we can attract better young people by supporting our outstanding students."
According to major cram school Kawaijuku Educational Institution, 371 of 561 private schools across the nation have a program to give preferential treatment to those who pass their entrance examinations with high marks.
Satoru Kanbe of Kawaijuku Educational Institute said, "Because the competition among major private universities and national universities has intensified, national universities pay more attention to developing outstanding students, so more universities will introduce programs to give preferential treatment to honors students."
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20070227TDY02009.htm
Although similar programs have long been employed by private universities, 23 of 83 national universities have either introduced or have decided to implement programs in the past three years. These include Osaka and Hiroshima universities, while Hitotsubashi University will launch a program in April.
The trend stems from the universities' efforts to attract better students as the number of applicants will match the number of entrants accepted by universities this spring, resulting in fierce competition among universities for top students.
Osaka University started a scholarship program for high academic achievers in the 2005 academic year. The program provides a 200,000 yen scholarship for students with strong academic records between their first year and the first half of their second year, during which time students take liberal arts classes.
In the first year, 46 students out of 415 who applied received the scholarship, while 49 of the 242 applicants received it in the second year.
One of the university's academic goals is to provide students with a well-rounded education.
Eiichi Takasugi, head of the Institute for Higher Education Research and Practice, said, "It's important for students to study a variety of subjects before specializing, so we hope the scholarship will motivate students academically."
Hiroshima University's programs, which were introduced this academic year, provide 200,000 yen to new entrants who achieve high scores on its entrance examination. Outstanding students in the second or upper years have half of their annual tuition, or 267,900 yen, waived.
This academic year, 52 new entrants and 80 other students enjoyed the benefits. A university spokesman said, "We hope more high school students will want to enroll in Hiroshima University and remain motivated after entering the school."
Shimane and Kagawa universities also began halving tuition for honors students in their second year or higher this academic year. Sixty-six Shimane University students and 42 Kagawa University students were chosen for the rewards.
The trend has been accelerated because national universities have been allowed broader authority over their finances since becoming independent administrative institutions.
Universities can independently change budget allocations for scholarships and tuition waivers.
Hitotsubashi University boasts that its scholarship program will give students the largest allowance per student among national university scholarship programs.
The university covers the program with a fund comprising donations that was established in 2004. The program will give 80,000 yen a month for a year to 12 students in each of the second, third and fourth years.
A university spokesman said, "We hope we can attract better young people by supporting our outstanding students."
According to major cram school Kawaijuku Educational Institution, 371 of 561 private schools across the nation have a program to give preferential treatment to those who pass their entrance examinations with high marks.
Satoru Kanbe of Kawaijuku Educational Institute said, "Because the competition among major private universities and national universities has intensified, national universities pay more attention to developing outstanding students, so more universities will introduce programs to give preferential treatment to honors students."
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20070227TDY02009.htm
Local companies to build schools using ODA
In an effort to reduce costs, the Foreign Ministry has decided in principle to use local companies to build schools overseas with official development assistance grants, starting in fiscal 2007, the ministry said Monday.
Local companies will be used from the design stage as it will cost less to employ them than Japanese construction companies.
With the government in the process of cutting spending, the ODA budget has been reduced and the ministry therefore hopes to cut the cost of building schools overseas by more than 30 percent annually, on average, by fiscal 2011.
The total cost of a pilot project conducted in Senegal in fiscal 2006 was 57 percent less than similar projects that did not utilize local firms. It was also confirmed there were no concerns with safety and other aspects of quality.
Building schools is said to be simpler than constructing other buildings, so the ministry believes there should be many cases in which the design can also be left to local companies.
However, due to high-technological requirements, Japanese designers will be used as before for schools that double as evacuation sites for natural disasters such as floods or earthquakes.
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20070227TDY02003.htm
Local companies will be used from the design stage as it will cost less to employ them than Japanese construction companies.
With the government in the process of cutting spending, the ODA budget has been reduced and the ministry therefore hopes to cut the cost of building schools overseas by more than 30 percent annually, on average, by fiscal 2011.
The total cost of a pilot project conducted in Senegal in fiscal 2006 was 57 percent less than similar projects that did not utilize local firms. It was also confirmed there were no concerns with safety and other aspects of quality.
Building schools is said to be simpler than constructing other buildings, so the ministry believes there should be many cases in which the design can also be left to local companies.
However, due to high-technological requirements, Japanese designers will be used as before for schools that double as evacuation sites for natural disasters such as floods or earthquakes.
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20070227TDY02003.htm
Todai to increase foreign research staff five fold
The University of Tokyo is about to embark on a major drive to offer a more international outlook in the hope of raising its relatively low standing among the world's universities.
It plans to increase its foreign staff to 1,300, five times the current level, officials said.
Todai, as the nation's most prestigious university is known, plans to raise the total number of foreign staff members, including professors, lecturers and assistants, from 250 to 1,300, officials said.
The number of facilities abroad will also be increased from the current 22 to 130.
The university is seen to be lagging behind other universities in its use of foreign researchers.
Officials believe this partly explains the university's relatively low position in worldwide rankings
The number of foreign staffers at the university accounts for only about 5 percent of the total 5,000 positions.
The percentage is much lower than Sophia University's 48 percent and still slightly lower than Waseda University's 8 percent. Both of those institutions are also in Tokyo.
Currently, the university has 22 research facilities abroad, mainly in the United States, Europe and Asia.
While it has more overseas facilities than Waseda or Tokyo's Keio University--which have nine and eight, respectively--Kyoto University has 12 more than the University of Tokyo.
Officials said the university decided to increase the number to 130 to mark the 130th anniversary this spring of Todai's founding.
The university plans to build a 220-room dormitory for foreign staff and students near its campus in Hongo, Tokyo, as well as a similar facility near its campus in Kashiwa, Chiba Prefecture.
At present, the university has dormitories for foreign researchers and students in Tokyo and other prefectures. But with rooms for only 500, the number is insufficient. The number of foreign students alone currently stands at over 2,000.
The university also plans to create more scholarships for foreign students.
University President Hiroshi Komiyama revealed the draft plan in a recent news conference held for foreign reporters in Tokyo.
"The University of Tokyo lags behind (other prestigious universities) in its internationalization. This is one of the biggest concerns for us," he said.
Komiyama also said he would put more importance on English education within the university.
According to worldwide university rankings released by various research organizations and magazines, the University of Tokyo ranks between 12th and 19th.
http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200702260127.html
It plans to increase its foreign staff to 1,300, five times the current level, officials said.
Todai, as the nation's most prestigious university is known, plans to raise the total number of foreign staff members, including professors, lecturers and assistants, from 250 to 1,300, officials said.
The number of facilities abroad will also be increased from the current 22 to 130.
The university is seen to be lagging behind other universities in its use of foreign researchers.
Officials believe this partly explains the university's relatively low position in worldwide rankings
The number of foreign staffers at the university accounts for only about 5 percent of the total 5,000 positions.
The percentage is much lower than Sophia University's 48 percent and still slightly lower than Waseda University's 8 percent. Both of those institutions are also in Tokyo.
Currently, the university has 22 research facilities abroad, mainly in the United States, Europe and Asia.
While it has more overseas facilities than Waseda or Tokyo's Keio University--which have nine and eight, respectively--Kyoto University has 12 more than the University of Tokyo.
Officials said the university decided to increase the number to 130 to mark the 130th anniversary this spring of Todai's founding.
The university plans to build a 220-room dormitory for foreign staff and students near its campus in Hongo, Tokyo, as well as a similar facility near its campus in Kashiwa, Chiba Prefecture.
At present, the university has dormitories for foreign researchers and students in Tokyo and other prefectures. But with rooms for only 500, the number is insufficient. The number of foreign students alone currently stands at over 2,000.
The university also plans to create more scholarships for foreign students.
University President Hiroshi Komiyama revealed the draft plan in a recent news conference held for foreign reporters in Tokyo.
"The University of Tokyo lags behind (other prestigious universities) in its internationalization. This is one of the biggest concerns for us," he said.
Komiyama also said he would put more importance on English education within the university.
According to worldwide university rankings released by various research organizations and magazines, the University of Tokyo ranks between 12th and 19th.
http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200702260127.html
Secondary nat'l university entrance exams begin in Japan
The second round of entrance examinations for public universities and colleges began Sunday, with 154 of them conducting the tests across Japan for 253,178 applicants.
The ratio of the applicants to the offered enrollment seats stood at 3.3 times, down 0.1 point from the previous year.
The second round will be held two more times, on March 8 and March 12.
The number of applicants stands at 25,040 for the March 8 exams to be held by 12 universities and colleges with the ratio unchanged at 12.6 times, and 210,309 for the March 12 exams by 140 universities and colleges with the ratio at 9.7 times, up 0.1 point.
The secondary exams follow the unified exams held in January.
The government began organizing the unified exams for national and local government-run universities and colleges in the 1979 academic year, and upgraded them in the 1990 academic year for use also by private universities and colleges.
Japan's academic year begins in April.
http://asia.news.yahoo.com/070225/kyodo/d8ngktao0.html
The ratio of the applicants to the offered enrollment seats stood at 3.3 times, down 0.1 point from the previous year.
The second round will be held two more times, on March 8 and March 12.
The number of applicants stands at 25,040 for the March 8 exams to be held by 12 universities and colleges with the ratio unchanged at 12.6 times, and 210,309 for the March 12 exams by 140 universities and colleges with the ratio at 9.7 times, up 0.1 point.
The secondary exams follow the unified exams held in January.
The government began organizing the unified exams for national and local government-run universities and colleges in the 1979 academic year, and upgraded them in the 1990 academic year for use also by private universities and colleges.
Japan's academic year begins in April.
http://asia.news.yahoo.com/070225/kyodo/d8ngktao0.html
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