Author: Inge Odendaal
In 2023, Prime Minister Kishida’s cabinet, along with the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), and the Council for Future Studies, unveiled an ambitious plan to boost student mobility.[1] This plan aims to increase the number of Japanese students studying overseas while also attracting international students to Japan, hoping to address the country’s labour shortage.[2] The initiative plans to send 500,000 Japanese students abroad and accept 400,000 international students by 2033. This is part of Japan’s broader strategy to internationalise its higher education sector, which is essential for bolstering national competitiveness and for universities to maintain their effectiveness and relevance.
For universities, internationalising higher education involves integrating international, intercultural, and global dimensions into an institution’s core functions through curriculum, research, and institutional goals.[3] The primary goal is to improve the quality of education and research, broaden academic perspectives, and increase global competitiveness.[4] Therefore, higher education institutions must adapt to evolving ideas and international practices, making internationalisation key to producing graduates who can succeed in a rapidly changing society.
Internationalising higher education is a strategic move for countries as it helps strengthen human resource development, attract foreign talent, and enhance domestic and international competitive advantage.[5] Common vehicles for achieving this include academic collaborations, dual degree programmes, curriculum adjustments, faculty and staff exchanges, and student mobility.
Japan’s History of Knowledge Sharing
Knowledge sharing has always played a key role in Japan’s development. This tradition, involving Japanese scholars studying abroad and inviting international scholars to Japan, can be traced back to the Meiji era.[6] During this period, Japan adopted Western university models and sent scholars overseas to gain knowledge and expertise.[7] The Meiji era marked the beginning of Japan’s commitment to internationalising its higher education sector. It has since evolved into a mature system with a long history of global academic exchanges.[8]
After the Meiji era, Japan’s internationalisation efforts resumed post-World War II, focusing on sending students abroad through programmes like Fulbright.[9] In 1954, the Japanese government launched a scholarship programme to improve Japan’s international image and foster cultural exchange. Later, in 1983, Prime Minister Nakasone Yasuhiro initiated the “Project to Welcome 100,000 International Students,” aiming to attract more foreign students to Japan by the start of the 21st century.[10] By 2003, Japan had successfully reached its goal of accepting 100,000 international students.[11]
Government Initiatives
The government’s active role in shaping and supporting initiatives through policy and funding is a key enabler driving Japan’s internationalisation efforts. Over the years, the Japanese government has introduced several initiatives to align the higher education sector with the country’s strategic goals. Notable initiatives in recent years include:
- The Global 30 Project (launched in 2009) aimed to attract and increase the number of international students in Japan from 124,000 to 300,000 by 2020.[12]
- The Re-Inventing Japan Project (2011) focused on fostering and building international partnerships.[13]
- The Go Global Japan Project (2012) addressed the decreasing number of Japanese students studying abroad by promoting outbound mobility and improving domestic language programmes and curricula, specifically supporting Japanese students in improving their foreign language skills.
- Japan Revitalisation Strategy (2013) announced by the Abe Shinzo administration committed to the goal of accepting 300,000 international students by 2020.[14]
- The Top Global University Project (TGUP) (2014) aimed to build on previous programmes, emphasising both inbound and outbound mobility, boosting the global rankings of Japanese institutions, and offering comprehensive support for international programmes.[15]
- Japan-Mobility and Internationalisation: Re-engaging and Accelerating Initiative for Future Generations (2023), the recently announced initiative supporting the TGUP plan aimed at attracting high-calibre international students to Japan by strengthening recruitment efforts, offering more programmes in English, and enhancing support services for international students.[16]
The TGUP, in particular, reflects a nuanced approach to internationalisation goals by focusing on increasing the number of international students and faculty in Japan, encouraging Japanese students to study abroad, and reforming domestic curricula.[17] Efforts to reform curricula include establishing English Medium Instruction programmes (EMI), in which Japanese universities have introduced programmes taught entirely in English to attract international students who do not speak Japanese.[18] Other examples include curriculum diversification, focusing on integrating global perspectives into the curriculum with courses on international relations, global business, and comparative cultural studies.[19]
Another way in which the TGUP incentivises and supports universities is by providing selected Japanese institutions with the resources needed to boost their global rankings. There are different university classifications under the TGUP – Type A and Type B. Type A institutions support improving international rankings by providing funding for research output and attracting international researchers and partnerships. In contrast, Type B institutions focus on leading domestic efforts to internationalise, such as curriculum reform and student exchanges, rather than research output and global rankings.[20]
Through competitive funding, projects like the TGUP play a crucial role in supporting and enabling the internationalisation initiatives of Japanese universities. Universities can apply to the government for substantial financial support to help achieve their internationalisation goals. To qualify for this funding, universities must develop strategies, goals, and outcomes to improve their global footprint and course offerings. This includes establishing international offices with strategic plans and objectives, building and strengthening global partnerships, curriculum reform, and developing new academic programmes. Additionally, universities must expand and invest in infrastructure and administrative capacity to support these goals. Despite their advantages, these initiatives have faced several critiques.
Challenges and Insights
While essential for internationalisation programmes, competitive funding has led to several unintended consequences. Japanese universities face a declining domestic student pool due to the country’s declining birth rate.[21] Institutions therefore have stiff competition to attract domestic and international students and often focus heavily on boosting global rankings and exchange programme offerings.[22] This competition has resulted in a numbers-driven approach, where mobility programmes and exchange statistics are prioritised rather than focusing on substantive qualitative improvements.[23] Qualitative improvements include the growth of long-term institutional relationships and student satisfaction, with students feeling that they have learned something or gained a different perspective from the exchange. Focusing only on numbers as an indication of the success of mobility practices often neglects the quality of exchanges, as Japanese students are sent abroad without ensuring these experiences foster cross-cultural competence and language skills.
Additionally, universities have increasingly turned to recruiting international students as a revenue source due to the decline in domestic applicants. Financial motivations have driven many universities to accept more international students than they can adequately support.[24] This has led to problems with international students struggling to survive financially, facing housing shortages, and adapting to life in Japan, which impacts academic performance and social integration.[25] Furthermore, universities and administrative staff face pressure to deliver and meet numerical targets and promised outcomes to secure future funding. This pressure can detract from efforts to provide meaningful global engagement.[26]
Future Direction
These challenges underscore the need for a balanced approach to internationalisation, where quantitative targets do not overshadow the qualitative aspects necessary for meaningful global engagement. These aspects include sustainable, equitable partnerships that foster shared goals, joint initiatives, and long-term cooperation, as well as building relationships based on mutual respect, open-mindedness, and a genuine effort to understand differing viewpoints. Therefore, ensuring a balance between meeting numerical targets and maintaining the quality of international engagement remains a critical area of debate and focus on this topic.
While some programmes may fall short in policy implementation and are critiqued for having a narrow focus on internationalisation, these schemes and programmes are essential. They support mobility, providing valuable opportunities for Japanese and international students and scholars. The Japanese government’s significant investments in education and international exchange create opportunities for students who might otherwise not have been able to attend university or study abroad. Although quantitative targets may not immediately result in institutional change, real transformation requires time, patience, and commitment. Sending students abroad and hosting international students is an investment in future generations.
Japan’s internationalisation of its higher education sector is an ongoing endeavour that has seen significant investments and initiatives. While challenges persist, a balanced approach focusing on both quantitative and qualitative goals will be key to the success of these initiatives. Only time will tell if the programmes can deliver on their goals to support the labour market and increase global university rankings, ultimately contributing to Japan’s international competitive advantage.
WORKS CITED
[1] Council for the Creation of Future Education. “Council for the Creation of Future Education.” The Prime Minister in Action, Prime Minister’s Office of Japan, March 17, 2023. https://japan.kantei.go.jp/101_kishida/actions/202303/_00024.html.
[2] Daisuke Akimoto, “Can Japan Boost Its Foreign Students Count to 400,000?” The Diplomat, May 16, 2024, https://thediplomat.com/2024/05/can-japan-boosts-its-foreign-students-count-to-400000/.
[3] Jane Knight, Higher Education in Turmoil: The Changing World of Internationalization (Rotterdam: Sense Publishers, 2008), 21.
[4] Hans de Wit, “Internationalization of Higher Education: The Need for a More Ethical and Qualitative Approach,” Journal of International Students 10, no. 1 (2020): iii.
[5] You Zhang, “Internationalization Higher Education for What? An Analysis of National Strategies of Higher Education Internationalization in East Asia,” Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education 12, no. 6S1 (2021): 11.
[6] Hiroshi Ota, “Internationalization of Higher Education: Global Trends and Japan’s Challenges,” Educational Studies in Japan: International Yearbook 12 (2018): 95
[7] Ibid.
[8] Akira Ninomiya, Jane Knight, and Aya Watanabe, “The Past, Present, and Future of Internationalization in Japan,” Journal of Studies in International Education 13, no. 2 (2009): 119.
[9] Ibid.
[10] Akimoto, “Can Japan Boost Its Foreign Students Count.”
[11] Ibid.
[12] Helen Rose and Jim McKinley, “Japan’s Language Policy and the ‘Internationalization’ of Universities: The Effects of a Decade of English-Medium Instruction in a National University,” Higher Education 74 (2017): 112.
[13] Ibid.
[14] Cabinet Secretariat, Japan, “Japan’s Education Future Vision,” April 27, 2023, https://www.cas.go.jp/jp/seisaku/kyouikumirai/pdf/230427jmirai.pdf.
[15] Rose and McKinley, “Japan’s Language Policy,” 115
[16] Cabinet Secretariat, Japan, “Japan’s Education Future Vision,” April 27, 2023. https://www.cas.go.jp/jp/seisaku/kyouikumirai/pdf/230427jmirai.pdf; British Council, “Japan Aims to Increase Number of Students Abroad,” Opportunities Insight, June 19, 2023, https://opportunities-insight.britishcouncil.org/news/news/japan-aims-increase-number-of-students-abroad.
[17] Rose and McKinley, “Japan’s Language Policy,” 122.
[18] Rose and McKinley, “Japan’s Language Policy,” 114.
[19] Warren Stanislaus and Kara Juul, “How Japanese Universities Are Attracting More International Students,” Times Higher Education, December 17, 2018, https://www.timeshighereducation.com/student/blogs/how-japanese-universities-are-attracting-more-international-students.
[20] Rose and McKinley, “Japan’s Language Policy,” 115.
[21] Satoshi Sugiyama, “Global Competitiveness of Japan’s Universities Under Scrutiny,” The Japan Times, April 3, 2023, https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2023/04ni/03/national/japanese-university-competitiveness/.
[22] Ibid.
[23] Ota, “Internationalization of Higher Education,” 99.
[24] Akimoto, “Can Japan Boost Its Foreign Students Count.”
[25] Sugiyama, “Global Competitiveness of Japan’s Universities.”
[26] Ota, “Internationalization of Higher Education,” 98.