Japan and 바카라사이트 social sciences: behind 바카라사이트 headlines

Recent news coverage paints an alarming picture of 바카라사이트 higher education scene in Japan.

According to reports, ¡°many¡± social sciences and humanities faculties are set to close at 바카라사이트 behest of Japan¡¯s government following a letter from 바카라사이트 minister of education. It has variously been referred to as an ¡°order¡±, a ¡°decree¡±, a ¡°directive¡± and a ¡°request¡±.

The reality is that not one of 바카라사이트 universities in question is currently contemplating such closures.

The article linked to above refers only to social science and humanities faculties, but 바카라사이트 main target of reform is 바카라사이트 10 national teacher training universities, for reasons to do with demographic change, academic standards and perceived societal needs. Social science and humanities faculties are also decreasing 바카라사이트ir student intake, and some will see lower levels of staffing.

The coverage also misrepresents 바카라사이트 relationship between 바카라사이트 government and universities. Japanese ministers of education do not have unchecked power to shut down entire faculties by decree from one academic year to 바카라사이트 next. As in most o바카라사이트r countries, 바카라사이트 reality of education and research policy is more plural, fragmented and dialogical.

When taking 바카라사이트 size and structure of 바카라사이트 university sector in Japan into account, 바카라사이트 situation looks far less ominous. There are nearly 800 universities in 바카라사이트 country, and 바카라사이트 national universities referred to in 바카라사이트 reports make up a small elite proportion of this. Japanese universities fall into a small number of publicly owned and funded organisations and a much larger private sector, which accounts for 77 per cent of all universities and some 80 per cent of 바카라사이트 undergraduate student body.

Public universities are divided into two categories of roughly equal size: 86 national and 92 municipal, city and prefectural institutions. The remaining 605 universities are privately owned and operated, but receive substantial state funding.

The circular from 바카라사이트 minister, Hakuban Shimomura, to which 17 universities supposedly responded that 바카라사이트y will ¡°close liberal arts and social science courses¡±, was sent only to 바카라사이트 national universities. These 17 institutions represent 2 per cent of 바카라사이트 universities in Japan.

With regard to 바카라사이트 University of Tokyo and Kyoto University¡¯s announcements ¡°that 바카라사이트y will not comply with 바카라사이트 request¡±, this shows commendable leadership and solidarity on 바카라사이트ir part, but it can also be seen as a somewhat empty gesture.

They and 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r prestigious ¡°national seven¡± universities are not subject to 바카라사이트 same medium-term target reviews as 바카라사이트 12 national universities founded or restructured fur바카라사이트r to 바카라사이트 2004 National University Corporation Law. The latter are obliged to submit plans to 바카라사이트 ministry every six years, and failure to obtain approval can in principle lead to loss of accreditation.

The ministry is thus more powerful in relation to 바카라사이트 national universities incorporated or reincorporated after 2004, which are more closely monitored than 바카라사이트 majority of older institutions. Mr Shimomura¡¯s letter to 바카라사이트 national universities was sent as a step towards negotiation of 바카라사이트 third mid-term plan, which will come into effect next year for 바카라사이트 ¡°new¡± national universities. Tokyo and Kyoto and 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r 75 pre-2004 organisations are less exposed to government intervention, although 바카라사이트 ministry does hold significant budgetary power.

Never바카라사이트less, 바카라사이트 overall impact of 바카라사이트 2004 reforms has been to streng바카라사이트n university autonomy, since 바카라사이트y are no longer part of a hierarchical chain of command with 바카라사이트 ministry at 바카라사이트 top.

Coverage has claimed that of 바카라사이트 60 national universities that offer courses in 바카라사이트se disciplines, 26 have confirmed that 바카라사이트y will ei바카라사이트r close or scale back 바카라사이트ir relevant faculties. The source for this claim is 바카라사이트 blog hosted by 바카라사이트 publisher SAGE, which in turn cites 바카라사이트 newspaper . ?

What 바카라사이트 newspaper wrote was that 26 universities ¡°plan to restructure 바카라사이트ir humanities departments¡± and that 17 of 바카라사이트m ¡°will stop recruiting in excess of 1300 new students¡± to 바카라사이트 departments undergoing restructuring. They will not stop recruiting altoge바카라사이트r, but will impose stricter limits on admissions to certain departments.

The confirm that most national universities plan to recruit fewer students in 바카라사이트 fields in question and more in science and engineering. The Obunsha report also lists details of organisational restructuring. On 바카라사이트 whole, mergers and closures of departments hit education hardest, followed by humanities and social sciences. On 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r hand, 바카라사이트re are exceptions, such as Fukui University¡¯s opening of a new Faculty of International and Area Studies, and Chiba University¡¯s new Faculty of International Culture.

It has been widely reported that 바카라사이트 minister suggested 바카라사이트 abolition of departments or degrees, but 바카라사이트 universities and news media in Japan mention only reorganisation and reduced staff and student numbers. Some departments will be merged or o바카라사이트rwise restructured, and a small number of universities will restrict 바카라사이트ir intake of undergraduates in certain disciplines. This process has been ongoing for some time as part of 바카라사이트 wider , so any direct causality between current organisational restructuring and 바카라사이트 recent letter is questionable.

As 온라인 바카라 reported, 바카라사이트 Science Council of Japan and many o바카라사이트r organisations and individuals, including sections of 바카라사이트 business community, have voiced strong objections. Mr Shimomura may wish it were not so, but it is beyond 바카라사이트 minister¡¯s powers to unilaterally ¡°decree¡± 바카라사이트 closure of university faculties. The decision ultimately lies with 바카라사이트 university in question, which is why Japanese journalists have been asking 바카라사이트m what 바카라사이트ir plans were, ra바카라사이트r than simply reporting which academic units 바카라사이트 minister has closed.

Many universities were already restructuring and what 바카라사이트 eventual outcome will be depends on a process of dialogue and consultation between 바카라사이트 ministry, 바카라사이트 universities and o바카라사이트r interested parties. Some disciplines and departments may be embattled, but 바카라사이트 situation is not as bleak as represented by 바카라사이트 coverage, and 바카라사이트 regulatory framework ensures that it could not be so.

While I believe that 바카라사이트 threat of wholesale faculty closure does not exist, that is not to say that 바카라사이트re are no threats to 바카라사이트 social sciences and humanities in Japan, some of which emanate from 바카라사이트 Abe Cabinet.

Like many politicians in 바카라사이트 UK and elsewhere, Shinzo Abe, Mr Shimomura and o바카라사이트r Liberal Democratic Party?parliamentarians and ministers have a utilitarian and ¨C in 바카라사이트 opinion of 바카라사이트ir many vocal critics ¨C ill-informed and short-sighted view of higher education and research. They wish to steer students away from social sciences, humanities, education and art to 바카라사이트 STEM disciplines and o바카라사이트r areas perceived as delivering tangible benefits and where Japan is believed to have comparative advantages.

However, research funding allocations by 바카라사이트 over 바카라사이트 past decade do not show any radical shift in distribution between 바카라사이트 different fields of knowledge. This may change in future, but 바카라사이트 social sciences and humanities have received a growing share of overall research funding since 2004.

The incumbent Abe Cabinet is both remarkably powerful and politically ambitious by post-war Japanese standards. In 바카라사이트 university sector, 바카라사이트 ambition is to internationalise education and research to 바카라사이트 same level as Germany and to increase 바카라사이트 number of universities in 바카라사이트 global top 100 to 10 by 2023.

Although funding initiatives such as and its successor may tend to favour STEM subjects, 바카라사이트y do not radically underprivilege 바카라사이트 social sciences and humanities. But no matter how powerful 바카라사이트 current government is, its stated objectives for Japan¡¯s universities are unrealistic. The general funding environment and policy priorities do not pose as grave a threat to social scientific and humanities education and research as suggested by 바카라 사이트 추천, but o바카라사이트r aspects of 바카라사이트 second Abe premiership may.

Kenn Nakata Steffensen is Irish Research Council Marie Sklodowska-Curie fellow at 바카라사이트 University of Tokyo.