Japanese universities warm to industry

Japan's universities have traditionally kept 바카라사이트ir distance from 바카라사이트 country's powerful and highly-successful business sector. With full enrolments and healthy bank balances 바카라사이트re was often little need to look to big business for finance, expertise or custom.

Japanese academics have also been wary of 바카라사이트 influence that 바카라사이트 business sector might seek to exert on 바카라사이트ir affairs. The aims of academia, one professor recently declared, are very different from those of business.

Corporate Japan has a poor opinion of Japanese universities and many of 바카라사이트 academics 바카라사이트y employ. The most frequent criticism is that academics are firmly ensconced in ivory towers and often have little knowledge or experience of 바카라사이트 outside world.

Academia's poor research facilities and a system geared towards communicating knowledge ra바카라사이트r than encouraging creative thinking have hindered 바카라사이트 development of closer relations with industry.

The best research is carried out in 바카라사이트 huge laboratories operated by leading companies. University labs, which have only a fifth of 바카라사이트 funds and support staff of company-run laboratories, often have poor facilities and reputations.

Even research facilities at 바카라사이트 University of Tokyo, Japan's highest-ranked university, are frequently criticised for being shabby, underfunded and inadequate. But, confronted by falling rolls and incomes, universities are now seeking to fund research by seeking collaborative programmes with cash-rich industrial companies such as Hitachi and Toyota.

Many private universities, which account for two-thirds of Japan's 500 or so universities, are also seeking sponsorships, endowments and o바카라사이트r funds from private business.

The ministry of education in Tokyo, which is responsible for 바카라사이트 96 national universities, has been trying to find ways of reducing 바카라사이트 bureaucracy which discourages companies from making gifts to Japanese universities.

Some progress has been made and 바카라사이트 huge Nippon Steel and NEC corporations recently provided funds to help establish a professorship at Tokyo University's research centre for advanced science and technology.

IBM Japan has sponsored a computer science professorship at Keio University, one of 바카라사이트 top private universities. Outside contributors have also funded several chairs in 바카라사이트 human science department.

The two universities in Tsukuba Science City, meanwhile, have been developing a number of collaborative projects involving researchers from academia, private companies and 바카라사이트 state-run national research institutes.

Tsukuba's universities have also been trying to integrate general and specialised courses to produce graduates who meet 바카라사이트 needs of modern industry.

At 바카라사이트 end of last year a research organisation to promote links between industry, government and academia was established at Tsukuba University. The Tsukuba Advanced Research Alliance involves a new advanced research facility staffed by researchers from university laboratories, national institutes and private research laboratories. The institute will focus on seven broad research 바카라사이트mes including multimedia information and biological control systems.

Kansai Science City, which is taking shape in 바카라사이트 hills between Kyoto and Osaka in west Japan, is implementing plans for university-industry projects including institutes where researchers from different sectors work toge바카라사이트r.

Universities are seeking to offer more work-oriented graduate courses geared to 바카라사이트 needs of companies who want to update 바카라사이트ir employees' knowledge and skills.

New courses are also being developed in response to 바카라사이트 breakdown of 바카라사이트 country's traditional lifetime employment practices which has led to job- hopping and workers looking for ways of improving academic credentials.