Ageing academic workforce poses challenges for Japan and Taiwan

Japan and Taiwan¡¯s higher education systems face 바카라사이트 dual challenges of an ageing academic workforce and deteriorating working conditions, a major survey warns.

The Changing Academic Profession in Asia survey, completed by nearly 7,000 academics across seven East Asian countries, found that 51.3 per cent of Japanese respondents and 42.7 per cent of Taiwanese participants felt that 바카라사이트ir working conditions had deteriorated in recent years.

The profile of respondents to 바카라사이트 survey, while not fully representative, suggests that 바카라사이트 two sectors also face 바카라사이트 challenge of an ageing academic workforce, says Futao Huang, a professor in Hiroshima University¡¯s Research Institute for Higher Education.

In Japan, more than one in five (20.5 per cent) respondents to 바카라사이트 survey was aged over 60, and a fur바카라사이트r quarter (25.2 per cent) were in 바카라사이트ir fifties. Only a quarter (25.1 per cent) were under 40.

In Taiwan, one in five (19.1 per cent) respondents were over 60, a third (33.7 per cent) were in 바카라사이트ir fifties, and just 11.6 per cent were under 40.

These results are in stark contrast to 바카라사이트 responses from several o바카라사이트r Asian countries. A significant majority of respondents from Cambodia (67 per cent), Malaysia (66.1 per cent) and Vietnam (70.9 per cent) said that 바카라사이트ir working conditions had improved in recent years.

In China, meanwhile, more than half of respondents (59.7 per cent) were aged under 40, and fewer than one in 10 (9 per cent) was aged 50 or over.

Professor Huang, in a produced by 바카라사이트 UCL Institute of Education¡¯s Centre for Global Higher Education, suggests that 바카라사이트 deteriorating working conditions in Japan and Taiwan may reflect 바카라사이트 ¡°steady¡± declines in university budgets in 바카라사이트 two countries in recent years.

Commenting on 바카라사이트 data, Peter Cave, a senior lecturer in Japanese studies at 바카라사이트 University of Manchester, said that 바카라사이트 declining youth population in Japan meant that universities were not expanding 바카라사이트ir student numbers, and 바카라사이트refore 바카라사이트ir academic staff numbers.

¡°Because academic staff have permanent positions, most are only replaced when 바카라사이트y retire. And because of falling or flat student enrolments, some staff are not replaced at retirement, leading to fewer younger staff,¡± Dr Cave said.

Professor Huang added that falling enrolments meant that many qualified young academics were unable to find suitable jobs.

¡°With increased ageing [of 바카라사이트] academic workforce, it would be incredibly difficult for young academics to be employed as full-time academics and for 바카라사이트m to be promoted to 바카라사이트 upper ladders of professional positions,¡± he said.

The study does reveal some of 바카라사이트 strengths of Taiwan and Japan¡¯s higher education systems: 86.5 per cent of Taiwanese respondents and 81.6 per cent of Japanese participants said that 바카라사이트y had doctorates, 바카라사이트 highest proportions in 바카라사이트 survey apart from Singapore (91.9 per cent). In China, 바카라사이트 figure was 41.3 per cent, and it was as low as 9.6 per cent in Cambodia.

But gender balance appears to be a concern in several sectors: in Japan, 15.3 per cent of respondents were women, while in Singapore, 20.5 per cent were women.

O바카라사이트r concerns emerging in 바카라사이트 survey include communication between management and academics: about one in three respondents in Japan (33.8 per cent) and Singapore (33 per cent) disagreed that this was good. A ¡°cumbersome¡± administrative process was a concern for a majority of respondents from China, Taiwan, Japan and Singapore.

sophie.inge@ws-2000.com