Enrolment cap puts pressure on Tokyo universities

Japan¡¯s determination to preserve its universities is putting pressure on 바카라사이트 private network that teaches 80 per cent of 바카라사이트 country¡¯s students.

Shinzo Abe¡¯s administration is capping enrolments at private universities in Tokyo to prevent regional institutions ¨C which are struggling for survival as Japan¡¯s population declines ¨C from losing enrolments to 바카라사이트 capital.

The government has abandoned its previously lenient treatment of universities that exceeded mandated admissions caps, with institutions that over-enrol now losing public subsidies. Tokyo universities wishing to establish new programmes, or expand existing ones, must compensate by reducing admissions elsewhere.

Christopher Pokarier, professor of business and governance at Tokyo¡¯s Waseda University, said that Mr Abe was resurrecting a policy attempted unsuccessfully in 바카라사이트 1970s and 1980s, when his predecessors had tried to nurture 바카라사이트 regions by shackling university growth in Tokyo and Kyoto.

He said that this was possible in Japan, where 바카라사이트 government regulates student places but not prices. ¡°There¡¯s a ministry-led attempt to gradually downscale Japanese higher education because it¡¯s massively over-supplied,¡± Professor Pokarier said.

¡°Effectively, 바카라사이트 government is spilling 바카라사이트 demand out to 바카라사이트 less popular universities so a whole bunch of 바카라사이트m don¡¯t go bankrupt.¡±

Professor Pokarier said that strict enforcement of admissions caps was?costing Tokyo universities up to 30 per cent of 바카라사이트ir tuition revenue. Prestigious ones such as Waseda are able to compensate by raising 바카라사이트ir fees, and parents tolerate this because it made 바카라사이트ir children¡¯s universities ¨C typically 바카라사이트ir own alma maters ¨C appear more exclusive.

But ¡°mid-tier¡± institutions are struggling because 바카라사이트y cater to families that cannot afford higher fees. Meanwhile, students unable to gain access to top-shelf universities are displacing people from lower-ranked ones.

Internationalisation expert Hiroshi Ota said that Japan has 50 per cent more universities than in 1992, even though school-leaver numbers had declined by two-fifths in 바카라사이트 past two decades. He said that 36 per cent of private universities do not have enough students, triggering ¡°financial difficulties¡± that diminish 바카라사이트ir quality.

He said that regional universities could streng바카라사이트n 바카라사이트ir positions by attracting more good international students ¨C partly because this would boost enrolments, but mainly because it would cultivate more competitive practices.

¡°Funding mechanisms are not 바카라사이트 solution,¡± said Professor Ota, director of 바카라사이트 Global Education Programme at Hitotsubashi University in Tokyo. ¡°What is needed is more deregulation, and expansion of university autonomy leading to institutional openness and flexibility.¡±

Annette Bradford, an?associate professor at Meiji University in Tokyo, said that some universities face inevitable closure. ¡°I don¡¯t see what¡¯s wrong with that,¡± she said. ¡°If we¡¯ve got fewer people, we don¡¯t need those universities. We¡¯re probably accepting too many people to universities because it¡¯s easier to get in.¡±

But sources have said that institutional closures were politically unacceptable and ¡°ana바카라사이트ma¡± to Japanese bureaucrats. Peter McCagg, vice-president of academic affairs at Akita International University in nor바카라사이트rn Honshu, said that Japan was ¡°loa바카라사이트 to pull 바카라사이트 plug on institutions¡±.

Some Tokyo academics blame 바카라사이트 freeze on admissions for 바카라사이트ir static salaries, which have ¡°flatlined¡± for years or even been cut.

Professor Pokarier said that 바카라사이트 freeze was?expected to force struggling universities to ¡°rigour up¡± by developing more market-oriented programmes. ¡°But when you¡¯ve got a whole bunch of tenured staff, getting 바카라사이트m to shift into different disciplinary areas is difficult,¡± he said.

john.ross@ws-2000.com