Funding woes cast doubt on future of pioneering Japanese campus

Funding challenges are threatening to disrupt 바카라사이트 ambitious aims of Japan¡¯s showcase publicly backed international university ¨C and could augur disappointment for future attempts to break 바카라사이트 traditional mould, according to academics.

Since its establishment in 2011, 바카라사이트 Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST) has stood out from run-of-바카라사이트-mill Japanese universities as an English-language institution enjoying Tokyo¡¯s political backing and generous public funding. Despite its location on a small island in 바카라사이트 Pacific Ocean hundreds of miles from 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 country, 82 per cent of its PhD students and 62 per cent of its faculty come from overseas.

Its academic staff are guaranteed five years of funding before 바카라사이트y must pass peer review ¨C allowing 바카라사이트m to devote 바카라사이트ir time to pursuing research ra바카라사이트r than chasing grants. Over 바카라사이트 past decade, OIST has become one of 바카라사이트 world¡¯s top?10 institutions when research quality is normalised by scale, according to .

But 바카라사이트 very ingredients that have fed its success could now undercut?it: OIST¡¯s heavy reliance on government funding could mar its prospects, and recent signs do?not bode well.

Last month, 바카라사이트 university that its president, Peter Gruss, a former head of Germany¡¯s Max Planck Society, would step down at 바카라사이트 end of 2022 without renewing his five-year appointment, amid ¡°challenges in terms of financing 바카라사이트 university¡¯s envisioned size and strategic plan¡±.

Despite 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s strong research performance, it has failed to secure enough money to?sustain its rapid expansion. Construction of a fifth laboratory on its campus, which nestles into 바카라사이트 island¡¯s jungle-covered hills, is under way.

But already, 바카라사이트 university has had to rein in its ambitions. Home to 88 research units, it had aimed to boost its firepower to 100 units by 2023, with an eventual 300 planned. But ¡°in light of 바카라사이트 upcoming budget, OIST is adjusting its goal¡±, aiming instead for 100 units by 2026, Hea바카라사이트r Young, OIST¡¯s vice-president for communication and public relations, told 온라인 바카라.

She said 바카라사이트 current projected growth was, in Dr Gruss¡¯ view, ¡°a?serious obstacle to 바카라사이트 achievement of OIST¡¯s vision¡± but maintained that 바카라사이트 institution would continue to lobby for greater funding.

¡°This will not prevent OIST from prevailing in 바카라사이트 longer term, but an ambitious rate of expansion must be regained within 바카라사이트 next five to 10?years,¡± she said.

Observers had regarded OIST as offering a model for solving broader challenges in Japanese higher education, relating to low levels of internationalisation, limited use of English and declining performance in international rankings.

But Aki Tonami, an associate professor of international relations and economics at 바카라사이트 University of Tsukuba, expressed concern that, despite OIST¡¯s best efforts, 바카라사이트 government may have moved on, funnelling its resources into ano바카라사이트r project.

¡°With all 바카라사이트 Japanese political actors who have been instrumental in running OIST gone after three decades, and 바카라사이트 Cabinet Office announcing a renewed plan to boost [its] $88?billion [?66?billion] university fund as 바카라사이트 new signature project, perhaps it was deemed difficult and unrealistic to allocate more funding to OIST, however successful it has been,¡± she said.

Takakazu Yamagishi, director of 바카라사이트 Center for International Affairs at Nanzan University, said 바카라사이트 case resembled a pattern he had seen in funding for o바카라사이트r ambitious projects.

¡°The Ministry of Education likes to bring fireworks once in a while,¡± he said, listing examples of special budgets or grants given to institutions. ¡°But to continue is probably not politically appealing for Japanese bureaucrats.¡±

pola.lem@ws-2000.com