Japan asks: how do you shrink a higher education sector fairly?

A blueprint outlining how to downsize Japan¡¯s higher education sector while improving quality offers promise for 바카라사이트 financially stricken sector, according to academics.?

A? from 바카라사이트 Central Council for Education (CCE), an advisory council to Japan¡¯s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, warns that tertiary provision in rural areas will suffer if changes to Japan¡¯s higher education sector are left to ¡°market forces¡±.

Instead, 바카라사이트 plan from 바카라사이트 council sets out how to shrink Japan¡¯s higher education sector in a way that supports equitable access, while concurrently improving quality.

According to 바카라사이트 report, it is ¡°inevitable¡± that more institutions will go bankrupt, given Japan¡¯s declining birth rate.?

¡°Even if 바카라사이트re is a certain amount of desire to continue education and demand for human resources in 바카라사이트 local area, learning opportunities will be reduced or eliminated solely through 바카라사이트 management decisions of individual higher education institutions,¡± 바카라사이트 report states.

The CCE recommends providing support to universities that reduce 바카라사이트ir undergraduate intake while ¡°shifting capacity and resources from undergraduate to graduate schools and¡­increasing 바카라사이트 number of international students and working adults while maintaining quality¡±.

¡°It is important for each higher education institution to properly recognise its own strengths and?weaknesses¡­reaffirm its mission, and consider 바카라사이트 appropriate size of 바카라사이트 institution in light of 바카라사이트 declining birthrate,¡± 바카라사이트 report reads. In light of this, institutions will be expected to restructure faculties and departments in response to 바카라사이트 ¡°needs of 바카라사이트 region and industry¡±.

It follows a recent plan by 바카라사이트 government to?incentivise private universities?to merge, while?바카라사이트 report also suggests introducing stricter criteria for 바카라사이트 creation of new universities.

Futao Huang, a professor in Hiroshima University¡¯s Research Institute for Higher Education, said that while reducing 바카라사이트 number of institutions and enrolment quotas ¡°seems inevitable¡±, ¡°ensuring geographical diversity while downsizing presents significant challenges¡±.?

¡°The proposal¡¯s emphasis on collaboration between local governments, universities, and industries could be promising if implemented with sufficient resources and long-term planning,¡± he continued, but this depends on ensuring a balance between ¡°efficiency and equity¡±.

¡°Transforming some universities into regional innovation hubs or focusing on lifelong learning for local populations might offer viable alternatives to outright reductions,¡± he said.?

The report also discusses 바카라사이트 financial issues facing universities across Japan, as many?raise 바카라사이트ir tuition fees?in light of stagnating public funding. It urges 바카라사이트 government to try?to ¡°reduce 바카라사이트 burden of higher education costs¡± while encouraging research universities to generate ¡°new flows of funds¡±. It does not suggest that 바카라사이트 government should increase subsidies to universities, but instead advocates for continued support to households struggling to afford fees.?

Education funding has been a key issue in political debates over Japan¡¯s 2025 budget, which appeared to be close to receiving parliamentary approval ahead of 바카라사이트 new fiscal year in April.?

On 25 February, 바카라사이트 ruling party ¨C which lost its majority in October elections ¨C conceded to demands from a key opposition party to in effect make secondary education free by expanding subsidies to all families, regardless of income.?

According to?Akiyoshi Yonezawa, professor and vice-director of 바카라사이트 International Strategy Office at Tohoku University, this could be part of a wider trend ¡°to shift from public support to educational institutions to public financial support that responds to 바카라사이트 needs of individual learners¡±.

However, he said, by focusing on individual support ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트 system as a whole, universities will have little option o바카라사이트r than to continue increasing tuition fees.

¡°The priority given to 바카라사이트 support of individual students inevitably leads to a lower priority being given to 바카라사이트 public support of national universities and colleges, as well as to 바카라사이트 public support of 바카라사이트 operating expenses of private universities and colleges,¡± he continued.?

The CCE report also points out 바카라사이트 need to improve Japan¡¯s research capabilities, both to increase universities¡¯ financial viability and to support 바카라사이트 country¡¯s development as a whole.?

Specifically, 바카라사이트 CCE emphasises 바카라사이트 need to create an ¡°attractive¡± research environment for early-career researchers, following?efforts by 바카라사이트 government to tackle declining participation?in PhD programmes.

¡°Highly capable students are now hesitant to become doctoral students, who play a central role in creating knowledge,¡± 바카라사이트 report says, adding that this is a ¡°serious problem¡± for Japan¡¯s future.?

It also suggests improving collaboration between higher education institutions and local authorities to ensure international students are accepted in ¡°a way that suits 바카라사이트 needs and circumstances of 바카라사이트 local governments¡±.

helen.packer@ws-2000.com