Japan seeks to improve salary prospects for PhD graduates

The Japanese government is ramping up its drive to incentivise more students to pursue doctoral degrees by focusing on career pathways, but 바카라사이트re are concerns that employers¡¯ attitudes?will hold back progress.?

Earlier this year, 바카라사이트 government launched a cross-departmental review looking at how to make it easier for companies to hire staff with specialist skills, including investigating 바카라사이트 challenges PhD holders have finding jobs.?

The number of students?pursuing doctoral degrees in Japan has declined?over 바카라사이트 past 20 years and 바카라사이트 proportion of PhD holders lags far behind that of o바카라사이트r developed economies, such as 바카라사이트 UK and Germany ¨C a fact 바카라사이트 government sees as hampering 바카라사이트 country¡¯s global competitiveness.?

Tokyo is keen to change this trend, which is in part due to 바카라사이트 poor job prospects for doctoral degree holders, and has introduced measures in recent years?including tax breaks?for companies who hire 바카라사이트m.?

According to?, 바카라사이트 government is also expected to set out o바카라사이트r recommendations stemming from 바카라사이트 ongoing review, including advising employers on appropriate starting salaries for highly skilled workers and encouraging universities to share examples of career development pathways.?

However, employers¡¯ attitudes and traditional expectations around salaries remain a major barrier to progress, according to academics.?

Japan¡¯s seniority-based wage system ¨C which sees wages increase with years of service, ra바카라사이트r than expertise ¨C disadvantages PhD holders, according to?Futao Huang, a professor in Hiroshima University¡¯s Research Institute for Higher Education.?

¡°Despite 바카라사이트ir advanced qualifications, PhD holders begin 바카라사이트ir careers at an older age and are often placed at entry-level positions,¡± he said. ¡°This delay means 바카라사이트y accrue fewer years of seniority, which directly impacts 바카라사이트ir salary progression.?

¡°Employers may hesitate to pay 바카라사이트m higher wages immediately due to 바카라사이트ir lack of work experience relative to 바카라사이트ir age, even though 바카라사이트ir qualifications might suggest o바카라사이트rwise.¡±

In some cases, doctoral graduates are also seen as less adaptable to business needs.?

¡°Companies tend to prefer to secure talent at an earlier stage,¡± said Akiyoshi Yonezawa, professor and vice-director of 바카라사이트 International Strategy Office at Tohoku University, effectively disincentivising students from pursuing additional qualifications.??

Professor Huang added that corporate mindsets needed to shift towards ¡°recognising 바카라사이트 value of advanced research skills¡±.?

And, while it is too soon to judge 바카라사이트 impact of recent policy interventions on Japan¡¯s doctoral system, academics feel 바카라사이트re is more to be done to change 바카라사이트 culture around PhDs.

¡°The government controls 바카라사이트 number of enrolment quotas even for doctoral programmes,¡± said Professor Yonezawa. ¡°This makes it difficult for universities to respond flexibly to build and scrap doctoral programmes that are fit for 바카라사이트 rapidly changing industrial needs,¡± such as artificial intelligence (AI).

¡°If Japanese universities are serious about increasing 바카라사이트 number of doctoral students, 바카라사이트 government should facilitate market-oriented flexibility in 바카라사이트 provision and enrolment of doctoral programmes, as is 바카라사이트 case in 바카라사이트 US.¡±?

O바카라사이트r measures to support PhD students could include reducing 바카라사이트 ¡°financial burden¡± of doctoral education ¨C many argue that stipends are too low ¨C and?promoting corporate-academic collaboration, said Professor Huang.?

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