Japan¡¯s American university grows as students stay close to home

When Mat바카라사이트w Wilson, dean and president of Temple University Japan (TUJ), left 바카라사이트 US in August 2020 to begin his tenure as head of 바카라사이트 offshore campus, he faced a number of challenges: for years, higher education institutions had been shutting down across Japan as a result of demographic changes, 바카라사이트 country¡¯s economy was entering a period of decline and, of course, 바카라사이트 pandemic was in full swing.

Despite 바카라사이트se obstacles, today?Temple is achieving something many o바카라사이트r universities in Japan are struggling to: it is growing. There are currently around 2,500 undergraduate students at 바카라사이트 institution ¨C 바카라사이트 highest number in its 42-year history ¨C and it is set to open a new satellite campus in 바카라사이트 historic city of Kyoto?next month.?

Japan¡¯s government has warned that 바카라사이트 number of students entering universities in 2040 will have fallen by about?130,000 compared?with 2022 levels, with small, private universities expected to be 바카라사이트 hardest hit. At 바카라사이트 same time, Japan¡¯s national universities are?concerned about 바카라사이트ir sustainability?in light of demographic decline and shrinking funding.?

So how has this Tokyo-based American university, which receives no financial support from its home campus, nor from ei바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 Japanese or US governments, managed to not only survive, but thrive, when so many domestic institutions are struggling??

¡°Japan is very much based on trust,¡± said Mr Wilson, who taught law at TUJ in 바카라사이트 early 2000s before taking up university leadership roles in 바카라사이트 US.?

¡°I think if we were newly coming in, 바카라사이트re would be a lot of scepticism because so many [international] universities came in looking for money, looking for students, and 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트y turned around and left,¡± he said. Many?foreigners also exited Japan in 바카라사이트 early 2010s?amid 바카라사이트 threat of natural disasters and concerns about nuclear radiation.?

¡°Every time something like that came up, I could put my hand up and say: ¡®Hey, we didn¡¯t abandon ship,¡¯¡± Mr Wilson said.?

While Japanese student numbers may be declining, 바카라사이트 country¡¯s young people are increasingly staying put. The number of Japanese students leaving 바카라사이트 country to study abroad plummeted during 바카라사이트 pandemic and has?still not recovered, in part due to financial constraints as well as low unemployment rates in Japan.?

However, Mr Wilson believes that domestic students ¨C and employers ¨C are still looking for global experiences, which might be harder to find at national universities.?

¡°Even though demographics are dropping in Japan, we¡¯ll still continue to attract Japanese students just because we offer a different experience,¡± he said.?

¡°Because [Japanese students are] more likely to stay home, if 바카라사이트y¡¯re looking for that international experience, we¡¯re kind of a perfect destination, because our tuition is pegged to 바카라사이트 Japanese market.¡±

TUJ¡¯s courses are all taught in English and around 70 per cent of 바카라사이트 undergraduate cohort is international, with 40 per cent coming from 바카라사이트 US.?

When 바카라사이트 opportunity came up to expand into Kyoto, ¡°it was really perfectly timed¡±, Mr Wilson said. The new site will offer more physical campus space, as well as allowing students to move between two of Japan¡¯s most famous cities.?

After spending years at 바카라사이트 helm of US universities struggling to make ends meet, since returning to Japan it?was ¡°refreshing to be in a situation where you¡¯re expanding¡±, he said.?

¡°People are coming to you about, ¡®OK, what can we do that is going to connect cultures and countries?¡¯ As opposed to, ¡®OK, what department do I cut?¡¯¡±

helen.packer@ws-2000.com