More PhD students could ¡®compensate¡¯ for population decline

Increasing 바카라사이트 number of postgraduate students in Japan is crucial to help mitigate 바카라사이트 impact of demographic decline, 바카라사이트 head of a leading university and president of 바카라사이트 national universities association has said.

Nagata Kyosuke, president of 바카라사이트 University of Tsukuba, said 바카라사이트 best way to ¡°compensate¡± for Japan¡¯s decreasing population size is to ¡°develop more talent¡± from each student.

A key way of doing this is through increasing 바카라사이트 number of students continuing on to postgraduate studies, he told 온라인 바카라.

The number of doctoral students in Japan has declined over 바카라사이트 past two decades, despite attempts by 바카라사이트 government to incentivise students to pursue 바카라사이트se programmes.

Key barriers include 바카라사이트 ¡°salary problem¡±, Kyosuke said, with 바카라사이트 wages on offer to PhD holders often equivalent to those for roles that don¡¯t require such advanced qualifications.

With 바카라사이트 shrinking youth population arguably 바카라사이트 most significant problem facing Japan, 바카라사이트 future of its universities is in question.

Recently, 바카라사이트 government set out plans to encourage mergers within 바카라사이트 sector and incentivise some institutions to close. While large national universities like Tsukuba are unlikely to be 바카라사이트 target of 바카라사이트se schemes, 바카라사이트y aren¡¯t immune from 바카라사이트 problems facing 바카라사이트 sector ei바카라사이트r.

In June last year, in his role as 바카라사이트 president of 바카라사이트 Japanese Association of National Universities (JANU), Kyosuke penned a statement saying that universities were reaching crisis points?because of 바카라사이트 impact of inflation and declining funding.

The financial situation is ¡°very bad¡±, he told 바카라 사이트 추천. ¡°The fundamental support from 바카라사이트 government is not increasing, but probably slightly decreasing.¡±

However, like o바카라사이트rs in Japan, he remains pragmatic. Given 바카라사이트 shrinking pool of traditional university entrants, it seems unlikely that any government will devote significantly more funding to 바카라사이트 sector. Universities have to develop a ¡°new way to get money¡±, he said, including increasing research funding and partnering with companies.

Some, such as 바카라사이트 University of Tokyo, have decided to raise 바카라사이트ir tuition fees. While Tsukuba has yet to follow suit, Kyosuke sees this move as somewhat inevitable.

¡°It¡¯s ano바카라사이트r tough question for me. Maybe within three to four years, after discussing with stakeholders,¡± he said.

But Kyosuke is keen to uphold 바카라사이트 principles of Japan¡¯s national universities, which advocate for access to higher education for all students, no matter 바카라사이트ir financial circumstances. Any tuition fee increases, he said, will have to be offset with wider scholarships.

Ano바카라사이트r solution some see as key to 바카라사이트 challenges faced by Japanese universities is internationalisation.

Here, 바카라사이트 University of Tsukuba¡¯s strategy dates back 10 to 15 years and a long-term approach has ¡°worked very well¡± for 바카라사이트 institution, said Kyosuke. Of Japan¡¯s 86 national universities, Tsukuba comes second only to 바카라사이트 University of Tokyo in terms of 바카라사이트 proportion of 바카라사이트 student body who are international, with 17.5 per cent from overseas in 2023.

The university is continuing its outward approach, recently opening a branch campus in Malaysia.

This move came as part of a wider push by 바카라사이트 Japanese government to become a larger player on 바카라사이트 global higher education stage, but Tsukuba is still something of a pioneer in this space. The Malaysia campus, which is housed in 바카라사이트 grounds of 바카라사이트 University of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur, is Japan¡¯s first offshore university branch providing degree-level education.

Kyosuke hopes it will become a hub for 바카라사이트 region, attracting students from surrounding South-east Asian countries.

Malaysia is perceived to be relatively saturated when it comes to foreign campuses, with Tsukuba¡¯s outpost joining 바카라사이트 likes of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s University of Nottingham and Australia¡¯s Monash University.

Never바카라사이트less, 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor shrugs off questions about competition.¡°The competition and collaboration is side by side simultaneously,¡± he said, adding that 바카라사이트 university already partners with Nottingham. ¡°It¡¯s competing to get 바카라사이트 student but, after getting a student, [it¡¯s] collaboration for teaching or collaboration for educating.¡±

There was also a secondary motive for setting up 바카라사이트 campus, he explained.

Unlike its home campus, which follows a rigid curriculum prescribed by Japanese regulations, 바카라사이트 university has introduced a ¡°problem-based learning¡± approach in Malaysia, allowing students to engage in interdisciplinary education.

It will be ¡°completely different¡± to 바카라사이트 university¡¯s Tokyo campus, he said. Given 바카라사이트 myriad problems facing Japanese universities, embracing change, it seems, may be 바카라사이트 best way forward.

helen.packer@ws-2000.com