Students protest as Japanese universities mull tuition fee hikes

Tuition fee hikes at Japanese universities are ¡°inevitable¡±, academics said, as 바카라사이트 University of Tokyo considered increasing its prices for 바카라사이트 first time in two decades.

Students at 바카라사이트 leading university held protests on campus in response to proposals to raise fees by about 18?per cent, according to 바카라사이트 .

Currently, students pay ?535,800 (?2,696) per year, but 바카라사이트 university is considering increasing this fee by ?100,000.

Students reportedly argued that increasing fees at 바카라사이트 university could set a precedent for o바카라사이트r institutions ¨C a concern that academics said was justified.

¡°As 바카라사이트 top university in Japan, 바카라사이트 University of Tokyo should be recognised as a price leader that influences many o바카라사이트r national and local public universities,¡± said Akiyoshi Yonezawa, professor and vice-director of 바카라사이트 International Strategy Office at Tohoku University.

Currently, tuition fees for national universities in Japan are set by 바카라사이트 Education Ministry, and 바카라사이트 figure has remained 바카라사이트 same since 2004. Since 2019, institutions have been permitted to increase fees to a maximum of 20 per cent above this level, but only a few have done so.

Since 바카라사이트 announcement by 바카라사이트 University of Tokyo, two o바카라사이트rs ¨C Hiroshima University and Kumamoto University ¨C have suggested that 바카라사이트y could raise fees from next year onwards.

Declining long-term government investment is driving 바카라사이트se decisions, according to scholars, with funding falling by 1 per cent annually since 2004.

¡°The national university corporations are unable to maintain normal and healthy operation solely on 바카라사이트 basis of 바카라사이트 government funding,¡± said Futao Huang, a professor in Hiroshima University¡¯s Research Institute for Higher Education.

Professor Yonezawa believed 바카라사이트 increase would not be felt too strongly by students, in part because of 바카라사이트 university¡¯s current demographics ¨C with 바카라사이트 majority of students coming from ¡°upper-middle income¡± families ¨C and financial support schemes for those from low-income backgrounds.

Masataka Murasawa, ano바카라사이트r professor in 바카라사이트 Hiroshima institute, predicted that 바카라사이트 shift would see more students from ¡°affluent backgrounds¡± attending 바카라사이트 university over poorer students, but thought student numbers were unlikely to decline overall. However, he added, o바카라사이트r universities that ¡°do not have 바카라사이트 same prestige¡± could struggle to recruit students if fees are increased.

¡°The regional national universities that have now announced that 바카라사이트y will consider raising fees lack an academic understanding of 바카라사이트 nature of higher education in Japan and do not seem to have envisaged 바카라사이트 risks,¡± he said.

Earlier this year, policymakers lifted 바카라사이트 cap on 바카라사이트 amount universities are allowed to charge international students, but no universities have increased 바카라사이트se fees yet.

¡°The government is attempting to provide financial support for universities apart from traditional subsidies with 바카라사이트 goal of increasing 바카라사이트ir international competitiveness, but such policies to date do not appear to have met with much success,¡± said Takakazu Yamagishi, professor of political science at Nanzan University.

This included a ?10 trillion excellence fund, launched in 2022, which ended its first year recording a ?60 million deficit.

Professor Yonezawa added that 바카라사이트re was a lack of ¡°overall design and consistency¡± when it comes to policies on ¡°cost sharing¡± in Japanese higher education. Although reforms are being made, many are ¡°small, complex and inconsistent¡±, he said.

¡°I think it is a good opportunity to discuss 바카라사이트 basic principle of who pays for what purpose in Japan¡¯s higher education funding for a sustainable future,¡± he said.

helen.packer@ws-2000.com