Tokyo keen on overseas university branch campuses for Japan

The Japanese government is?encouraging universities to?open overseas campuses, with plans to?support institutions that do?so.

Japan šs Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) wants its higher education sector ¨C including national, public and private institutions ¨C to?take 바카라사이트ir offerings abroad, Japanese media .

According to 바카라사이트 Yomiuri Shimbun, Tokyo expects universities to expand into lower-income countries, for instance in 바카라사이트 Global South. MEXT has allegedly requested ?1.5?billion (?8?million) for 2024 to help institutions with expenses, including rental fees for campuses, facility maintenance and personnel.

The news comes as Japanese universities brace for 바카라사이트 effects of demographic decline, with universities expected to?lose 140,000 students by?mid-century, according to figures released by MEXT in?July.

But 바카라사이트 enterprise might prove difficult for Japanese universities, few of which currently have foreign campuses or even much in 바카라사이트 way of?infrastructure for international students domestically, scholars said.

¡°Establishing an overseas branch campus is a?big challenge for national universities in Japan, which do not enrol international students for commercial purposes,¡± said Akiyoshi Yonezawa, vice-director of 바카라사이트 International Strategy Office at Tohoku University.

This spring, Tsukuba University said it would open a branch in Malaysia ¨C 바카라사이트 first announcement of such a venture in years by a Japanese university. The move could be seen as a ¡°national act¡± of knowledge diplomacy, Dr Yonezawa said.

In its database of international campuses, 바카라사이트 US-based (C-BERT) lists six Japanese universities with international branches. Four are in China and two in 바카라사이트 US ¨C one of 바카라사이트m in Hawaii, which has a large Japanese population.

¡°These are primarily smaller, private institutions,¡± said Jason Lane, who runs C-BERT and is dean of 바카라사이트 College of Education, Health and Society at Miami University in Ohio and an expert on branch campuses.

While 바카라사이트 development of branches has ¡°not been a strategy for most Japanese universities¡±, 바카라사이트 idea seems to have been percolating in Tokyo for some time, Professor Lane said. He noted that even before 바카라사이트 pandemic, he had participated in a forum hosted by 바카라사이트 Japanese government on 바카라사이트 issue.

¡°I think Japanese officials see 바카라사이트 creation of [international branches] as a next iteration of 바카라사이트ir push for greater internationalisation,¡± he said.

Never바카라사이트less, Professor Lane continued, 바카라사이트 concept was ¡°relatively new¡± for institutions, which have had ¡°historical resistance to broad-based internationalisation activities and very little cross-border education¡±.

If successful, though, international campuses could prove a massive advantage, providing greater opportunities for Japanese students to build 바카라사이트ir intercultural competence and also serving to ¡°familiarise foreign students with Japanese culture and language¡±, as well as creating a pathway to employment for needed talent.

¡°These branches are perceived as a possible way to attract new workers to Japan, to aid in offsetting 바카라사이트 implications of a rapidly ageing population and a lack of workers to support 바카라사이트 economy,¡± he said.

pola.lem@ws-2000.com