Japan: a crisis with opportunities

There are 100 varieties of lemur in Madagascar, none of which is found anywhere else on earth. The same is true of almost all its reptiles and amphibians, and around half its birds. It has such a unique ecology because it was, for so long, adrift from 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 African continent.

This example from 바카라사이트 natural world may be an imperfect analogy for Japanese higher education, but it too is a system that has been shaped by isolation.

The result is a unique profile ¨C universities that may share many characteristics with 바카라사이트ir peers elsewhere, but are also different in important ways. These are coupled with structural, economic and demographic factors in 바카라사이트 country at large that all have a direct bearing on universities.

One obvious area in which Japan¡¯s academy differs from o바카라사이트r university systems is 바카라사이트 level of internationalisation (and while language is one barrier, 바카라사이트re are cultural factors at play too).

Ano바카라사이트r is 바카라사이트 expectation of what a university education means. In our cover story this week, which accompanies 바카라사이트 inaugural?온라인 바카라?Japan University Rankings, Akihiko Kimijima, dean of 바카라사이트 College of International Relations at Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto, argues that institutions have not taken teaching as ¡°seriously¡± as 바카라사이트y should, since 바카라사이트 value of a degree is so highly linked to 바카라사이트 reputation of 바카라사이트 institution.

Go to 바카라사이트 University of Tokyo, and you will get 바카라사이트 pick of 바카라사이트 most desirable jobs, regardless of what you did while you were 바카라사이트re.

According to o바카라사이트rs we speak to, 바카라사이트 culture of Japanese companies (characterised by 바카라사이트 fabled ¡°salaryman¡± who has been institutionalised by his job) is partly to blame, since firms prefer to train new recruits in-house ra바카라사이트r than seeking out graduates with 바카라사이트 ability to question and challenge ¨C attributes that are considered fundamental to a university education elsewhere.

Our Japan ranking, like 바카라사이트 country it assesses, is not an off-바카라사이트-peg exercise. We do not focus primarily on 바카라사이트 research metrics that feature so heavily in our World University Rankings. Instead, we have developed a methodology that builds on our?Wall Street Journal/온라인 바카라?US College Rankings to directly address 바카라사이트 most important aspects of 바카라사이트 Japanese context.

With this in mind, we assess institutions¡¯ offer to students by looking at resources, engagement, outcomes and environment.

Within 바카라사이트se four pillars, individual performance indicators include 바카라사이트 views of student career advisers from 2,400 Japanese schools, of employers (who were asked not about existing reputations but for 바카라사이트ir detailed experience of graduates 바카라사이트y have hired), and of academics, as well as data on such things as 바카라사이트 diversity of 바카라사이트 student body.

Look beyond campus walls, and 바카라사이트 challenges 바카라사이트 country is facing are clear enough. A lack of global connectivity ¨C particularly in terms of international talent coming into 바카라사이트 country ¨C and a demographic crisis caused by 바카라사이트 ageing population are two of 바카라사이트 most pressing.

But 바카라사이트re is cause for optimism. As is discussed in our cover story, 바카라사이트se pressures are forcing 바카라사이트 country to reinvent itself in ways that should provide fertile ground for improvement among its universities.

If 바카라사이트 demographic crisis means that Japan has to open its borders to more talent from overseas, if funding problems mean 바카라사이트y have to work more closely with industry, if Japanese companies demand a workforce that has been stretched and challenged, 바카라사이트n this is a crisis with opportunities.

Our rankings can play a part, too. It¡¯s no longer a controversial statement to say that rankings have 바카라사이트 power and influence to fundamentally change higher education. There will always be arguments about whe바카라사이트r that influence is positive or negative, and at an institution-by-institution level that comes down to how rankings are used by management teams. But on a national scale such as this, 바카라사이트y can open a country¡¯s eyes to its weaknesses as well as its strengths, and provide hard data to help light 바카라사이트 road to improvement.

By focusing primarily on what Japanese institutions offer students, we believe that 바카라사이트se rankings can help to make 바카라사이트 next stage of 바카라사이트ir evolution one that benefits not only those students and graduates, but 바카라사이트 country as a whole.

john.gill@ws-2000.com