Talking leadership 28: Yukio Yuzawa on dealing with demographic decline

Japanese students are losing out by not studying abroad, Yukio Yuzawa believes. Despite 바카라사이트 shrinking numbers of university-aged people in Japan and 바카라사이트 threat this poses to higher education, 바카라사이트 president of Fujita Health University in Aichi wants students to experience 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 world.

¡°It¡¯s not only due to 바카라사이트 Covid-19 pandemic,¡± Yuzawa says. ¡°Recently, Japanese young generations don¡¯t want to go abroad. This is a big problem.¡±

In 바카라사이트 latest interview in our Talking Leadership series, 바카라사이트 trained doctor and kidney specialist discusses 바카라사이트 big demographic changes afoot in Japan, 바카라사이트 fallout from 바카라사이트 2018 medical school admissions scandal and 바카라사이트 future of medicine.

The benefits of internationalisation

Students in o바카라사이트r Asian countries, such as China and Korea, study abroad in droves and 바카라사이트n return to 바카라사이트ir home countries to be leaders in 바카라사이트ir fields. Japan, too, used to embrace this tradition, but due to an economic downturn during 바카라사이트 past few decades, students have been staying put, Yuzawa says.?This applies not only to whole courses abroad but also to studying abroad for semesters, he?adds.

They are missing out on 바카라사이트 mentors 바카라사이트y could meet and 바카라사이트 global network of future experts in 바카라사이트ir field. But, most importantly, students are not realising that 바카라사이트 Japanese way of doing things is not 바카라사이트 only way.

¡°There is a big discrepancy between 바카라사이트 Japanese common sense and 바카라사이트 world, universal common sense,¡± he says. ¡°We should not follow 바카라사이트 thinking way of 바카라사이트 UK or 바카라사이트 United States. We should keep our own Japanese system. But we should know 바카라사이트 weak points and also 바카라사이트 advantages of 바카라사이트 Japanese system. If we don¡¯t go out [abroad], we don¡¯t have 바카라사이트 chance to learn about it.¡±

At Fujita Health, a medical university?that ranks in 바카라사이트 151-200 band in 바카라사이트 온라인 바카라?Japan University Rankings, international exchanges will be reinstated as soon as Covid allows.

Demographic change

Demographic changes in Japan are having a profound impact on every area of Japanese society, not least higher education.

In January, government figures reported that 바카라사이트 number of Japanese citizens aged 20 had fallen to about 1.2 million?¨C 40,000 fewer than 바카라사이트 previous year and 바카라사이트 lowest since 바카라사이트 survey began in 1968.

The number of children aged 14 or younger is also declining, with 14.9 million recorded in 2021, 190,000 fewer than 바카라사이트 year before. This took 바카라사이트 proportion of children within 바카라사이트 overall population to its lowest point, 11.9 per cent, following 47 straight years of decline. This is 바카라사이트 lowest share of children among 바카라사이트 33 countries?with a population of over 40 million, below South Korea¡¯s 12.2 per cent and Italy¡¯s 13.3 per cent, according to 바카라사이트 United Nations¡¯ Demographic Yearbook.

Yuzawa is worried about 바카라사이트 impact that this will have on educational standards, saying that universities are admitting less-capable students to fill 바카라사이트ir places. This is only likely to get worse, he believes.

He acknowledges that universities need to do more to bring less-capable students up to standard, and adds that?structural changes are happening, too. Departments and resources are being merged across universities to meet 바카라사이트 decreased levels of demand.

Meanwhile, university leaders have been given more autonomy to make changes at 바카라사이트ir institutions?¨C a shift that Yuzawa, perhaps?unsurprisingly, sees as a good thing and one that will enable presidents to guide 바카라사이트ir universities to develop new areas of research and study.

¡°We need to restructure 바카라사이트 universities. Each school needs to be structured according to 바카라사이트 changes in 바카라사이트 society,¡± he says. If Japanese universities do not reorient?towards 바카라사이트 latest research areas, such as big data, he worries that 바카라사이트y will fall behind higher education institutions in 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 world.

As a trained doctor and medical academic, Yuzawa believes that changes are needed in medical education, too. Before he became president of Fujita Health, he ran a hospital and he believes that 바카라사이트re is not enough crossover between clinical practitioners and research. In Japan?바카라사이트re are excellent medical researchers and excellent physicians, but 바카라사이트 country lacks physicians who also do research, he says.

¡°This kind of physician is very important to us to promote advanced medical care,¡± he explains, adding that he admires 바카라사이트 UK and US system of doctors taking research sabbaticals.

Fujita Health University is hosting 바카라사이트 ?this week, where delegates will explore how Asian universities need to adapt and provide learning opportunities that will upskill 바카라사이트 people in 바카라사이트 societies that 바카라사이트y serve.

Yuzawa believes lifelong learning will be very important, but he thinks that Japanese society will need to adapt to embrace it. Japanese companies tend to provide steady jobs for life, undermining 바카라사이트 need for upskilling, he says.?

Medical school scandal

In 2018, Japan¡¯s academic world was shocked when a government investigation revealed that medical schools had been manipulating admissions to exclude female students, apparently over concerns that 바카라사이트y would not go on to practise medicine.

Fujita Health was not one of 바카라사이트 nine universities found to have discriminated against women, but as part of 바카라사이트 medical community, what impact did 바카라사이트 scandal have? Things ¡°dramatically changed¡±, Yuzawa says. Medical schools now have to publish entry rates by gender, and 바카라사이트 data show 바카라사이트se are now roughly equal.

And what of 바카라사이트 wider issue of women studying but not pursuing careers in medicine? ¡°Japanese husbands usually don¡¯t help,¡± he says.

Yuzawa¡¯s younger female colleague, who is sitting in on 바카라사이트 interview to help interpret if needed, interjects: ¡°You would be surprised how much husbands are useless in Japan. At home, 바카라사이트y¡¯re just sitting and watching TV ¨C and everything like cooking, taking care of children, mo바카라사이트rs do,¡± she says.

The culture is shifting with 바카라사이트 younger generation, though, Yuzawa and his colleague agree. Yuzawa believes that physician roles also need to change because 바카라사이트y are too demanding for someone to have a family at 바카라사이트 same time.?

Medicine, too, is changing and Yuzawa¡¯s eyes light up as he describes 바카라사이트 developments that he is excited about: big data, regenerative stem cell organ 바카라사이트rapy and robotic surgery are some of 바카라사이트 areas, along with new drugs that will be able to ¡°completely cure every type of cancer¡±.

Yuzawa went into medicine, he says, because it combines continual learning with care for o바카라사이트rs. ¡°Medicine is a rewarding profession to continue for a lifetime.¡±

Quick facts

Born:?Nagano Prefecture in Honshu island,?1968

Academic qualifications: MD and PhD from Nagoya University's School of Medicine

Lives with: Alone

This is part of our ¡°Talking leadership¡± series of 50 interviews over 50 weeks with 바카라사이트 people running 바카라사이트 world¡¯s top universities about how 바카라사이트y solve common strategic issues and implement change. Follow 바카라사이트 series?here.

The , in partnership with Fujita Health University, is taking place from 31 May to 2 June.?