Global International Perspectives And Higher Education In Japan

Global International Perspectives and Higher Education In Japan By Evelyn Hall Yvette Wilmoth Introduction To Higher Education EDA 5931 D. Wright, Ph.D. September 23, 2006

Globalization in Higher Education • The flows of students across borders • 1.6 million students now study outside of their home countries • More than 547,000 studying in the United States. • In the U S there is much more rhetoric than action concerning internationalization of higher education

Internationalization of Higher Education Institutions Defined as: ...a change process from a national higher education institution to an international higher education institution leading to the inclusion of an international dimension in all aspects of its holistic management in order to enhance the quality of teaching and learning and to achieve the desired competencies; (Soderqvist, 2002, p.29)

Internationalization Includes: Policies relating to recruitment of foreign students Collaboration with academic institutions or systems in other countries Establishment of branch campuses abroad

Growing Trends • Australia and Britain have been especially active in establishing transnational programs • More than 140,000 international students are involved in academic programs under auspices of British universities elsewhere in the world • The U.S. has come relatively late to transnational education • Leading the path in the U.S. is University of Chicago, the University of Pennsylvania, and Temple University who partner with business school overseas

Issues Pursuing Internationalization India (long-standing concern has been “brain drain”) 1. The majority of Indian students who study in the U.S. do not return home 2. India has a large academic system, enrolling more than 5.6 million students 3. India is seeking to make its own universities more attractive for foreign students 4. Academic institutions use English as the main language of instruction 5. Ranks third among countries sending students to the U.S. and with more than 42,000 students studying abroad.

Higher Education In Japan

Japan • An Island country in East Asia, Located in the Pacific Ocean • It lies to the east of China, Korea, and Russia • Over 377,872 square kilometers (145,898 sq mi) • The 62nd largest country by area. • It encompasses over 3,000 islands • Most of Japan's islands are mountainous, and many are volcanic, including the highest peak, Mount Fuji • World's 10th largest population, with nearly 128 million people • Japan's population is estimated at around 127,810,000

Language • Japan's official language is Japanese (Nihongo) • 99% of the population speaks Japanese as their first language. • There is no consensus on what, if any, linguistic relationship Japanese has with other languages • Japanese has borrowed or derived large amounts of vocabulary from Chinese • Since the end of World War II, Japanese has also extensively borrowed from English • The writing system uses (Chinese characters) as well as the Roman alphabet and HinduArabic numerals.

Education in Japan

• Compulsory education was introduced into Japan in 1872 • Since 1947, compulsory education consists of elementary and middle school, which lasts for 9 years (from age 6 to age 15). • Almost all children continue their education at a threeyear senior high school, and, according to static's, 67.5% of high school graduates attend a university, junior college, trade school, or other post-secondary institution in 2006. • University of Tokyo is one of Japan’s large University

Internationalization of Higher Education in Japan Challenges due to three factors • Decrease in the size of college age cohorts in the coming years • Heightened expectations in the modes of instructional delivery through the advances of information and communication technologies • Global competition for college students worldwide especially for English-speaking countries

Japan Solution to Challenges • Expand their student base by encouraging adult learners to pursue life-long and life-wide learning and promoting foreign students enrollment • Build infrastructure for effective and efficient use of information and communication technologies in instructional delivery on/off campus • Offer courses in English to attract foreign students to study in Japan

Useful websites: The following web sites are in English only. IMFNS is not responsible for the content found on these sites: • 10 tips for creating effective presentations http://www.microsoft.com/office/previous/xp/columns/column08.asp • PowerPoint tips and hints – http://www.pptbackgrounds.fsnet.co.uk/pptips.htm#Hints%20and%20Tips • PowerPoint tips (1997) – http://www.teachers-connect.net/cc/99-00/advpp.htm • PowerPointers http://www.powerpointers.com/showarticle.asp?articleid=374