Japan has for long been famous for its international education policy. However, in the recent years, there has been a significant reduction in the population of the international Japanese students despite the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology's international exchange program (MEXT) initiative to double the amount of international learners by the year 2020. The current indications show that more Japanese students go to study abroad only for short-term courses instead of the long-term ones. In fact, there have been numerous calls by various stakeholders for MEXT to revise its standards of having at least 180,000 international students; nonetheless, MEXT has been reluctant to review its policy. This concept is consistent with the government plans to globalize its education system (Yukako and Yonezawa 195). Until 2014, Japan was the second largest economy in the world; however, in the process, the continued development of China overtaking the USA has sunk Japan into the third place. Besides, the economic recession suffered by Japan in 2014 can be attributed to the MEXT policy focused on boosting the population of Japanese students who study in foreign countries. It is widely held that economic competitiveness is correlated with the globalizing of the learning system (Poole 218). For example, China's rise to being an economic powerhouse can be explained by its policy of the increment in the Chinese international student's populace. On the other hand, it is believed that Japan's student's phobia of studying abroad is due to their inward-looking culture. The high cost of international education has also proved to be a barrier for the Japanese students seeking education opportunities in the foreign universities. In this paper, the current perspectives regarding the importance of studying abroad will be examined. The relevance of the concept that studying abroad is extending one's life prospects will be analyzed in detail. Additionally, the contrasting arguments regarding the topic will be observed profoundly.
In line with Japan's revitalization formulae of 2013 and the subsequent Second Basic Plan for the promotion of education, the Japanese government engaged in activities to expand the population of international Japanese students. The rapidly growing effects of globalization and the decreasing birth rates motivated the cabinet to adopt the policy. Evidently, the issue of Japanese students studying abroad is more relevant than it was years ago. The reduction in the number of 18 years old individuals from the peak of two million in 1990 is seen as an imminent crisis in Japan. For a government to grow economically, it is imperative to have a pool of human resource that is not only technically competent but also competitive. Nowadays, much emphasis is made on the GDP per capita income (Ho et al. 55). Thus, the government is geared towards developing professionals who have mastery of foreign language and understand different cultures; a move that is directed to fostering globalization. On the other hand, the significant reduction in the population of international Japanese students has been labeled as a national concern. In 2014, there was a 36% diminution in the population of international Japanese students. The peak was attained in 2004. The decline has been attributed to the specific culture of the country’s students. The Japanese learners have been portrayed as individuals who are afraid to take risks, start new initiatives, and move from the comfort of their lives. Many of the individuals conform to the usual routine of going to high school, college, and eventually work.
The administration, firms, and other persons alike have been affected by scaling down of the Japanese international students' population and the various government initiatives aimed at increasing the number of students studying abroad. As earlier mentioned, much attention is paid to GDP per capita income when referring to economic development. Globalization of education has been tied to economic growth of different government quarters. In past, Japan's rise to economic powerhouse was attributed to its practice of sending students abroad to acquire the prerequisite skills which they would later use to spur development in their home country. This approach explains the surge in the population of international students from the 90'S to the early 2000's. Chinas' rise to the global economic powerhouse overtaking the USA was partly linked to its policy of globalizing the education. In the mentioned country, there was an obvious growth in the number of international students. Some of the government officials in Japan believe that globalizing education is a prerequisite for strengthening trade and boosting diplomatic ties with other countries which have been shown to promote economic development. Similarly, the foreign-trained students often command higher salaries, which increase the GDP per capita income. Therefore, the decreasing number of the Japanese international students has been partly attributed to the 2014 economic recession. The locally trained students do not possess the required skills (language incompetency) to advertise the Japanese enterprises, which need to have a global appeal. Thus, the government initiatives of promoting foreign education have been touted as one of the options that can be used to remedy the situation. It is evident that the government support for increasing Japanese students studying abroad is based on the country's desire to spur economic growth. Additionally, the move is seen as a corrective factor in the human resource sector problem that has been brought about by Japan's reduction in the young population and the ever-rising aging public.
In most of the times, the advancement of personal education is usually aimed at enabling one secure employment opportunities. The firms in Japan account a vast amount of the students who study abroad. Hence, a decline in the number of international learners directly impacts on these businesses. Several surveys have demonstrated that the Japanese students who study abroad tend to be more assertive, open-minded, and flexible compared to those who study in Japan. Additionally, the international students have been known to have advanced foreign language competency and much awareness of different cultures. It has also been shown that the Japanese students who study abroad are more likely to be absorbed into employment compared to the local students (Akiyoshi 48). Globalization forms a vital part of the current business operations. Most commercial institutions strive to take advantage of the openings brought about by globalization: An increased market, economies of scales, etc. Japanese industries have not been left behind as they also make efforts to reap the benefits of the internationalization. Most of the branches prefer the international students as they are more suited to advancing the professional agenda of possessing a global appeal due to the foreign language competency and their awareness of different cultures.
The Japanese students could be considered as the individuals staying at the center of the debate regarding studying abroad. Several surveys have presented that Japanese students study in the other countries to have advanced foreign language skills compared to their counterparts. It is worth noting that most of the Japanese international students are likely to get education in the western countries which are predominantly English-speaking ones, and this phenomenon explains the differences between the two sets. Again, the cosmopolitan nature of the foreign countries means that the students are exposed to many different customs and traditions, unlike the students in Japan, where the Japanese culture is dominant. As a result, the international students tend to be more tolerant and aware of the norms and practices of other cultures. It has also been shown that Japanese students studying abroad very often choose more fulfilling careers as they opt for careers which suit to their interests and behavior. This approach increases the overall job satisfaction. On the other hand, in Japan, the education is more employment-oriented, which is negatively correlated with the professional motivation.
The average cost of the university education in the USA for international students is between 20,000 and 40,000 US dollars annually compared to 6,500 US dollars in Japan. The high value of international training has been percepted as a deterrent to foreign education among Japanese students. Unless the person is in a position to obtain a government scholarship or win the alumni program, learning abroad is considered to be an unattainable goal. Since the quality of the schooling is approximately the same, most of the parents have opted for educating their children in Japan as it is more affordable and less extravagant. Japan's university policy has also prevented many students from seeking educational opportunities abroad. In Japan, the process of seeking employment begins when the individual is in the third year of studying and extends to the fourth. As a result, most of the learners strive to be more engaged in the process of looking for occupation. Additionally, some of Japan's universities do not allow for the transfer of credits and refuse to recognize some of the programs offered by foreign educational establishments. Evidently, this measure is considered to be a hindrance to the students, who would like to choose the international education since the task seems to be futile (Akiyoshi and Shimmi 176). It has also been argued that the different cultural perspectives and opportunities are perceived as obstacles by a majority of the Japanese students.
The Japans' government initiatives in regards to studying abroad and the widespread national concern based on the reduction in the population of international students emphasize on the increased importance and the relevance of the topic. Both the decrease in the population of Japanese international students and the rise of the aging citizens made the Japanese industries have a limited pool of human resources. Moreover, with the topic of globalization being a recurrent issue now, the need for globalizing education is more critical than ever. At the same time, the high costs of university education in foreign countries and the rigid policies conducted by some of the Japanese learning facilities have proved to be a hindrance to the set course. Thus, it is necessary to observe carefully whether the government will achieve its goal of multiplying the population of international students by 2020.
Work’s Cited
Ho, Hsuan-Fu, Ming-Huang Lin, and Cheng-Cheng Yang. “Goals, Strategies, and Achievements in the Internationalization of Higher Education in Japan and Taiwan.” International Education Studies, no 8.3, 2015, p. 55.
Poole, Gregory S. International Higher Education in Japan. The Impact of Internationalization on Japanese Higher Education. Sense Publishers, Rotterdam.
Yonezawa, Akiyoshi, and Yukiko Shimmi. “Transformation of University Governance through Internationalization: Challenges for Top Universities and Government Policies in Japan.” Higher Education, no. 70.2, 2015, pp. 173-186.
Yonezawa, Akiyoshi. “Japan's Challenge of Fostering "Global Human Resources": Policy Debates and Practices.” Japan Labor Review, no. 11.2, 2014, pp. 37-52
Yonezawa, Yukako, and Akiyoshi Yonezawa. Internationalization of Higher Education as a Response to Globalization: Japan's Policy Challenges since the 1980s. Palgrave Macmillan, New York, 2016.
