OECD Reviews of Tertiary Education: Japan
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OECD Reviews of Tertiary Education JAPAN OECD Reviews of Tertiary Education In many OECD countries, tertiary education systems have experienced rapid growth over the last decade. With tertiary education increasingly seen as a fundamental pillar for economic growth, these systems must now address the japan pressures of a globalising economy and labour market. Within governance frameworks that encourage institutions, individually and collectively, to fulfil multiple missions, tertiary education systems must aim for the broad objectives of growth, full employment and social cohesion. In this context, the OECD launched a major review of tertiary education with the participation of 24 nations. The principal objective of the review is to assist countries in understanding how the organisation, management and delivery of tertiary education can help them achieve their economic and social goals. Japan is one of 14 countries which opted to host a Country Review, in which a team of external reviewers carried out an in-depth analysis of tertiary education policies. This report includes: • an overview of Japan’s tertiary education system; Howard Newby, Thomas Weko, • an account of trends and developments in tertiary education in Japan; David Breneman, Thomas Johanneson • an analysis of the strengths and challenges in tertiary education in Japan; and JAPAN Education Tertiary of Reviews OECD • recommendations for future policy development. and Peter Maassen This Review of Tertiary Education in Japan forms part of the OECD Thematic Review of Tertiary Education, a project conducted between 2004 and 2008 (www.oecd.org/edu/tertiary/review). ISBN 978-92-64-03932-2 www.oecd.org/publishing 91 2009 02 1 E -:HSTCQE=UX^XWW: 912009021cov.indd 1 24-Feb-2009 5:10:30 PM 001-002-999_Japan.fm Page 1 Tuesday, February 24, 2009 8:11 AM OECD Reviews of Tertiary Education Japan Howard Newby, Thomas Weko, David Breneman, Thomas Johanneson and Peter Maassen 001-002-999_Japan.fm Page 2 Tuesday, February 24, 2009 8:11 AM ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT The OECD is a unique forum where the governments of 30 democracies work together to address the economic, social and environmental challenges of globalisation. The OECD is also at the forefront of efforts to understand and to help governments respond to new developments and concerns, such as corporate governance, the information economy and the challenges of an ageing population. The Organisation provides a setting where governments can compare policy experiences, seek answers to common problems, identify good practice and work to co-ordinate domestic and international policies. The OECD member countries are: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, the Slovak Republic, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States. The Commission of the European Communities takes part in the work of the OECD. OECD Publishing disseminates widely the results of the Organisation’s statistics gathering and research on economic, social and environmental issues, as well as the conventions, guidelines and standards agreed by its members. This work is published on the responsibility of the Secretary-General of the OECD. The opinions expressed and arguments employed herein do not necessarily reflect the official views of the Organisation or of the governments of its member countries. Corrigenda to OECD publications may be found on line at: www.oecd.org/publishing/corrigenda. © OECD 2009 You can copy, download or print OECD content for your own use, and you can include excerpts from OECD publications, databases and multimedia products in your own documents, presentations, blogs, websites and teaching materials, provided that suitable acknowledgment of OECD as source and copyright owner is given. All requests for public or commercial use and translation rights should be submitted to [email protected]. Requests for permission to photocopy portions of this material for public or commercial use shall be addressed directly to the Copyright Clearance Center (CCC) at [email protected] or the Centre français d'exploitation du droit de copie (CFC) at [email protected]. TABLE OF CONTENTS – 3 Table of contents 1. Introduction ..................................................................................................... 5 1.1 Purposes of the OECD Review ................................................................... 5 1.2 The Participation of Japan ........................................................................... 6 1.3 Structure of the Country Note ..................................................................... 8 2. The Context and Background of Tertiary Education Policy in Japan .......... 9 2.1 Structure and Change in Japanese Tertiary Education .............................. 11 2.2 Conclusion ................................................................................................ 21 2.3 Recommendations ..................................................................................... 23 3. System Structure and Institutional Governance ........................................... 25 3.1 System Structure: Strengths and Challenges ............................................. 26 3.2 Institutional Governance ........................................................................... 29 3.3 Recommendations ..................................................................................... 37 4. Funding Tertiary Education .......................................................................... 39 4.1 Strengths in the Funding of Japanese Tertiary Education ......................... 39 4.2 Challenges in the Funding of Japanese Tertiary Education ...................... 41 4.3 Consolidation ............................................................................................ 42 4.4 Funding Methodology ............................................................................... 43 4.5 Tuition Fee Structure in the Public Sector ................................................ 44 4.6 Diversification of Revenues among Private and Public Institutions ......... 46 4.7 Orientation of Management Practices towards Efficiency ........................ 47 4.8 Recommendations ..................................................................................... 48 4.9 Consolidation ............................................................................................ 49 4.10 Performance-Based Funding ................................................................... 50 4.11 Tuition Fees............................................................................................. 50 4.12 Revenue Diversification .......................................................................... 51 5. Equity in and through Tertiary Education ................................................... 53 5.1 Equity Achievements in Japan Tertiary Education ................................... 53 5.2 Equity Challenges in Japan Tertiary Education ........................................ 55 5.3 Recommendations ..................................................................................... 59 OECD REVIEWS OF TERTIARY EDUCATION – JAPAN – ISBN-978-92-64-03932-2 © OECD 2009 4 – TABLE OF CONTENTS 6. Tertiary Education and Labour Markets ...................................................... 61 6.1 Recommendations ..................................................................................... 68 7. Tertiary Education: Research and Innovation ............................................. 71 7.1 Introduction ............................................................................................... 71 7.2 National Policy Framework and Higher Education Research System - Strengths .................................................................................................. 73 7.3 National Policy Framework and Higher Education Research System – Challenges ................................................................................................ 75 7.4 Recommendations ..................................................................................... 77 8. Internationalisation ....................................................................................... 79 8.1 Introduction ............................................................................................... 79 8.2 Strengths ................................................................................................... 82 8.3 Challenges ................................................................................................. 84 8.4 Recommendations ..................................................................................... 86 9. Assuring and Improving Quality ................................................................... 89 9.1 Introduction ............................................................................................... 89 9.2 Strengths and challenges ........................................................................... 92 9.3 Recommendations ..................................................................................... 97 10. Conclusion ................................................................................................... 99 References ........................................................................................................ 101 Appendix