The panel suggested broadening scholarship programs for Japanese students abroad and bolstering loan repayment assistance for those employed after studying overseas.
The panel suggested broadening scholarship programs for Japanese students abroad and bolstering loan repayment assistance for those employed after studying overseas.
Japan has prepared new proposals aimed to send 500,000 students abroad by 2033.
Prime Minister Kishida Fumio and Education Minister Nagaoka Keiko joined experts including former Keio University President Seike Atsushi to discuss proposals for the future of higher education during a meeting of the Council for the Creation of Future Education.
The panel suggested broadening scholarship programs for Japanese students abroad and bolstering loan repayment assistance for those employed after studying overseas.
Japan has set a goal of welcoming 400,000 foreign students annually by 2033, up from the current 200,000 to 300,000.
Japan’s government looks to create a road map this summer to help young people succeed abroad, Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida told the council. He said that the future of society can be transformed through studying abroad and the success of those who are the “bearers of tomorrow.”
Japan aims for 150,000 students to earn degrees abroad and have 230,000 on shorter study visits while still enrolled at universities in Japan. Additionally, 110,000 high schoolers are expected to join study tours overseas.
Before the pandemic the number of students for each category are 62,000, 113,000, and 43,000, respectively.
To reach its goals, the government plans to provide financial aid and grant-type scholarships as well as distribute information terminals to junior and high school students for online international exchanges.
Japanese Universities will now be able to adjust tuition rates and better manage enrollment capacity to attract more international students.
Additionally, Japanese companies are encouraged to expand their hiring schedules to include year-round and autumn recruitment to accommodate Japanese students graduating from foreign universities.
A certification scheme will also be launched for high-quality vocational schools, granting foreign students who have completed their studies there the same benefits as university graduates to encourage them to stay.
