Japan government has made several changes in its policies to invite foreign students. (Representational image) Japan government has made several changes in its policies to invite foreign students. (Representational image)

Studying abroad in Japan can be a gainful experience for any student, especially for those who are interested in science and technology, finance and even pop culture. In fact, Japanese universities are working really hard to attract international students to raise their competitiveness with other international study abroad destinations such as the USA and UK. In 2009, the Japanese government had adopted the goal of securing 3,00,000 foreign student admissions by 2020, an aim that has been achieved ahead of time, with 298,980 international students enrolled in Japanese institutions, as of May 2018.

Their government also aimed to have 10 Japanese universities in the list of top 100 universities in the world by 2023. In this regard too, the government policies seem to be taking effect as the QS World University Rankings of 2019 have listed five Japanese universities among the top 100. Given below are a couple of ways the government of Japan is hoping to attract more foreign students. These can also be a game-changer for Indian students aspiring to study there.

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Online presence: Universities in Japan are increasing their online as well as offline dialogue with prospective international applicants by offering more expansive support through student service offices and having degree programme information available in English.

Dormitories: They are also changing the campus structure and culture to make it more accommodating for foreign students. In Japan, most students commute to the college from their own houses which left international students desperate to find their own place of residence, as universities rarely had dormitories available. This has changed in recent times. For instance, Meiji University has built a Global Village dorm complex that caters to the residential needs of both Japanese and international students.

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English as mode of instruction: Language is the biggest obstacle faced by any foreign student who wishes to study in Japan. To remedy this, universities are changing their curriculum to include full-degree programmes in English as well as offering diverse courses in humanities and sciences. The University of Tokyo offers 24-degree programmes for UG and PG candidates which are taught entirely in English.

New scholarships: Funding is also one of the main issues faced by foreign students who wish to study in Japan. To tackle this problem, the MEXT (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology) and JASSO (Japan Student Services Organization) offer government-funded scholarships to prospective applicants. Beyond this, Japanese universities are offering their own scholarship programmes to target foreign students.

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Job opportunities: The Japanese government has also set its sights on increasing the employment rate of foreign students (who wish to work in Japan after the completion of their degrees) to 50 per cent by the year 2020. The universities in Japan are thus increasing their efforts in securing students part-time jobs and providing them with access to their alumni networks to ease the job search process.

If you are also considering to take advantage of these new rules, here are some colleges you can consider:

University of Tokyo: Founded in the year 1877, University of Tokyo or ‘Todai’, as it is colloquially known, is one of Japan’s most historically significant institutes of higher education. In fact, 15 of Japan’s 62 prime ministers have completed their education at Todai and five former students have become astronauts. It ranks among the QS World Top 10 for providing the best education in disciplines like modern languages, physics, astronomy, chemistry, mechanical and chemical engineering.

Kyoto University: Kyoto University was established in 1897 in the former capital city of Kyoto in Japan. The institute has produced 13 Nobel Prize winners since its inception and is founded on the motto of ‘freedom of academic spirit’. It ranks among the top 2 in Japan with Todai and is ranked among the top 50 globally.

Osaka University: Nicknamed ‘Handai’ by the local populace, Osaka University was founded in 1724. According to the QS World Rankings, it is among the top 100 best universities globally. It is renowned for being among the top 40 universities in the world providing excellent quality of education in subjects like dentistry, chemical engineering, natural sciences and material science research.

–Article by Buddy4Study

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