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2 Japanese universities in merger talks amid rising global competition

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Japanese universities have training systems, not education. Students enter without even much of an ability to ask questions about what they don’t know (yes: critical thinking). They’re pretty lost beyond sitting passively, memorizing, taking tests, looking at phones, etc. Ask them about their country and the world and you’ll hear some pretty shocking half-baked “ideas” betraying how unprepared they are to join a global conversation on anything important. This is why Japan doesn’t have a university ranked in the top 50 in the world despite being one of the most powerful countries on the planet. Oh well. Don’t look for changes anytime soon.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Why do Japanese not do like China,send their students too America,they can get educated and spy at the same time,not all Chinese students are spies

0 ( +0 / -0 )

My wife did 2 year college degree and for years now been looking at continuing education but choices especially online in Japan were sad, impractical and expensive.

On top of it all few if any university were ready to credit her anything for here 2 year college degree.

Suddenly things changed in the past year or so.

Universities she previously approached are now offering to credit her full 2 years, offering her a way to combine online and night classes to complete her Bachelor's in 2 years and at about half the price of what they said two or three years ago.

One university is even got approval for no interest student loans for their continuing education courses.

So I expect the mid size Universities will try the merger thing, while smaller with good reputation (good not great) are more flexible and will try the online/weekend/night.

We think we made our choice especially since her employer is pushing and also willing to pay a portion.

I am not surprised by these moves, some top universities in places like China ( no I mean legitimate government run) are offering low tuition 80% online and the courses are in Japanese at about half the cost of a Japanese lower ranked university

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Japanese universities are profitable at smuggling Vietnamese trainees and other foreign trainees by posing them as students.

For the most part its not universities that do that sort of thing, its language schools.

And of the universities/colleges that do, they are mostly quite low level ones, not the ones this article is about.

Also, the foreign trainee program is not related to any university or educational institution.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

The fall in the population of Japanese students is a major cause of the desire to be internationally competitive, since they need to attract more international students now.

Japanese universities are profitable at smuggling Vietnamese trainees and other foreign trainees by posing them as students.

The institutions are expected to apply for a 10 trillion yen ($74 billion) government fund -- intended to bolster efforts to promote science and technology in Japan -- through the tie-up.

Welfare queens in a neofeudalist state.

-7 ( +1 / -8 )

I think this is why most universities gave up applying for this fund. There should be some requirements for international collaboration with this program.

Money do not automatically make universities competitive, hopefully it will not be in the way but Japanese universities have to fight against a culture that push them down and far away from the global standard.

Very limited support for research, tiny (if any) international cooperation, very few foreign students, etc. Even if the subsidy is used efficiently it would take years to see any positive effect because a full academic change is necessary.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

If Japan is smart about this it could be a way to develop an educated workforce of foreigners who can fill the gap created by Japan's low total fertility rate. Bring to Japan the intelligent students of other nations and make them feel welcome and needed in Japan, then pave the way for them to enter the workforce in Japan.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

Money do not automatically make universities competitive, hopefully it will not be in the way but Japanese universities have to fight against a culture that push them down and far away from the global standard.

Very limited support for research, tiny (if any) international cooperation, very few foreign students, etc. Even if the subsidy is used efficiently it would take years to see any positive effect because a full academic change is necessary.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

discussing a merger amid intensifying competition among universities across the globe.

What not mention of a falling population (of local Japanese students)?

Can't really be a problem then, can it?

The fall in the population of Japanese students is a major cause of the desire to be internationally competitive, since they need to attract more international students now.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

discussing a merger amid intensifying competition among universities across the globe.

What not mention of a falling population (of local Japanese students)?

Can't really be a problem then, can it?

1 ( +4 / -3 )

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