Japanese students ranked third, their highest level ever, in reading literacy in a global academic achievement survey for 2022, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) said in a report released on Tuesday.   The survey by the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) covered about 690,000 15-year-old students from 81 countries and regions.   In reading literacy, Japanese….Read more

On Nov. 24, the Japan Association of National Universities (JANU) issued a statement in the name of President Nagata Kyosuke expressing concern about the bill to revise the National University Corporation Act currently being deliberated in the Diet. Nagata is president of the University of Tsukuba. The statement calls on the government to respect the independence and autonomy of universities….Read more

A fundamental shift is underway in university students’ selection of a second language.   For more than a decade, Chinese has been the most popular second language at universities nationwide, as students sought to have an advantage in finding a job. Recently, however, there has been a growing trend for students to avoid Chinese. Since summer vacation this year, many….Read more

The government will set up a new hub for joint research as early as fiscal 2028 with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on government-owned land in Tokyo’s Meguro and Shibuya wards, near facilities for the Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency. By boosting collaboration in fields where Japan and the United States share strengths, such as biotechnology, decarbonization and robotics, the….Read more

By FUMIO MASUTANI/ Senior Staff Writer   After Japan eased its COVID-19 border restrictions, organizers of study-abroad programs thought things would return to normal.   But additional circumstances beyond their control have led to plunging numbers of applicants, canceled projects and a dramatic shift in preferred destinations.   Rising energy prices, combined with the yen’s depreciation, have led to skyrocketing….Read more

Japan’s science and technology and R&D capabilities have been in a protracted decline. There is another serious problem, however. That is, the declining number of students and young researchers studying abroad and entering doctoral programs.   Consequently, it is feared that the ranks of human resources who will lead the next generation in Japan will shrink.   In contrast, let’s….Read more

On Oct. 31, the Kishida Cabinet approved a bill to revise the National University Corporation Act. This bill will require national universities over a certain size to set up an “administration policy council” (advisory body), which will serve as the de facto highest decision-making body. The bill will lead to political interference in academia.    The advisory body will consist….Read more