With its advanced and superior educational system, students are flocking to Japan as a study centre, says Gurinder Bhatti
Japan has been growing above potential for several quarters, according to the IMF first deputy Managing Director David lipton at the recent Asian Financial Forum. The country is one of the leading nations in technology, machinery, scientific research, and medical research, and is quickly turning to be an educational hub for international students. The number of international students enrolled for education in the country as on May 1, 2017 is 267,042 persons — an increase of 27,755 persons as compared to the result of 2016, with the majority of students coming from other Asian countries. There are reason why are students flocking to Japan.
Japan offers an advanced and superior educational system in the fields of science, technology, and mathematics than many of its peers. The country has outperformed the US on the Programme for International Student Assessments (PISA) for several years and its universities are highly sought after for research and development initiatives.Foreign graduates are witnessing an increase in demand in the country, with the Japanese Government constantly encouraging subsidised company internships, providing help with finding jobs on graduation and offering additional Japanese language courses, in addition to streamlining the process to get work visas for international students.
Several high-profile employers conduct campus recruitments and pick up foreign graduates for high-salaried jobs in the country. The strong job market for university graduates coupled with the expanding range of career support services and supportive policies for international students make Japan an emerging and attractive study destination for international students. The Government has also set its target of reaching 300,000 foreign students by 2020, apart from raising the employment rate for its international graduates to 50 per cent.
According to figures received from the Japan Student Services Organisation (Jasso), there has been a 10 percent increase in international students in tertiary learning institutes, and a 15 per cent increase in enrollment of foreigners in linguistic academies. Japan attributes its success in increasing foreign enrollments to a number of factors, including the high level of education and specialised training programmes that the country offers.
Also, if we take a look at the 700+ Japanese universities in the country, most of them have been increasingly making an effort to build up their academic courses in English, in their quest to attract more students from foreign countries. While the cost of living and other expenses such as tuition fees, transport, food and other day-to-day living expenses are major concerns before heading to a foreign country, Japan has proved to be relatively affordable as compared to countries like US, UK, and France. Their cost of living can be brought down further if the students opt to stay slightly off the city centres.
Some of the student-friendly cities in Japan include Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Fukuoka, Sapporo and Yokohama. As of 2017, six universities have been listed in the Times Higher Education Top 100 World University Rankings, and 12 Japanese higher education institutions have earned their position in the Top 100 Asian University Rankings.
As per reports, there has been speculation on the renewed confidence among investors and small and medium businesses on the demand for skilled workers to fill jobs with raised pay packages. This is another plus point for students to consider Japan as an international study destination. With the Government focusing on every opportunity to emerge as a top-draw for foreign students along with showing keen interest in growing its international enrollment and boosting employment outcomes for foreign graduates, Japan is soon to become the destination of choice for higher studies amongst foreign students.