<p>J@pan Inc Newsletter<br>
The 'JIN' Japan Inc Newsletter<br>
A weekly opinion piece on social, economic and political trends<br>
in Japan.<br>
Issue No. 460 Wednesday April 9, 2008, Tokyo<br>
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<p>Japanese university students have a reputation for drinking<br>
beer, playing golf and partying. However, in recent years,<br>
their activities have come under closer scrutiny and a darker<br>
side to student clubs have been exposed. In 2003, it was<br>
revealed that a group of young men at one of Japan's top<br>
universities, Waseda, had set up a club called 'Super Free'<br>
that organized parties where women became victims of<br>
premeditated gang rapes. Last year, the debate flared up<br>
again when three students from Kyoto's Doshisha University<br>
rugby club were arrested for allegedly trying to kidnap and<br>
molest a local woman as she walked home. </p>
<p>While such scandals have ultimately sparked more debate and<br>
discussion over the problem of rape in Japan, they have also<br>
contributed to the controversy over educational policy at the<br>
university level. There is a dichotomy in Japan between the<br>
image of students as lazy and carefree and the deeply ingrained<br>
reverence that many Japanese people exhibit towards prestigious<br>
universities (see also <a href="http://www.japaninc.com/node/3037" title="www.japaninc.com/node/3037">www.japaninc.com/node/3037</a>). For example,<br>
Waseda, whose students were criticized in one of the cases just<br>
mentioned, was also the alma mater of 3 out of 10 of the last<br>
prime ministers and is held by many to be the best private<br>
university in Japan. Furthermore, in the Asian region, Japanese<br>
universities are held in very high regard. Japan has over<br>
120,000 foreign students studying at its universities,<br>
two-thirds of whom are Chinese. </p>
<p>University education is the norm in Japan, although university<br>
attendance rates are not as high as in Europe and the US. As of<br>
the 2007 data, 97.7% of Japanese students complete high school,<br>
and of that percentage, 51.2% go on to higher education<br>
(university or some kind of community college), an all-time<br>
high. Of the remainder, 16.8% go to vocational school, and<br>
18.5% go on directly to find jobs. </p>
<p>When it comes to ranking, Japanese consumers are very insistent<br>
to know the popularity ranking of the brands or products they<br>
choose. The same goes for universities. Interestingly, a company<br>
called Marunouchi Brand Forum have ranked universities according<br>
to their 'brand power.' Based on a survey conducted amongst<br>
prospective undergraduates and graduate employers. Their top<br>
ten is as follows:</p>
<p>1. Tokyo University<br>
2. Keio University<br>
3. Waseda University<br>
4. Kyoto Univeristy<br>
5. Sophia University<br>
6. Aoyama University<br>
7. Tsukuba University<br>
8. Ochanomizu Women's University<br>
9. Tokyo Institute of Technology<br>
10. Tokyo University of the Arts</p>
<p>However, according to an article by Akiyoshi Yonezawa in the<br>
journal Higher Education, outside of branding, 'There is no well<br>
established system for assessing the quality of education and<br>
research at Japanese higher education institutions.' And it is<br>
the evaluation of research that will ultimately decided the<br>
financial and academic future of the institutions. Resulting<br>
from recent reforms, rankings produced by the National<br>
Institution for Academic Degrees and University Evalutation<br>
(NIAD-UE) are to be used to help determine the level of<br>
government funding institutions will receive in an attempt to<br>
increase quality and the global competitiveness of Japanese<br>
universities. Over the next few years, they are drawing up<br>
rankings focusing on the standard of research and, according<br>
to Yonezawa, these will be instrumental in the allocation of<br>
government subsidies.</p>
<p>In Japan, the private universities, including the prestigious<br>
institutions of Waseda and Keio, manage to keep at the top of<br>
the tables due to their private wealth, historical reputation<br>
and superior teaching. National universities such as Tokyo and<br>
Kyoto maintain their position through government subsidies,<br>
strength in research and also by their own historical<br>
credentials. This difference does occasionally lead to tension<br>
and competition. Keio University has argued in the past that it<br>
should receive more government funding while the national<br>
universities struggle to compete internationally where the<br>
growing trend is for universities to grow from private support.<br>
According to Times Higher Education Top 200 Rankings 2007, Tokyo<br>
University is the best of Japanese higher education<br>
establishments at number 17 with Kyoto at 25; Waseda and Keio<br>
rank at 180 and 161 respectively. Only Kyoto improved from 2006<br>
while Keio dropped 41 places. </p>
<p>Peter Harris<br>
Editor-in-Chief</p>
<p>++FEEDBACK</p>
<p>Want to comment? It is now even easier to voice your opinion<br>
than ever before! Simply post a comment below the article<br>
online at <a href="http://www.japaninc.com/jin460" title="www.japaninc.com/jin460">www.japaninc.com/jin460</a><br>
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Marcus Evans Events - Supported by J@pan Inc</p>
<p>Customer Relationship Excellence, 15th - 16th April 2008, Tokyo<br>
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Featuring speakers from American Express International & others</p>
<p>Compensation and Benefits Forum, 27th - 28th May, Tokyo<br>
<a href="http://www.marcusevans.com/html/eventdetail.asp?eventID=13778" title="http://www.marcusevans.com/html/eventdetail.asp?eventID=13778">http://www.marcusevans.com/html/eventdetail.asp?eventID=13778</a><br>
This event provides Japanese firms the 'how-to' of investing in<br>
their employees to sustain their businesses. Supported by JSHRM</p>
<p>3rd Annual LNG World, 15th - 16th July 2008, Tokyo<br>
<a href="http://www.marcusevans.com/html/eventdetail.asp?eventID=13569" title="www.marcusevans.com/html/eventdetail.asp?eventID=13569">www.marcusevans.com/html/eventdetail.asp?eventID=13569</a><br>
This event focuses on key operational aspects of LNG business and<br>
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<p>'J@pan Inc readers are entitled to a 10% discount upon<br>
registration with Ms. Esther Wong.'<br>
Contact: +603 2723 6736 Email: <a href="mailto:estherw@marcusevanskl.com">estherw@marcusevanskl.com</a><br>
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