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PART Issues and Perspectives ofHigher Education

The most important issue about enhancing higher education is the improvement and enhancement of graduate schools.

After World War , under the Standards for the Establishment of Graduate Schools enacted in 1954, graduate schools in Japan were defined as institutions offering definite courses. However, as the pre-war practice of managing graduate schools and undergraduate departments all together has still remained after the war, the status of graduate schools as independent units separate from undergraduate faculties has not been firmly established so far. As a matter of fact, usually graduate schools have practically no facilities, equipment or professional staff for there own exclusive use. The esteem of graduate schools among the general public has continued to be rather low.

With these circumstances as a background, although the system of higher education as a whole has been well developed, graduate schools in Japan are still underdeveloped as compared with those in many other countries in Europe and North America. Quantitatively, the relative place of graduate schools is very small. The proportion of graduate students to undergraduate students is 4.4% in Japan, while it is 17 to 31% in some European and American countries.

Today scientific research is becoming more and more advanced, and more and more research activities are being undertaken in most advanced areas of science and technology and in interdisciplinary areas, In order to secure an adequate number of promising researchers and highly qualified professional workers in various fields, including advanced and interdisciplinary areas, it is necessary to improve and enhance graduate schools.

In response to the report presented by the University Council, the Ministry has already carried out the following reforms regarding the structure of graduate schools.

1.To cope with the diversification and sophistication of our society, the aim of the doctor's course has been clearly defined not only as the training of researchers to be employed at universities or other places, but also the training of qualified people with high-level abilities and profound knowledge who are capable of working in the various sectors of society.

2. Qualifications for entrance to graduate schools have been made more flexible with a view to providing prospective researchers with professional education as soon as possible and to positively promoting the retraining of working adults.

3. With the aim of helping graduate schools activate the programs of the master's course in diverse ways, the duration of a master's course (the standard duration is defined as two years) has been flexibly prescribed so that some students may complete the course in a minimum of one year in accordance with the level of their academic performance.

4. Broad provisions have been set forth regarding standard structures and standard physical facilities and equipment for independent graduate schools (namely. universities offering graduate courses only and no undergraduate courses at all).

5. In order to facilitate the appointment of more citizens working in other sectors as graduate schoolteachers, the qualification of graduate school teachers has been made available to those people who are regarded as having outstanding knowledge and experience related to respective specialized areas, as well as a high level capacity to guide and teach students in their educational and research activities.

6. With a view to admitting more students who are working adults, it has been clearly laid down that universities are allowed to set up master's degree courses where teaching and guidance are offered to students in the evening. It is expected that individual graduate schools will develop energetic activities in education and research by taking full advantage of these innovative systems.

Since scientific research presupposes activities of an international nature, graduate schools, where advanced education and research are undertaken, are required to pursue such educational and research activities as may deserve a high international reputation and as may deserve international exchanges with graduate schools in other countries, and thus to contribute to the advancement of science in the world, as well as to the development of qualified human resources in the world. In the coming years it will be necessary for each graduate school to strive to carry out such educational and research activities and to attempt to increase the international exchange of teachers and researchers, as well as to drastically strengthen their policies and measures for admitting and looking after foreign students.

In improving and enriching the activities of graduate schools, it is important not only to improve the level of all graduate schools 'but also to develop a selected number of "centers of excellence" of an internationally high standard, in different academic disciplines.