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PART Issues and Perspectives ofHigher Education

As already mentioned, if an advanced and sophisticated society is to survive, various kinds of human resources need to be developed. The progress of internationalization in various sectors of society, the spread of information technology, the diversification of the life styles of people and other changes in society will require new kinds of human resources for new kinds of jobs. On the other hand, institutions of higher education need to respond to demands from society for the diversified development of higher education in the context of the diversifying abilities and aptitudes of students and the expanding demands of society for the education of working adults.

The development of distinctive and diverse educational programs at individual institutions have been required as individuals have tended to seek a free and unique life style, as well as diverse choices in life.

Now that higher education has been widely disseminated in this country, it is to be desired that distinctive and diverse patterns of higher education institutions should be developed. For example, there should be institutions concentrating on research programs, institutions stressing educational programs in various fields, and institutions devoting much effort to lifelong learning programs. It can be considered that the innovative efforts of each institution for its own education programs, taking advantage of its own individuality and its own characteristics, would bring about the enhancement and further development of the functions of Japanese higher education as a whole.