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PART Recent Trends and Developments in Government Policies in Education, Science and Culture

The number of foreign students studying in Japanese institutions of higher education reached approximately 31,000 in 1989. As this number is still much smaller than the number of foreign students in many of the European countries and the United States, the Ministry of Education. Science and Culture is now committed to systematic policies and measures for increasing the number of foreign students with the aim of accepting 100,000 of them by the beginning of the 21st century.

Firstly, in order that students who wish to study in Japan may come to Japan and study in Japanese universities without difficulty, it is very important to develop relevant mechanisms in foreign countries for enabling students to make appropriate preparation for study in Japan. For this reason, through the Information Center of the Japan International Education Association, the Ministry has been providing students in foreign countries with various kinds of information related to study in Japan. In 1989 the Ministry began to hold in foreign countries "Briefing Meeting son Study in Japan." It is also conducting feasibility studies on the administration of the "General Examination for Foreign Students" that wish to study in Japan with private funds. In 1990 the Ministry plans to conduct studies on education programs for preparing foreign students for study in Japan.

Secondly, if foreign students are to live a worthwhile university life in Japan, It is necessary to provide them with a stable financial and other basis for their living. For this reason, the Ministry has been endeavoring to increase, in accordance with definite plans, the number of Japanese Government Scholarships granted to foreign students, to provide special grants to foreign students other than those granted Japanese Government scholarships, and to provide partial exemption of tuition fees for more of these foreign students. The Ministry has also attempted to help provide more and better living accommodations by various means, including the construction of more foreign student hostels at national universities, the facilitating of the use of industrial firms' dormitories by foreign students, and the encouragement of the construction of foreign student hostels by local governments.

Thirdly, in order to reinforce the arrangements at national universities for the care of foreign students, the Ministry has been allocating among national universities special expenses for the teaching and guidance of foreign students, and placing more teachers and other staff concerned with the teaching and guidance of foreign students. With a view to enhancing the guidance and assistance to foreign students, in 1990 a Foreign Student Center and a Student Exchange Division were set up in each of three universities. With regard to private universities where foreign students are enrolled, the Ministry treats the number of foreign students enrolled as one of the important factors in determining the amount of the Ministry's "special subsidies" for current expenses to individual private universities.

Fourthly, in order to improve mechanisms and services for taking care of foreign students on the basis of concerted efforts by the public and private sectors, a number of localities have organized an intersect oral committee for the promotion of student exchange which is composed of representatives of universities in each locality, local governments, business associations, and so forth. (By September 1990, such intersect oral committees had been organized in 39 localities.) In these localities various activities for assisting foreign students have been undertaken, taking advantage of the distinctive features of each locality.

A variety of follow-up services, including the sending of specialized scientific journals at regular intervals, have been provided for returnees from study in Japan, so that the effects of their study in Japan may be enhanced.

With regard to the study abroad of Japanese students, in order to promote exchange with foreign universities, the Ministry every year sands a number of Japanese students abroad with Japanese government funds, and cooperates with foreign governments in recruiting and selecting Japanese students who are going to study abroad under foreign government scholarship programs.

In addition, in order to help Japanese students choose a foreign university suited to their own purpose, the Ministry has been endeavoring to provide these students with relevant information about study abroad, through the Information Center of the Japan International Education Association. In the future, it will be necessary for the Government to carry out effective measures for enabling Japanese upper secondary and university students to make their study abroad both safe and worthwhile.

Due to the above-mentioned government measures, the number of foreign students studying in Japanese universities has been dramatically increasing. On the other hand, however, a number of problems and difficulties have been disclosed. For this reason, in May 1990 the Ministry organized a Consultative Committee on Government Policies regarding Foreign Students in Japan for the 21st Century to examine how to develop effective government policies regarding foreign students.