In February 1989 the government announced a plan to double the number of people acquiring doctorates over a five-year period. This plan was prompted by an increasingly serious shortage of university teachers owing to the rapid expansion of the student population and by industry's growing demand for people with specialized educational backgrounds. Measures under the plan include the enhancement of scholarship systems. The number of people acquiring doctorates increased by approximately 40% between 1989 and 1992.
