Home > Policy > White Paper, Notice, Announcement > White Paper > Japanese Government Policies in Education, Science, Sports and Culture 2000 > Trends in Educational Reform Section 2 Q13 State of Current Deliberations

Education and research at national universities must be carried out based on independence, autonomy and personal responsibility. The application of an IAI system to national universities will open up a new path for universities, which have previously been merely parts of the national administrative structure, to carry out activities based on more independence, autonomy and personal responsibility than ever before, through the acquisition of corporate status.

On the other hand, prior involvement and after-the-fact checks by the national government, such as the instruction of midterm targets, the approval of midterm plans and evaluation of corporate performance, are built into the IAI system. When making national universities into IAIs, it is necessary to fully consider the unique characteristics of education and research at national universities, and to secure independence of the education and research systems as well as the organizational and operating structure possessed by the national university.

From July 2000, MESSC has been holding the Study and Deliberation Conference on Making National Universities, etc., into Independent Administrative Institutions with the cooperation of representatives of national universities, public and private universities, business circles, journalists and other learned persons. At the conference, study and deliberation is being carried out, including the points mentioned above, regarding the specific contents of an IAI system, such as the handling of legal measures and operational aspects in the case of making a national university into an IAI. The conference is to organize its findings within FY2001.

Study and Deliberation Conference on Making National Universities, etc., into Independent Administrative Institutions Conference Goal To conduct the necessary study and deliberations regarding the specific contents of an Independent Administrative Institutions (IAI) system, including the handling of legal measures and operational aspects in the case of making national universities into IAIs, while taking into consideration the unique characteristics of universities and with the cooperation of representatives of national universities, public and private universities, business circles, journalists and other learned persons. Conference Makeup The following four committees are established, in addition to a Liaison and Coordination Committee comprised of the Chief Investigator and Deputy Chief Investigator of each committee. Future Schedule The Conference plans to organize the results of its study and deliberation within FY2001.