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CHAPTER . EXPANSION OF EDUCATIONALOPPORTUNITIES

Foreign students include not only those who come to Japan for the purpose of doing research or receiving education at Japanese research or educational institutions, but also those who are permanent residents in Japan.

Students from abroad are classified into two categories: Japanese government scholarship students and privately-sponsored students. The number of students from abroad was approximately 4,000 in 1969 (scholarship students: 612,privately-sponsored students: 3,393), which account for only 40% of the total number of foreign students (scholarship students: 6%, privately-sponsored students: 34%). The Japanese government has emphasized the granting of its scholarships to students from Southeast Asia and the Middle and Near East, so as to assist the countries in these regions in developing human resources. As a result of this policy, the number of students from these regions has been increasing every year. In 1969,approxintately 82% of the government scholarship students and 66% of the privately sponsored students were from Southeast Asia, and the Middle and Near East. The proportion of students from aborad who are enrolled in higher educational institutions in Japan is lower than in other major countries, due to the difficulty in learning the Japanese language and to the differences in the university education system. Considering the important international role that Japan has come to play in recent years, however, in the future it will be necessary to expand and improve the system of receiving students from abroad.

Table 19. Proportion or Foreign Students in Higher Educational Institutions in Various Major Countries

Foreign students as a proportion of the total enrollment in higher educational institutions has tended to decrease in the other major countries. This trend, however, is attributable to the more rapid increase in the total enrollment in these countries. Except in West Germany, the trend of increasing total enrollment is on the increase. Although the proportion of foreign students in the U.S. is low, the absolute number is l 10,000, higher than any other country.