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

In order to assure the maintenance of Japan's continued social vitality and improve the living standard of the people, the role of institutions of higher education in promoting science and technology and training future leaders has become even more important than in the past. In its May 1991 report entitled "Planned Improvement of Higher Education for 1993 and Thereafter," the University Council asserted that the following points should be emphasized for attaining excellence in higher education in Japan: 1)Strengthening the educational function; 2)Promoting a world class standard of education and research 3)Coping with the demand for lifelong learning and related issues.

In regard to strengthening the educational function of higher education, the following improvements were deemed necessary: fostering in students the ability to adequately cope with societal changes; developing and offering educational programs in consideration of the educational needs of the students; and raising the faculties' instructional skills and motivation for teaching. It is hoped that each individual institution of higher education will move in the direction of these reforms advancing their own unique education.

In order to meet world class standards of education and research, a particularly urgent task is to upgrade graduate schools both quantitatively and qualitatively. In order to accomplish this, promoting improvements in the infrastructure is necessary, such as increasing funds for education, research, facilities and equipment for graduate programs at public and private universities. Moreover, it is particularly important to provide priority funding and other support for outstanding research and educational projects. The Ministry continues to make efforts to promote policy towards these goals.

In the November 1991 report from the University Council entitled "Quantitative Improvements of Graduate Schools," a comprehensive examination of trends in the demand for graduate education was made. The report stipulated that in comparing the scale of Japan's graduate education with other industrialized nations, that the present (1991) total number of graduate students (including mature students and international students) should be at least doubled by the year 2000.