JAPANESE GOVERMENT POLICICIES IN EDUCATION, SCIENCE AND CULTURE 1994[PART II Chapter 4 Section 3 3]

In line with the recommendations of the University Council, since fiscal 1993 the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture has maintained a basically conservative stance toward the establishment or expansion of universities and other institutions of higher education and increases in places for entrants. There are exceptions to this policy, however. These include institutions of higher education involved in the development of special human resources, such as nurses and social welfare personnel, and universities and other institutions of higher education that play an extremely important role in regional revitalization. (See "Directions for the Enhancement and Development of Higher Education" in this section.)

These objectives are reflected in the establishment or expansion of some universities and junior colleges since fiscal 1993 ( Table II.4.3) and in the level of applications in April 1994. Features of the present situation include

(1) the large number of measures undertaken in response to social demand in such areas as the training of nurses, social welfare personnel, and medical technicians,
(2) the increase in restructuring measures, such as the number of junior colleges closed or reduced in size and in the number of university faculties converted, and
(3) the positive stance of local governments toward the establishment or expansion of universities and other institutions of higher education from the viewpoint of regional cultural and industrial revitalization.

The simplifying and broadening of the Standards for the Establishment of Universities in 1991 has led to the diversification of educational curricula to include integrated four-year and two-year curricula and curricula that give priority to foreign language education and information education because of the trends toward internationalization and the shift to an information-oriented society.

Graduate schools are being established or expanded to keep pace with progress in scientific research and to meet the social demand for trained personnel. In fiscal 1994 a total of 10 graduate departments in such fields as biological production systems, engineering, and fine arts were established at 9 universities. In addition, 21 graduate departments were established at 20 universities in such fields as urban science, human information, and policy and media, while 79 new majors in medical science, environmental and social engineering, mass communication, and other fields were introduced at 47 universities.


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