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Home > Policy > White Paper, Notice, Announcement > White Paper > JAPANESE GOVERMENT POLICIES IN EDUCATION, SCIENCE, SPORTS AND CULTURE 1995 > Remaking Universities Chapter 1 2 (3)

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Remaking Universities: Continuing Reform of Higher Education
Chapter 1 Why University Reform Is Needed
2. Reasons for University Reform
(3) Growing Need for Lifelong Lesrning and Rising Social Expectations Of Universities


The third reason for university reform is the growing demand for lifelong learning. The affluence of Japanese society has been paralleled by the sophistication of people's intellectual needs. Institutions of higher education are under increasing pressure to respond positively to the demand for education as a means of achieving self-fulfillment. In addition, the accelerating pace of technological innovation and the rapid trends toward internationalization and an information-oriented society are creating a need for the continual upgrading of professional skills. Here, too, institutions of higher education are expected to play an important role.

Japan's demographic structure is being affected by a number of changes, including the shrinking of the age group continuing from upper secondary education to higher education (roughly, the 18-year-old population) and the growth of the elderly population. The provision of educational opportunities for people in a broad spectrum of age groups will thus become an important priority in higher education.

Higher education is now widely available in Japan and is becoming increasingly familiar to the public. More than ever before, the educational, research, vocational-training, and social-service functions of institutions of higher education have become the focus of interest and expectations from society in general. This situation reflects a number of trends, including increased awareness of the importance of basic research, demand for increasingly sophisticated human resources, and a growing need for lifelong learning.

Finding ways to meet these needs has become a national priority. Universities and other institutions of higher education must provide an appropriate response based on their individual characteristics. In short, people today are asking whether universities are meeting society's expectations.


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