Author Archives: Kendall

The Last News Post

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Hello Everyone! 🙂

For this last post, I wanted to tie in this week’s article with our earlier (way earlier) discussion of where the next leading university in Asia will be. In CJ’s presentation [link: https://prezi.com/ch9l6zynilgb/copy-of-mind-mapping-template/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy], it was concluded that Singapore and the ZhuJiang Delta Area of China (including Hong Kong) would be among the top spots for a leading university.

The World Economic Forum summarized Times Higher Education’s identification of 53 “international powerhouses” – those “institutions that have the best chance of catching up with (and even overtaking) the world’s best universities.” Here is the listing and the article link:

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2017/03/universities-overtake-harvard-cambridge-oxford?utm_content=buffer3ecda&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer

Of the Asian countries, Singapore is listed first according to current world ranking, followed by China, and then three schools in Hong Kong. This lines up well with CJ’s predictions in her presentation.

Additionally, HSBC does a yearly expat survey. Over 26,000 expats were surveyed on most of the factors CJ identified as important contributions to a leading university in a given country. I think the connection between expats and universities, even if the expats did not attend a university in the country they reside in, is important. If there is a large, healthy, and productive expat community in a country and/or metropolis, it shows promise for the future for the development of the next “international powerhouse.” Singapore, unsurprisingly at this point, is number 1. Hong Kong is number 13. Here is the link their comparison. The second link is to the home survey which is super neat to explore!

https://www.expatexplorer.hsbc.com/survey/country/singapore/hong-kong

https://www.expatexplorer.hsbc.com/survey/

Based off of what I’ve learned in this class including lecture, presentations, readings, and my own research for this blog, I think I can declare with confidence that the next leading university will be in Singapore (pending any significant changes from other countries and their universities of course!)

What do you think of the connection between expat satisfaction and leading university location? Where have you concluded that the next leading university in Asia will be?

 

Foreign Student-Workers in Japan

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Hello!

I follow the Japan Times pretty regularly, and an article came up a couple days ago discussing the number of foreign students who are working in Japan.

The article states that the Ministry of Education’s plan is to reach 300,000 foreign students by 2020, a plan which is well on its way. But it also discusses the policy behind work visas (which do no exist in Japan), and that foreigners with student visas are allowed to work 28 hours a week. Most foreign students are coming from China and Korea, with an increasing number from SE Asia, and they feel compelled to work. This may prevent them from reaching their educational goals. The students in the article are going through language school in preparation for IT or engineering programs. It seems language schools are feeders for unofficial, cheap foreign labor.

What the article doesn’t explain is what proportion of foreign students are genuinely working towards their education goals, and what proportion might be exploiting the system to work in Japan? How many foreign students make it through their language programs and into their higher education program of choice? How many do not make it and have to return home? I imagine, and the article states, that there is incentive to keep these foreign students in Japan to work the low-level jobs, but what are the long term implications if this “under the table” arrangement, especially if these students’ long-term educational goals are never realized?

I’m looking at you Hiro and Sho! And anyone else, of course 🙂

The link to the article is below.

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2017/04/23/issues/cost-convenience-japan-foreign-students-work-instead-study/#.WP-934grKwc

 

Taiwan and the “One China” Pledge

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Hello!

To compliment this week’s discussion on Taiwan and next week’s discussion on China, I found an article about “One China” agreements between Taiwanese and Chinese universities. Due to various factors that we’ve discussed in class, such as aging populations and low birth rates, universities are relying on international students to stay open. Chinese students have been allowed to study in Taiwan since 2011, and now make up more than a third of Taiwan’s international college students. In order for many Chinese Universities to allow their students to study in Taiwan, Taiwanese universities have made agreements with the Chinese universities to not offer courses that include politically sensitive topics, such as “one China, one Taiwan” or Taiwanese independence.

What are the pros and cons of a policy like this?

Are there comparable policies between other countries’ universities?

Will these “One China” agreements really prevent Chinese students from being exposed to politically sensitive topics while studying in Taiwan?

 

http://thediplomat.com/2017/03/china-vs-taiwans-academic-freedom/

http://thediplomat.com/2017/03/china-vs-taiwans-academic-freedom/

 

Higher Education in Rural Areas: United States and Japan

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Hello everyone!

Here is the presentation on higher ed in rural areas that I presented last Thursday.

Key Points:

Both the U.S. and Japan are experiencing rural-urban migration. In small college towns, this causes both the town and college to fail.

In Japan, this problem is exacerbated by its historical population aging and decline.

In the U.S., states are solely responsible for education at all levels (with the exception of federal funding mostly being funneled towards Pell Grants, veterans benefits (both are forms of financial aid to students) and research-specific grants). States, cities, and the colleges themselves must work together on policies to revitalize their dying towns and colleges.

In Japan, the national government has more power over its local/municipal/prefectural governments than in the U.S.. Japan has recognized its demographic dilemma and enacted a national plan to revitalize certain areas. This type of national-level policy would be very unlikely, if not unconstitutional, in the U.S..

Questions:

Can some of the policies enacted in Japan be implemented at the local level in the United States?

How much power does Japan have at the local level to create its own solutions? (This question I really don’t know! I’d love some insight).

Thank you!

US_Japan_Rural_HigherEd

If you’re interested in India…

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Hello!

I was Googling things and I came across an op-ed on the Brookings website: “Strengthening India-U.S. Relations through Higher Education.” If you’re interested in higher education in India, take a look if you want!

https://www.brookings.edu/opinions/strengthening-india-u-s-relations-through-higher-education-2/

 

From Japan: “Universities’ Failing Grades”

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http://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2016/10/02/commentary/japan-commentary/universities-failing-grades/#.WJlZxPkrKHu

Hello Everyone!

The News Group’s first article, “Universities’ Failing Grades,” comes from the Japan Times. It is linked below, or can be found by googling “japan times universities’ failing grades 10/2/2016”

Since the topic of university rankings came up in the class, we thought this article was appropriate for this week. The writer discusses Prime Minister Abe ‘s “target of Japan getting at least 10 universities in the world’s top 100 within 10 years,” the realities of actually meeting that target, and how Japan’s bureaucracy is a large cause of its failings.

http://goo.gl/w2kZAg