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AIRING OUT THE HALLS OF LEARNING: Japan's Universities at a Turning Point December 28, 1998 Japanese universities, branded as "tough to enter but easy to graduate," are on the verge of change. A report has been drawn up by the University Council, an advisory organ to the Minister of Education, recommending reforms that include tightening standards for graduation. These reforms are vital, the report says, for Japan to become an intellectual leader in the global community. At the classroom level, while most professors tend to unilaterally stuff students with knowledge, some are now making bold innovations in an effort to create interesting, attractive courses. Tougher Graduation The University Council's report includes three central measures to alleviate this situation and improve the quality of Japan's higher education: raising standards for rewarding undergraduate degrees; setting up graduate programs that successfully bestow highly specialized knowledge, modeled after U.S. business schools; and limiting the jurisdiction of university faculty councils, leaving operations mainly in the hands of school presidents and deans. Based on this report, the Ministry of Education will be drawing up concrete plans with hopes of implementing them as soon as spring 2000. Students who will be starting university in spring 2000 worry that these changes will merely make graduation tougher. "If we have to work harder for a degree," one student says, "getting in should be made easier." Another comments, "First we sacrifice all our time to study for entrance exams, and then in no time, we have to start hunting for jobs. Can't they let us stretch out and enjoy life for just four years?" Others say improvement of class content should come first, pointing out that truly interesting courses are nearly unheard of. Not Just Brainbusters In one such course, Assistant Professor Shigeki Noya of the University of Tokyo leads a zazen (Zen meditation) seminar for first- and second-year students. Asked its purpose, Professor Noya replies, "These youths have adapted well to the framework of education laid out for them, but don't know how to break away from it. Zazen is a process of easing your burden by working steadily and patiently on dismantling the framework that holds you in." Sitting still doing nothing gives students a solid feeling of steadiness; repeating this, he believes, will provide them with a sense of confidence. One percussion course taught by Professor Makoto Aruga of the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music greets students with a chain of surprises: throwing a basketball at a large taiko (Japanese drum), arm wrestling on a timpani, and hitting a cymbal against the floor are just a few examples. Professor Aruga hopes that by relying on everyday actions, these experiments will help students feel the essence of rhythm with their own bodies. "The students may have high performance skills, but these skills were simply handed down to them," he explains. "They aren't equipped with the wisdom to make new discoveries on their own. My course shows them ways of doing this." The University Council's report has heightened public interest in the direction that Japanese universities should take in coming years. This may be a good opportunity for educators and administrators alike to take a fresh look at university education--not only the system in general, but specific course content as well.
 Edited by Japan Echo Inc. based on domestic Japanese news sources. Articles presented here are offered for reference purposes and do not necessarily represent the policy or views of the Japanese Government.
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