Managing differentiation of higher education system in Japan: connecting excellence and diversity |
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Authors: | Fumi Kitagawa Jun Oba |
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Institution: | (1) Centre for Innovation, Research and Competence in the Learning Economy (CIRCLE), Lund University, P.O. Box 117, Lund, Sweden;(2) Graduate School of Education, University of Bristol, Helen Wodehouse Building, 35 Berkeley Square, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 1JA, UK;(3) Research Institute for Higher Education, Hiroshima University, 2-2, Kagamiyama 1 chome, Higashi-Hiroshima, Japan |
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Abstract: | This article presents recent reform processes in Japanese higher education, concerning the tensions emerging within the system
regarding ‘excellence’ and ‘diversity’. The article particularly focuses on how Japanese universities have reacted to the
recent ‘competition’ and ‘differentiation’ policy promoted by the government, drawing on recent survey results conducted with
academic managers at Japanese universities. It is interesting to examine the case of Japan, a historically diversified and
differentiated national system, which has been changing rapidly with recent national ‘top-down’ policy reforms, followed by
more recent and new bottom-up institutional initiatives. The study shows that universities are trying to achieve excellence, fulfilling different functions at the same time, aspiring to be excellent in teaching, research and social contribution
without having institutional capacity to meet these expectations. Appropriate internal governance and external mediation mechanisms
need to be created at the institutional level to manage diversification of the higher education system as a whole. |
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