Japan to ease overseas student enrolment caps at universities in bid to attract talent
TOKYO – To attract highly talented international students, the education ministry has decided to ease the cap on university enrolment through implementing a special measure to start from the 2026 academic year.
In the case of large departments or faculties with an admission quota of 300 or more, international student enrolment will be allowed to exceed the fixed capacity up to an amount less than 110 per cent, according to the Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Ministry.
Under the current system, large departments are subject to a strict overall enrolment cap of less than 105 per cent capacity to ensure educational quality. If universities exceed this limit, they face penalties such as cuts to government subsidies.
The special measure will apply to universities that have met specific criteria over the past three years, including having no legal violations, an overall enrolment capacity rate of 90 per cent or higher, and sound financial conditions.
Universities are required to submit their plans on increasing the number of international students. The ministry will review the plans and examine how they manage enrolment, particularly focusing on the dropout rate of such students, to grant certification on a per-faculty basis.
As part of the review, the ministry will consider whether international students can adequately cover their enrolment costs.
To promote diversity, emphasis will be placed on plans to increase student enrolment from the Group of Seven nations, India and South-east Asia – regions that have been designated as government priority areas.
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A survey by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development found that undergraduate international students made up 16 per cent of the student population in the Britain and 14 per cent in Canada, while in Japan it remained at only 3 per cent in 2021.
In April 2023, the government's Council for the Creation of Future Education recommended raising the cap on international students to 400,000 by 2033. The council also called for more flexible university enrolment management.
On July 25, the ministry began soliciting public comments regarding the introduction of this special measure. THE JAPAN NEWS/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
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