Managing differentiation of higher education system in Japan Connecting excellence and diversity

• Published in: Higher education Vol. 59; no. 4; pp. 507 - 524
• Main Authors: Kitagawa, Fumi, Oba, Jun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer 01.04.2010; Springer Netherlands; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Academic achievement; Annan samhällsvetenskap; Ausland; College Administration; Colleges & universities; Community colleges; Competition; Differentiation; Diversity; Diversity (Institutional); Education; Education policy; Education reform; Education systems; Educational administration; Educational Change; Educational Quality; Educational reform; Educational research; Educational systems; Excellence; Expectations; Expenditures; Foreign Countries; Funding; Governance; Government; Grants; Higher Education; Hochschulreform; Hochschulsystem; Individualized Instruction; Japan; Mediation; Other Social Sciences; Private Colleges; Private schools; Professionals; Quality of education; Reforms; Research universities; Samhällsvetenskap; School surveys; Social Sciences; Social Sciences Interdisciplinary; Surveys; Teaching; Tvärvetenskapliga studier inom samhällsvetenskap; Universities; University reform; University reforms; Japan; Differentiation; University reforms; Japan; Excellence; Diversity
• ISSN: 0018-1560; 1573-174X; 1573-174X
• DOI: 10.1007/s10734-009-9262-5

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. (HRK / Abstract übernommen).