In a collaborative effort to enhance education opportunities and foster cultural exchange, Japan and India are actively working to increase the number of Indian students pursuing studies in Japan. A Japanese representative at the Consulate-General of Japan in Mumbai highlighted the Indo-Japan collaboration in a discussion with The Free Press Journal (FPJ) briefly and discusses the collaborative efforts between the two countries.
"It has been agreed between the two nations to increase the number of Indian students studying in Japan," the representative of the Consulate General of Japan told FPJ. "The two governments will therefore work towards releasing this agreement," the representative added.
What are the benefits of studying in Japan?
According to the representative, the wide range of benefits Japan provides is one of the key attractions for Indian students. He emphasised that Japan has a high quality of education, significant scholarships, inexpensive tuition, employment opportunities, and a safe and secure medical system.
While referring to the International College of Liberal Arts website, the representative stated, the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology (MEXT) oversees Japanese universities, and degrees from these institutions are recognised around the world.
According to the website, Japan is under demographic difficulties due to its ageing. This gives overseas students who graduate from Japanese universities excellent job opportunities.
Shortage of skilled workers and work visa renewal
Many industries are experiencing a skills shortage in Japan and businesses are competing more fiercely for bilingual and trilingual employees. The majority of employers still need proficiency in Japanese, which one may acquire by attending a Japanese university. International graduates of Japanese universities are permitted to renew their work visas in Japan as many times as they wish, provided that they continue to work.
Learn and earn at the same time
Additionally, students can earn a degree and learn Japanese at the same time. The country is known for its Japanese culture and history. It is also known for its self-discovery and adventurous spirit. The consulate believes that Japanese food tastes better in Japan.
Courses Indian students prefer
“Based on trends from the applicants to Japanese government scholarships, Indian students seem to have a tendency to study science fields more,” a representative told the FPJ.
While speaking about the downfall of Indian students studying in Japan since 2019. The representative said, “The decrease from 2019 onwards is due to COVID-19.” As mentioned by the deputy consulate general, the data for 2021 shows an increase to 1,457, which further rises to 1,532 in 2022.
How to boost the influx of Indian students in Japan?
To further boost the influx of Indian students, both governments have initiated various programmes and incentives. Last year, the Council for the Creation of the Future of Education, chaired by the prime minister, published a document entitled 'Japan - Mobility and Internationalisation: Re-engaging and Accelerating Initiative for Future Generations (J-MIRAI)'
According to the roadmap shared by the representative, from the Cabinet Secretary's website, the Japanese government plans to maintain the growth rate of “300,000 exchange students”.
- Increase total foreign student count from 312,000 to 380,000 across universities, vocational schools, and Japanese language institutes.
- Undergraduate-seeking foreign students to rise from 3% to 5%.
- Master's degree-seeking students to climb from 19% to 20%.
- Doctorate degree-seeking students to ascend from 21% to 33%.
- High school foreign student proportion to elevate from 0.2% to 0.7%.
- High school foreign student count to jump from 6,000 to 20,000.
- Post-graduation employment rates in Japan are expected to rise from 48% to 60%, excluding those pursuing further education.
Promotion of Japanese government scholarships and support initiatives
Lastly, the representative highlighted that the Government of Japan has been actively promoting Japanese government scholarships in India across diverse fields such as research, undergraduate studies, teacher training and specialised training colleges.
“The University of Tokyo India Office, with support from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (MEXT), is spearheading initiatives to boost Indian student enrollments in Japan, with plans to double the budget allocation for this purpose,” the representative added.
In addition to governmental initiatives, organisations like the Mombusho Scholars Association of India (MOSAI) play a vital role in providing counselling and support services to Indian students studying in Japan, including Japanese language education.
