Current higher education reform in Japan started in early 1990s and has progressed significantly up until the present day. It is very different from previous reforms because:

1. it is not only country-­-wide systemic or macro-­-level reform but also it involves bringing individual institutions into practice;
2. it is not only administrative and managerial reform, but also it requires higher education institutions to improve their quality of teaching and research;
3. it is ever-­-growing reform that no one can stop to date.

The increase of competitive resource allocation by the government, such as the Center of Excellence Program and the Super Global University Program, has accelerated the progress of the reform. In the near future, higher education in Japan may be divided into two sectors: small numbers of research-­-intensive universities, and large numbers of teaching-­-oriented or vocational training higher education institutions. In the presentation, Professor Yamamoto will explain the reasons and backgrounds for such changes and hopes it may be a useful reference for the people of Glasgow, Scotland and the UK more widely.

Professor Shinichi Yamamoto

After graduation from the University of Tokyo (B.A. in Law) in 1972, he served the Ministry of Education for 20 years and dealt with university and secondary school education administration. He worked at National Science Foundation of the United States conducting research on science system in 1988-­-89. He received his Ph.D. in higher education research at the University of Tsukuba in 1996. From 1992-­-2006, he worked for the University of Tsukuba and from 2006-­-2012 for Hiroshima University where he served as the Director of the Research Institute for Higher Education.

Since 2012, Professor Yamamotohe has been working for J. F. Oberlin University in Tokyo, Japan, as Professor of Higher Education and teaches within the Graduate School of Higher Education Management. He participated in discussions on higher education and science system matters at OECD and UNESCO frequently in the 1990s and early 2000s. Yamamoto’s research concerns are on higher education system, science/technology policy, and staff development of higher education institutions.

Event Details

Wednesday, December 10, 2014, 12.30-14.00
Room 433b, School of Education, St. Andrews Building
11 Eldon Street
University of Glasgow
Glasgow, G3 6NH

All are welcome.

Please RSVP to [email protected] to book your place. A sandwich lunch will be available at 1230.