Only around 1,500 Indian students are enrolled in Japan for higher studies currently and the number is even less for Japanese students who come to India for higher education. Indian and Japanese students prefer studying in the US and Europe than in each others' countries. These observations were made by Kaori Hayashi, Executive Vice-President for Global and Diversity Affairs at the University of Tokyo. She was speaking on the sidelines of a joint event organised with the OP Jindal Global University in Bengaluru recently.
“The reason for having very few Indian and Japanese students coming to each other nation for higher nation is due to the language. This is the reason we are now increasing the number of English medium courses at the undergraduate level in Japan. Once we do that, we hope to see more number of students coming to Japan for higher studies. Additionally, the tuition fee incurred in the University of Tokyo is $3,000, which is low when compared to other countries. The fee is the same for students from Japan and India. We treat foreign students equally,” remarked Hayashi.
She said that the University of Tokyo is one of the leading universities of the world that has a strong focus on the STEM education. “The University of Tokyo has consistently been ranked in Asia among the top three or four varsities and has been ranked among the top 15 to 20 universities in the world,” added Hayashi
She said Japanese varsities such as the University of Tokyo are stellar examples of how science, technology, engineering and mathematics co-exist with a strong emphasis on liberal arts, humanities, social sciences, law, business, architecture, and other such elements. Interestingly that the University of Tokyo is on the verge of establishing a design school, which is expected to attract a lot of interest from Indian students.
Hayashi informed that around 1/3rd of students at the University of Tokyo study engineering and the university has strong engineering and STEM education focus. The university has recently gone into a tie up with IIT Hyderabad. “There are around 30 per cent foreign students at the University of Tokyo. Off late, Japanese students have shown interest in coming to India to not only learn Indian philosophy and literature but also for STEM courses and data sciences,” said Hayashi.
O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU) has initiated a partnership with the University of Tokyo for student exchange and short-term study abroad programme. Then there are faculty-level exchanges, joint seminars and conferences. “While most of the programmes are taught in English at the University of Tokyo, there are many UG and PG programmes too that are taught in English as well. The University of Tokyo has a significant international presence, with numerous foreign faculty, visiting professors, and researchers across its many faculties and graduate schools, particularly in fields like economics, science, humanities, engineering, and future initiatives, often engaging in global research and teaching within specialised centers,” Professor Akhil Bhardwaj, Vice Dean and Director of International Relations and Global Initiatives, JGU, told THE WEEK.
