National Aug 24, 2021
Many Japanese university students say life not fulfilling amid pandemic
Lethargy, lack of motivation and concern for the future are troubling the nation's students, according to a recent poll.
Commentary / Japan Jul 28, 2020
The shape of post-pandemic university education
by Haruaki Deguchi
Will online teaching and distance learning become the "new normal"?
National Jun 13, 2018
Private-sector test results to account for 20% of national university English entrance exam scores
by Chisato Tanaka
The Japan Association of National Universities (JANU) has adopted its new English proficiency benchmarks for entry into state-run universities, which now measure English speaking and writing skills, giving high school students a better grasp of the language before entering college. The new standard approved by ...
Commentary / World Oct 31, 2017
Free college helps the rich the most
by Noah Smith
Making college free for all isn't the right way to insure poor students have access to higher education.
National / Media | MEDIA MIX Apr 8, 2017
Higher education keeps overreaching
by Philip Brasor
Since the mid-2000s, the number of Japanese people who turn 18 in a given year has remained constant at about 1.2 million. That will change with the high school graduating class of 2018, which will be smaller than the class of 2017. This eventuality, though ...
National Feb 21, 2017
A part-time teacher at Kwansei Gakuin University has been disciplined for comments made in 2014 about a student from Fukushima Prefecture glowing in the dark due to supposed radiation exposure, the university said Tuesday. The remark, which only recently came to light, was made during ...
Reference | EXPLAINER Feb 6, 2017
State-backed scholarship program to open doors to university
by Mizuho Aoki
The government will soon launch the first state-backed scholarships in an effort to make universities more accessible as more students face financial difficulties to pursue higher education. The move is considered a big step forward in a country where the government has to date only ...
Editorials Jan 3, 2017
The launch of government-sponsored university scholarships for financially challenged students is a meaningful first step, but it needs to be expanded.
National / Social Issues Nov 15, 2016
University lecturer with ADHD pushes software for students with developmental disorders
When Naoto, a university senior, clicked on one of the classes colored red and blue on his computer screen, a new window popped up showing his attendance. "It's obvious to the school that I'm not attending classes," grumbled Naoto, who asked to use a fictitious ...
Reference | EXPLAINER Oct 31, 2016
The bright side, and dark, of Japan's university beauty contests
by Shusuke Murai
On Oct. 4, Keio University in Tokyo announced that a student group responsible for organizing its annual beauty pageant had been ordered to disband for conducting "dangerous acts," including forcing minors to drink. The announcement was soon followed by news that male members of the ...
World Jan 20, 2016
Pakistan Taliban kill at least 19 as they storm university
by Mehreen Zahra-Malik
Islamist Taliban militants stormed a university in volatile northwestern Pakistan on Wednesday, killing at least 19 people and wounding dozens as the army hunted for any gunmen still holed up on the campus, officials said. A security official said the death toll could rise to ...
National Nov 13, 2015
Nationwide curriculum to end free-for-all in English teacher training
by Shusuke Murai
Fed up with the low English proficiency of the many educators who teach the language, the education ministry decides to standardize the curriculum for training courses in universities.