Japan Student Services Organisation (JASSO) has published the results of its latest survey of Japanese students studying short-term programmes (from 1 week to one year) overseas. The survey includes students from universities, national institutes of technology and certified professional training colleges who studied abroad in 2017.

Key findings:

• The total number of students on short-term programmes was 105,301, an increase of 8.7% on the previous year. 
• Short courses were once again the most popular choice with 64% of students studying abroad for less than one month.
• 63% of students (66,058) studied through exchange agreement/MOU programmes.
• There were mixed results for English-speaking destinations with solid growth for Australia (up 4% to 9,879) and Canada (up 5.9% to 9,440), but a notable decline for the US (down 3.4% to 19,527).
• The number of students choosing the UK increased marginally to 5,865 against 5,840 in 2016. The UK was the 6^th most popular destination behind the US, Australia, Canada, China, and South Korea.
• There were significant gains for East and South East Asian countries, notably China (up 23% to 7,144), Taiwan (up 22% to 5,189), the Philippines (up 15% to 3,700) and Thailand (up 13% to 4,838).

The tremendous increase in students taking short-term programmes has been perhaps the defining characteristic of Japan’s study abroad market in recent years and it is little surprise to see the trend continue.  Growth has been driven by government funding, calls from industry for graduates with ‘global skills’, improved support from universities for study abroad, and a wider variety of study destinations for students to choose from.  For students, short-term programmes are an attractive option as they provide an opportunity to gain study abroad experience without taking time out of an undergraduate degree and are often credit-bearing and fee-waivered.

What is evident from the latest JASSO survey is that non-traditional destinations in East and South East Asia are becoming an increasingly popular choice for Japanese students.  The are likely to be many reasons for the appeal of these countries, but drivers may include the shift in the global economy towards East Asia, favourable perceptions (particularly towards Taiwan, the Philippines, and Thailand), reasonable tuition fees/living costs, relatively low entry requirements, and geographical proximity to Japan.

As for traditional English-speaking destinations, growth for Canada and Australia has been largely fuelled by positive perceptions of these countries, while the notable decline in students choosing the US can be attributed, in part at least, to the Trump effect.  The UK remains a popular study destination, but comparatively high English language entrance requirements, concerns over safety, and perceived high living costs have inhibited growth.

With strong student demand and continued government/industry support for short-term study abroad we anticipate the market to show further growth moving forward.  With this in mind, UK universities and ELT providers are encouraged to promote your short-term programmes (English language courses, summer/spring programmes, Study Abroad/Junior Year Abroad) to university students in Japan. UK universities should also note the continuing demand from Japanese institutions (particularly mid-ranking universities) for developing new partnerships.

If you have any questions about the short-term market and associated recruitment/partnership opportunities, please contact Hal Parker (hal.parker@britishcouncil.or.jp) in our Japan office.