An increasing number of Japanese universities have introduced or are planning to introduce staff development (SD) programmes which incorporate overseas training. Some are working to establish SD programmes in partnership with their overseas partner institutions. The majority of top global universities < http://www.jsps.go.jp/english/e-tgu/outline.html > have already formalised such programmes.

Behind this trend is a recent Ministry of Education policy change announced in March 2016, which stipulates that all Japanese universities must provide their non-academic staff with opportunities for SD. The revision will take effect from 1st April 2017.

The demands vary depending on the institution, but the following points are particularly relevant to overseas institutions:

  • English language study at an English language centre abroad (2-3 weeks)
    In most of the cases, this is provided at a language centre affiliated to a partner university, though a few universities send their staff to private language schools in the Philippines, which have become increasingly popular in the Japan market as a reasonable destination for English language study especially for lower level learners.
  • Postgraduate study at a university abroad
    Some Japanese universities send non-academic staff to a foreign university for postgraduate study, commonly for a master’s programme at a partner institution.
  • Training in partnership with partner universities abroad
    Many universities have developed or are planning to develop a tailor made training programme with their partner universities, which includes university visits and interviews with relevant staff.

Analysis:
Most Japanese universities consider the development of global knowledge and skills of administrative staff (especially those at a junior level) as crucial to the internationalisation of their institution. It is therefore anticipated that the development of SD programmes to improve language skills and acquire knowledge of activities at foreign universities will be further accelerated as a result of the revision. Japanese universities also regard these programmes as an opportunity to further strengthen ties with existing partner institutions. UK universities interested in providing training for their Japanese partner universities are encouraged to emphasis the excellence of their activities and how the training can be applied in the development of Japanese institutions. Currently, Japanese universities’ interest in western universities’ activities ranges from PR strategies, international student support, and summer/short programmes, to career support, governance, and leadership.