International conference: What opportunities are there for Japanese universities in the global era?

Japanese universities are facing a prolonged decline in global rankings, increasingly overshadowed by counterparts in Singapore, Hong Kong, and China. Domestically, the sector grapples with dwindling government funding, precarious tenure tracks for early-career faculty, and mounting administrative burdens.

Conversely, Japan remains a preeminent non-Western powerhouse for Nobel laureates and continues to see rising international student enrollment. Furthermore, the government's "selection and concentration" policies, notably the Universities for International Research Excellence initiative, seek to revitalize research capabilities.

This conference explores the untapped potential of Japan's elite institutions -- specifically the University of Tokyo and Kyoto University -- and their competitive advantages within the Asian landscape. Featuring Professor Jeremy Rappaleye (University of Hong Kong) alongside experts from Tokyo and Kyoto, the session will address ways to overcome the prevailing sense of pessimism. Our objective is to move beyond critical discourse and identify a hopeful, forward-looking trajectory for the future of higher education in Japan.