Careers of faculty with foreign degrees: The attributes and impact on academic ranks in Japan

Abstract

This study analyzes Japanese university faculty with foreign degrees using data from the School Teacher Survey, covering the academic years 2007–2016. The results demonstrate that the proportion of Japanese faculty with foreign degrees was 2.81% (2016), with a modest increase during the survey period, which is different from previous studies’ predictions. Moreover, the faculty were more likely to be professors, women, specializing in the humanities and social sciences, and working at private universities, especially in metropolitan areas. Multilevel regression analysis also demonstrated that Japanese faculty with foreign degrees have higher ranks than do their counterparts with domestic degrees.