Impacts of the COVID pandemic on international faculty's academic activities and life in Japan

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to explore impacts of the pandemic on the academic activities and life of full‐time international faculty at Japanese universities, drawing on findings from semi‐structured interviews with them. Main findings include three points. First, although the vast majority of the interviewees believed that the pandemic has had more negative impacts on their academic activities and life, the case study of Japan suggests that there are both negative and positive impacts from the pandemic that are unique on international faculty's academic activities and life. Second, the study reveals that the impacts on international faculty vary according to the backgrounds of the interviewees such as their academic disciplines, countries of origin, and work roles and duties. Finally, participants may have experienced discrimination etc., but not felt comfortable talking about it. It seems that no interviewees, particularly those from China and other parts of Asia, experienced social exclusion and xenophobic attitudes and, at times, became victims of discrimination and verbal assaults.