Internationalization of Higher Education Policy in Japan: The Role of International Student Mobility

Abstract

As a country of Asia, Japan is developed both economically and in terms of education. Japan’s higher education standards have received acceptance and appreciation worldwide. Currently, 10.4 percent of international students are studying in Japan. International students show a keen interest in having a degree in Japan because of its most advanced education and latest technology. They get a positive environment of education, a friendly culture, lower tuition fees than in Europe and America, and diverse weather. Under the MEXT Scholarship Program of the Japanese Government established in 1954, about 65,000 students have been selected from 160 countries till now. The Japanese government took a vision of escalating the number of their overseas pupils up to one lakh forty thousand in 2008. Surprisingly, this number has reached more than three lakh international students in 2020. However, this research tries to demonstrate why more than 10% of international students select Japan for higher education. In addition to discussing the facilities of Japan ’s higher education, the article includes a comparative discussion of Japan’ s scholarships with other government scholarships worldwide.