Neoliberalism, internationalization, Japanese exclusionism: the integration experiences of international academics at Japanese universities

Abstract

ABSTRACT The study examines the role of neoliberalism, institutional internationalization, and Japanese exclusionism in shaping the academic environment of Japanese higher education institutions by exploring international academics’ integration experiences at Japanese universities. Specifically international academics’ perceptions of the academic environment, and their practical behaviors while integrating into Japanese universities were investigated via semi-structured interviews with 40 international faculty with various backgrounds. Employing Nvivo12, the interview data was managed based on a six-step thematic analysis procedure. Drawing on the integration experiences of international academics, the data analysis indicates that international academics perceived various subtle and overt constraints while integrating into Japanese universities, and they tend to seek private solutions to navigate their professional and social lives at Japanese universities. Moreover, although no differences in their practical behaviors were found, the study acknowledges the perceptual differences of the participants by suggesting that international academics, particularly those in the Humanities, those without previous experience in Japan, those who possess propaganda value due to their international appearance, and those who are not from countries that use Chinese characters, were more likely to perceive an integration deficit at Japanese universities. The research findings are indicative of the complex academic environment of Japanese HEIs caused by neoliberalism, institutional internationalization, and Japanese exclusionism, which is competitive, exclusionary, and pragmatic. Both theoretical and practical implications for policymakers, researchers, and university administrators are provided.