The politics of developing global human resources in Japan

Abstract

ABSTRACTJapan has made developing global human resources (gurobaru jinzai ikusei) a national priority. The government has invested billions of yen annually to double the number of Japanese students studying overseas, double the number of globally competitive Japanese universities, and improve Japanese students’ English test scores. A broad, conservative ‘globalist coalition’ supported these reforms, including the Liberal Democratic Party, Democratic Party Japan, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Economy Trade and Industry, and big business. Education specialists – government vice ministers and business association committee chairmen – created ‘contrived consensus’ through a series of advisory council deliberations. All globalist coalition members benefitted from reforms to develop global human resources, especially big business. Political progressives, including teachers’ unions and university professors, were not included in the policy-making process and benefitted little from the reforms.