A record 59% of private universities in Japan failed to meet their enrollment quotas this past spring due to the country's declining birthrate. What do you think this means for universities in Japan in the future?

There are 704 "universities" in Japan. Less than 50 are worth going to. They are basically just businesses so just let them fail.

What do you think this means for universities in Japan in the future?

It means they'll sacrifice quality or they can improve foreign students admission but it will be in English.

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/06/27/national/universities-lure-foreign-students-falling-population/

Hopefully, it means there will be more actual professors teaching lessons rather than TAs in the current watered-down system in many schools. I agree with Mr. Kipling here. Those schools that have less to offer may pass on into history, which is not a bad thing as those that DO have something of value to offer will remain. This current reduction in population will have plenty of positive outcomes, like the culling of inefficient and obsolete businesses and programs that are of little or no use to anyone.

Perhaps universities in Japan could offer more to people who aren't 18 years old.

kohakuebisu - exactly.

Many universities are extremely narrow in their focus. They are essentially managed and operated much the same as they ever were - albeit with a dash of modern tech and flashy curriculum alternatives.

Offering universities to the wider community as a source of long time learning engagement for all. It is very rare to see mature aged students on campuses in general courses eg you can guarantee 99.9% of 2nd year students are 20 years old.

Developing co-operatives with local communities and businesses, expanding courses in English to encourage more OS participants - any number of things could be done.

These valuable institutions are more often than not just passive agents and need to become far more active.

But it will require some to close and for staff to accept changes and move with those changes - a hard ask for many.

Unfortunately, sink or swim. Many right now are downsizing and at the same time lowering their academic standards.

Even the dumb ones now have a shot at getting into a well known university they wouldn't have had a snowball's chance in hell of getting into a couple decades ago.

Hopefully, it means there will be more actual professors teaching lessons rather than TAs in the current watered-down system in many schools. I

If you think this is because the universities have "too many students" you are going to have huge surprise when you find out how small universities still do the same. As long as universities are treated as business this is going to continue and maybe even become worse since profits will be an even higher priority. Except for the huge ones that have a national reputation to attract students with the rest will have to do with less expensive 助教 and 講師 being the ones that teach while a single 教授 is in charge of the full department. Salaries also become less and less competitive, so anyone that would qualify to tenure-track positions (and can at least publish in international journals) would be heavily tempted to just find a job overseas that offers much much higher salary and extra bonuses.

If anything, it is more likely that high quality professional education will disappear. After all reduction of the population also means that companies will have a very smaller pool to choose new employees as well, so graduate of low-quality institutions will still find a job.

I think those 59% of private universities may eventually need to close. Prospective students could try for admission to other private universities that remain open, or consider enrolling in vocational schools. I wonder whether these universities offered similar degrees, and what types of degrees those were.

After all reduction of the population also means that companies will have a very smaller pool to choose new employees 

A larger population means more schools. Clearly, the amount of schools has exceeded the needs of the general population. Otherwise, enrolements wouldn't be down so significantly. The natural culling of the inefficient or undesirable schools will follow as a result.

it doesn’t say by how much they missed their enrollment quotas, so it’s a throwaway.

so they will close.

private business-no clients.

what should we "think" about that?

 reduction of the population also means that companies will have a very smaller pool to choose new employees 

It also means fewer companies to choose from the smaller pool of new employees. The companies, like the schools, that survive will do so for good reason, the ones that pass on into history will also do so for good reason.

A larger population means more schools.

Japan is not going to have a larger population in decades to come, if ever. And this of course do not refute in any way that low demand of universities (and graduates) means the cheaper, lower quality institutions that can survive with less students are more likely to survive than the best schools that require a huge number of students (or impossible fortunes to be paid in tuition from very few students) to keep functioning. The problem is that the reduction of the population comes from the younger demographics first, so the negative effects on the economy come at the same time.

It also means fewer companies to choose from the smaller pool of new employees. 

Eventually at a much later phase, and only at a point where the economic effects of having a huge segment of the population over the retirement age and a much smaller segment being economically productive become a much mayor problem. Or to say it in simpler terms, by the time the economy shrinks enough for demand for new hires to fit the number of people coming out from the fewer universities remaining that means that it is much more likely that the resources will be necessary to support the non economically active population so much that going to the university may not even be a realistic (nor better option).

don’t worry, ai will save the day for universities and companies…

Well, nothing special will happen. In former centuries there were only a very few universities and a very small number of students, but many or most of the groundbreaking researches and discoveries our current societies are based and built on fall in that former time. So more or less universities or students. that's not the point. It's only important to have the right conditions and freedom for studies, then the few potential Einsteins become Einsteins and the big rest becomes a normal businessmen, employee or farmer after unsuccessful studies and researches, as before too. In fact only one outstanding university with only outstanding and extraordinarily talented students is already sufficient, like it has been in former times.

Japan is not going to have a larger population in decades to come, if ever. 

Exactly! Ergo, fewer schools needed

It also means fewer companies to choose from the smaller pool of new employees. 

Eventually at a much later phase,

No...not at a much later phase...NOW

The Number of Companies in Japan Falling Steeply

https://www.rieti.go.jp/en/columns/a01_0504.html

The level of education in Japan, in general, is extremely low.

so, it going down further. Because, as a poster here says, that remaining universities drop their standards to attract students, is unlikely.

only a few Universities in Japan deliver degrees of international standard.

Japan certainly does not need 700+ universities. 200 will do nicely.

If those would have competent professors and management, with non manipulated entrance exams and fair grading, updated facilities, that would serve Japan.

Mr KiplingToday 06:41 am JST

There are 704* "universities" in Japan. Less than 50 are worth going to. They are basically just businesses so just let them fail.

Completely agree with you. We are pressured to pass even obvious cheating or lack of attendance - "can't you give them an extra essay?" to students who can't string a sentence together, but hand in perfect essays they don't understand. Or who have been to half the classes and done nothing.

*Actually, there are 810 "universities" that's almost 300 more than when I last checked 10yrs ago.

Let 'em fail. They are basically barrier-free exam passing businesses. They don't rate well against the most institutions worldwide, except perhaps the North Korea Institute of Technology.

Exactly! Ergo, fewer schools needed

And lower quality of those that survive with the minimum amount of resources necessary for each of the students, which is not something positive.

No...not at a much later phase...NOW

To a degree that compensates for the much lower amount of graduates expected? not even close.

Your own source mentions as a huge factor that managers and positions usually filled with senior employees is decreasing importantly because they are getting retired without young people filling those spaces and remaining at junior positions, related is that in the usual centers where companies are congregated there is no such strong decrease, and in some locations your own source claims there is an increase which comes with also concentration of young people.

The whole point of your source is to say that the low amount of graduates have as a negative consequence also a reduction (or concentration to be more precise) of companies, in no moment it claims this is something good or desirable to the economy as you claimed, instead it says this is a grave problem that needs to be addressed urgently. For example at the end explicitly they call "what should be done to prevent a decrease in the number of companies or a decline in productivity?"

Another supporter here for widening the type of students- mature students could be a massive business opportunity.

Another supporter here for widening the type of students- mature students could be a massive business opportunity.

That would require people already economically productive to think they need a university degree (and the huge costs it has in Japan to get it). It is much easier that mature students opt for limited degrees and qualifications to do specific jobs or tasks instead of investing in a whole new career.

I would close them all down. They are screwing over the few young people that Japan has left. A complete waste of time and money.

Rubbish universities are accelerating the spiral of decline and will make Japan even poorer. Supposedly top-ranked Todai is a fifth-rate university in the global rankings that the Japanese media conceals from the public.

Maybe because the average Japanese is getting poorer and poorer by month, and cannot afford keeping a child in University.

That's because of collapsing Yen, galopant inflation and real salaries getting smaller each month too.

Everything is connected.