New era of strong yen (endaka) hurts foreign students in Japan

There are around 130,000 international students studying in higher education in Japan. While this doesn't make Japan an international superpower in HE or the HE hub of Asia, it does mean Japan is now a 'major player' in 'exporting' HE as a service. However, in 2010 the yen has risen dramatically against other major currencies, especially the US dollar. The rise in the yen seems unsustainable, but for now it is sure to impact international students and tourists here.

This report comes from Temple University, which operates campuses in Japan. Full article at the link below. Brief excerpt follows the link.  

http://temple-news.com/2010/09/27/exchange-rate-raises-cost-of-living-in-japan/

Exchange rate raises cost of living in Japan

September 27, 2010 by Lee Miller 

With the yen rising in value, Temple Japan students can't live the way they used to.

TOKYO-- For many students, studying abroad is a dream, and with Temple’s abroad campuses, such as Temple Japan, students have a great chance to embark on a once-in-a-lifetime adventure.
TUJcampus

Temple Japan is located in Tokyo’s Azabu Jyuban district, an upscale residential part of the city. Recent economic trends have caused the dollar to decrease in value and the yen to rise, which is making a semester in Japan more difficult to afford.

However, the current economic troubles have meant that the once quite-affordable semester in Tokyo has become rather expensive, as exchange rates have plummeted.

Three years ago, the Japanese yen was at 121 per dollar, which meant that, in spite of Tokyo being one of the most expensive cities in the world and Temple Japan being in one of the most expensive parts of Tokyo, many students could comfortably travel to Japan for a semester or even all fours years of their college career.

This month, however, the yen reached a 15-year high versus the dollar, reaching 83 yen per dollar in the midst of America’s recession. This is a staggering 32 percent change in value of the dollar in Japan.

The effect has been particularly devastating to Americans who attend Temple Japan for extended periods of time. Even though full-time American students pay tuition in yen, students’ financial aid still comes from the United States in dollars.

Visit JASSO website to find out more about studying in Japan

http://www.jasso.go.jp/index_e.html

http://www.jasso.go.jp/study_j/index_e.html

http://www.jasso.go.jp/about_jasso/index_e.html

About JASSO Japanese

Please find comprehensive information about Independent Administrative Institution Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO), such as program profile, history of the organization, the budget and others.

http://www.jasso.go.jp/study_j/info_e.html

Guide to Information Center for International Education  To Japanese page

The Information Center for International Education offers information regarding study in Japan and abroad to promote student exchange at higher education level between Japan and various countries overseas.

     * The Information Centers in Tokyo and Kobe offer information and advice, and maintain a collection of materials on studying in Japan and abroad. 
    * JASSO has overseas reprsentative offices in Indonesia,  Malaysia, Republic of Korea and Thailand to provide information and advice to people interested in studying in Japan, in cooperation with relevant organizations including Japan alumni associations.

US losing its allure as study destination for Japanese students

Despite the strong yen versus the dollar, fewer and fewer Japanese students are choosing to study in the USA. And, just as more Chinese students are coming to Japan to study, more Japanese are opting to go to China.

See link for full report at Yomiuri Shinbun/Daily Yomiuri:

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20100121TDY01303.htm

excerpt:

>>  According to a report by the Central Council for Education, an advisory panel to the education minister, there were 42,843 Japanese students studying in the United States in 1994--78 percent of all overseas students that year. However, this figure had gradually fallen to 35,282, or 46 percent, in 2006, according to the Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Ministry. The Open Doors 2009 report published by the U.S.-based Institute of International Education also underscored this trend, noting that the number of Japanese students studying in the United States fell by 13.9 percent to 29,264 in the 2008-09 academic year from the previous academic year. <<

Kyodo News reports an 'Erasmus' scheme for E. Asia in the works

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20091017b2.html

Asia student exchange program eyed

SEOUL (Kyodo) South Korea, Japan and China are seeking to create a student exchange program modeled on Europe's Erasmus scheme that would allow their university students to study in each other's country without extra tuition fees, Yonhap news agency reported Friday, citing diplomatic sources.

Under the Campus Asia program, all credits earned by the participants in other countries would be recognized at their home institutions, the report said.

Americans studying abroad choose Asia, Latin America and Africa more and more

More Americans are going overseas to study--and more are choosing to go to Asia, Africa and South America instead of the traditional European destinations (although these still remain quite popular).

http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2009/nov/131996.htm

Numbers of Americans Studying Abroad Up 8.5%, China, India, Japan, South Africa, and Argentina See Strong Gains as Destinations


Office of the Spokesman
Washington, DC
November 16, 2009

A record number of U.S. students are studying abroad, reflecting the value of an international academic experience as preparation to live and work in a global society. According to the Open Doors 2009 survey, the number of Americans studying abroad increased by 8.5% to 262,416 in the 2007/08 academic year. This increase builds on two decades of steady growth and represents four times as many U.S. students than in 1987/88. The Institute of International Education publishes the annual Open Doors report with support from the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

“Today more than ever before, study abroad can help our students understand our interconnected world and participate productively in the global economy,” said Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Judith A. McHale, at a briefing today at the National Press Club in Washington, DC that launched the observance of International Education Week. She added, “The State Department strongly supports study abroad through such programs as the Fulbright Program, which is sending its largest number ever of U.S. students abroad this year, and the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program, which in two years has doubled the number of U.S. undergraduates with financial need who will study abroad.”

Open Doors 2009 shows that the number of students to nearly all of the top twenty-five destinations increased, notably to destinations less traditional for study abroad: China, Ireland, Austria and India (up about 20% each), as well as Costa Rica, Japan, Argentina and South Africa (up nearly 15% each). While the four perennial leaders in hosting U.S. students remain the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain and France, findings indicate that 15 of the top 25 destinations are now outside of Western Europe, and 19 are countries where English is not the primary language. Americans electing to study in Africa increased by 18%, in Asia by 17%, and in Latin America by 11%.

Data provided for this study by campus administrators for academic year 2008/09 relates to study abroad in 2007/08 and is the most recent available.

Open Doors 2009 details and analysis are available at http://opendoors.iienetwork.org.

The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) manages a range of exchanges for over 40,000 participants annually, to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. Details, including overseas study opportunities for Americans, are available at www.exchanges.state.gov and http://exchanges.state.gov/features/abroad/index.html.

Media Contact: Catherine Stearns, StearnsCL@state.gov or 202-632-6437

Why Study Abroad? (Interesting article at Korea Herald)

http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/NEWKHSITE/data/html_dir/2009/10/19/200910190031.asp

Excerpt follows, see links to KH for full article:

---------
Why study abroad?

Last week's "World University Rankings" appear under the headline "Asia advances." So why do East Asian students go abroad to study, when they face so many difficulties?

In the rankings of the "Times Higher" newspaper, Seoul National University is now 47th, and in terms of life sciences it is up 16 places to 24th. South Korea now has 2 universities in the top 100, and 4 in the top 200. China also has two in the top 100, and 6 in the top 200. But this statistic is not adjusted for the size of country. In relation to population, South Korea does better than China.

Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia and Singapore have also done well. The University of Tokyo has moved up 15 places to 13th and Kyoto up 17 places to 20th. In the past, the top positions have been dominated by the United States, with the United Kingdom next. Like South Korea, the United Kingdom does remarkably well considering its relative size.

The Times Higher concludes this year that "the rise of Asia is in direct contrast to the U.S.'s fortunes." Cambridge University pushed Yale from second to third place. The "Observatory on Borderless Higher Education" talks of a "new global regionalism" which is challenging the status of the United States and the United Kingdom.

But league tables like this are limited.

Studying at Japanese universities

See this part of the JT online to find out more.

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/info/study_in_japan.html

Studying at universities in Japan offers you the chance to broaden your horizons and deepen your understanding of a foreign culture while boosting your Japanese language ability. Enroll today!

For a much longer list of universities and their contact information, see:



http://www.directoryofeducation.net/colleges_universities/byCountry/Japan/