The merger, which will combine the strengths of science, engineering, medicine, and dentistry, aims to increase the combined enrolment to around 13,000 undergraduates and graduate students. This move aligns with the trend of merged universities in Japan successfully securing grants for unique programmes targeting global challenges.
Universities in Japan are intensifying efforts to secure funding from Japan’s coveted JPY10 trillion (US$62.6 billion) national endowment fund. This comes after only Tohoku University succeeded in the first round of funding last year. The Institute of Science Tokyo has announced plans to reapply to the Universities for International Research Excellence programme, leveraging its status as a result of the upcoming merger between Tokyo Institute of Technology (TIT) and Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU) in October 2024.
Challenges and Opportunities
Japan’s universities face challenges due to dwindling public subsidies and declining student numbers, with the population of 18-year-olds dropping to just over 1 million in 2024. The Institute of Science Tokyo’s fresh bid for the endowment fund is planned for this fall, following an unsuccessful joint bid by TIT and TMDU last year. Shigeaki Katayanagi from the Higher Education Bureau at the Ministry of Education stated that discussions in the expert selection committee will continue until early next year, with the certifying process set to begin later this year.
Katayanagi emphasized that while mergers offer opportunities, they also present challenges, such as potentially weakening smaller institutions that provide diverse subject choices. Notable institutions like the University of Tokyo, Nagoya University, and Waseda University, among others, plan to resubmit bids following last year’s surprise outcome of only one successful candidate.
Positive Funding Prospects
The outlook for more institutions to be selected in the next round appears brighter. The endowment fund, launched in 2022, recorded its first gross investment gains in fiscal 2023, amounting to JPY993.4 billion (US$6.17 billion). This contrasts with a loss of JPY60.4 billion the previous fiscal year, reflecting a 10% investment return primarily due to global stock market rallies. The fund secured JPY184.8 billion (US$1.15 billion) for subsidizing “certified universities,” aiming for a 4.5% annual return target by March 2027.
An Education Ministry official confirmed that sufficient funds were raised during the fund’s two-year initial investment period. The fund aims to distribute billions of yen over up to 25 years to support universities willing to implement changes for outstanding research, improved facilities, doctoral student support, and increased research output.
Vision for a ‘New Kind of University’
The Institute of Science Tokyo aims to enhance internationalization, with Chairman Naoto Ohtake, a former TIT vice-president, targeting 30% of its undergraduate science and engineering students from overseas by 2050. Current international student percentages are around 5% at TIT and less than 1% at TMDU.
Ohtake aims to establish the merged university as a world-class institution, conducting education, research, and medical activities in a competitive international environment. The new governance structure includes a chief medical officer, chief integration officer, and a newly created provost position to strengthen management and operations.
Following the merger approval by the Japanese parliament, TIT President Kazuya Masu and TMDU President Yujiro Tanaka highlighted the societal expectations for universities to address global challenges such as environmental deterioration, infectious diseases, and an ageing society with a declining birthrate.
Reforms at Tohoku University
After receiving an award from the endowment fund, Tohoku University initiated significant reforms, with Vice-Director Akiyoshi Yonezawa emphasizing the shift from Japan-focused management to an international environment. Key reforms include fostering cutting-edge technology research through global teams, enhancing academia-private sector networking for funding, expanding tenured positions for global staff, and establishing English as a mainstream communication language alongside Japanese.
These efforts represent continuous progress towards strengthening internationalization and fostering a global academic environment.
