The The Japanese government has set a target of having 400,000 foreign students studying in the country by 2033, hoping to encourage them to work in the country after they graduate.
The government’s future education panel on 17 March 2023 revealed the goals, which include 500,000 Japanese studying abroad by the same year. The government will include these targets in its upcoming student plan this spring.
According to the target, the government will consider support measures to encourage international students to remain in Japan after their studies. One idea would be to encourage more internship programs.
As far as Japanese students are concerned, the government will increase the number of mid- to long-term overseas study programs.
In 2008, the education ministry set a target of having 300,000 international students by 2020. The number reached that level but fell back during the restrictions phase of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The figure for 2022 was about 230,000, according to a document distributed on Friday. In its new plan, the government aims to go over the 300,000 mark again by 2027.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida had instructed Education Minister Keiko Nagaoka to shoot higher.
(Source – “Nikkei Asia“)
