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Japan's Universities Are Failing

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Re: Japan's Universities Are Failing

#161
post #115

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No culture has escaped appropriation and mixing, especially not Japan. So much of modern Japanese life has been molded by the American occupation. Why do you think more non-Japanese people in the country means the end of Japanese culture? I know many foreigners who live long-term in Japan and have absorbed many ways of working in the society. Why do you think they stay? Ultimiately, the base belief behind the anti-mu…

" So much of modern Japanese life has been molded by the American occupation." Very true. But it's also fundamentally different than if the American influence were to have come from 10 or 20 million actual Americans living in Japan. "Have they not accepted American culture?" America does not have a culture in the classical sense of the term, or to be more fair - it's a new kind of culture . Ergo - there is a 'lot les…

No go zones are not a thing, seriously.

Re: Japan's Universities Are Failing

#162
post #149

As an Asian and knowing many Japanese friends, I just said this report is true. However not only universities in Japan, all the universities in asian countries are facing structural problems in college education. People treat college degrees like their passports/certificates to get higher positions in society and better works. They are willing to study harder to enter colleges, and then play for 4 years in university…

As an Asian, it is true that most of the countries in Asia work hard to enter college but in Korea, this is no longer true that they party in university.

Tightening job market drove students to study job-related certificates and tests such as Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC). This is so grueling for young generations with grow student debts.

Students often defer their graduations to appear fresh in the job market. http://thediplomat.com/2014/05/south-korean-students-delayin...

Re: Japan's Universities Are Failing

#163
post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Until at what point? Eventually the entire world is going to have to face a demographic change in the form of population reduction considering the whole 9 billion+ thing. You can't just continue to import more people from abroad and believe that it's a long term solution. There's also a case to be made for culture, and preservation of unique ethnicity.

Addressing your first point: the problem is that they're stagnating /now/. They don't have the means or will or resources to deal with their problems. There's not enough labour to support the elderly population. I'm sure they can decrease inflow at an appropriate time, but for now, they need fresh blood and fresh ideas.

They are "stagnating now" but the long term problem isn't solved even with immigrants. So the point is that humanity itself needs to find a sustainable solution. They definitely have the resources to deal with their problems, they just don't have the labour to utilize those resources. For example migrant labor is definitely a solution that Japan is working on.

Re: Japan's Universities Are Failing

#164
One little-known fact is that to be accepted by todai is not that difficult compared to be accepted by todai risan (the medical doctor course). About 3000 people enter todai every year but only 100 are accepted to risan. Recently as a trend, almost all of the top students in the very top high school try to go there and it is a problem which is considered a huge waste of intelligent people in Japan. I have heard that one todai dropout took 10 years to be accepted by todai risan. The trend continues for students entering other medical doctor courses at other prestigious universities, such as Kyoto University and so on.

Re: Japan's Universities Are Failing

#165
post #143
post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Is coexisting that hard? Yes. Because of culture clashes. New Culture B doesn't like how existing Culture A "does things" and demands a change. While they are some small minority, they often get ignored by the majority (Culture A). Over time, as more and more of Culture B immigrates into Culture A, they become large enough of a group that they can no longer be ignored . If Culture B was totally fine with adopting Cu…

>If Culture B was totally fine with adopting Culture A and adding to the culture rather than demanding things be done their way "culture killing" wouldn't be as large of an issue. What if those in Culture B face problems? Should they not ask for change? What if those in the culture are citizens? The idea that people can't ask or demand for things just because they are of a different culture is ridiculous. >and there…

I'm talking different countries (re: immigration) and not minority groups within a country. If you don't like Culture A and want Culture B, stay in Culture B's country. If you think Culture B has problems and that's why you want to leave, pause and think that maybe the culture plays a role in those problems and that's why other people don't want it brought to their country.

There is nothing wrong with disagreeing with huge portions of a foreign culture. For example, I have an issue with Sharia Law. Especially the whole "I should be stoned to death" parts of it. As such, anyone who supports Sharia Law can stay the hell out of my country and I will fight to keep it that way. I'm aware there is some number in my country who already support Sharia Law - and I do not want to swing them from "minority with no power" to "majority dragging me into the streets".

>What are you referring to? At a guess, I'd say lolicon/shotacon pornography...

More innocent things, not sexual things. Even in Japan, lolicon/shotacon is not seen as "innocent". I used to get in conversations about these things with a Japanese friend, as he couldn't see what was the problem American's had with certain things. I'll see if I can't find some examples in my old chat logs for you.

>I find the idea of 'culture clash' to be ridiculous, and the reason is that even within cultures there is a huge aemount of variation as to how things should be done. So why are those people legitimate (such as the Japanese Marxists) but those of a different culture are not legitimate?

>It's a very nebulous concept so I do not think that drawing the lines you are drawing makes much sense with regard to actual human interactions.

I'm fine with admitting my line is not very well drawn. In fact, you could call the line I draw completely arbitrary, illogical, and even downright unfair.

I don't identify strongly with any particular culture and am very open to learning from other cultures. I love other cultures. I love the "melting pot" culture of the U.S.A which is, ironically enough, the very thing I disagree with in most other countries. I do not pretend to understand or know the reasons, but the blend of cultures seems to mostly "work" in the US while being a complete disaster in many other countries overall (a few exceptions for some cities/regions that have successfully managed multiculturalism).

This is largely my opinion. I base my opinion on how I see both history and the modern day playing out, from country to country. My issue stems entirely from the "how" they get mixed and not that they "shouldn't mix at all", although I believe some cultures do not "mix as well" as other cultures.

Re: Japan's Universities Are Failing

#166
post #23

I really don't see a way out for Japan that's not immigration. It might lead to social upheaval, but it sounds like that kind of change is sorely needed. A well executed immigration policy could inject fresh blood into that country.

Is immigration related to education quality? And people with good skills would rather immigrate to places like California because the salaries are higher there.

Also japanese language (writing and reading) is very difficult for foreigners because one has to learn thousands of kanji characters.

Re: Japan's Universities Are Failing

#167
post #134
post #106

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm mostly judging by the fact that Japan is a democratic country in which immigration is incredibly restricted. The country is over 98% ethnically Japanese.

Immigration here is incredibly relaxed. If you have a college degree, you can find someone willing to offer you a job, and you haven't committed a felony, you're welcome. People just choose not to come to Japan because they endlessly hear how supposedly racist it is here and how difficult it is to get over the language barrier. And it may be a surprise to many westerners who find a need to push their cultural and pol…

I appreciate your insight. I think that's a big part of the difference -- in the US "relaxed immigration" would mean people without money or skills.

Re: Japan's Universities Are Failing

#168

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is such a huge gap between your incredibly bleak image of Japan and the lively, optimistic and impressive Japan that I live in. I've lost count of the number of gaijin experts on Japan who want to tell me about how wrecked Japan is, and how Japanese people are in denial, and all the ways they need to emulate the West to get with the program. I've also lost count of the things that Japan does measurably better t…

> There is such a huge gap between your incredibly bleak image of Japan and the lively, optimistic and impressive Japan that I live in. Yet you manage to tackle not a single one of those criticisms head on. Of course, nobody read anything into that. And revenge? For what? For someone not liking you? That right there points directly to what I don't find particularly sexy about lots of Asia but Japan especially, the ob…

The graph in the article you've linked to [1] shows that suicide rate in Japan is comparable to Switzerland and New Zealand. Maybe this problem in Japan just gets more media attention?

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suicide_in_Japan#/media/File:S...

Re: Japan's Universities Are Failing

#169

Earlier quoted context omitted.

so all japan needs to do is completely destroy their own culture, its so simple now

Accepting more immigrants doesn't have to mean destroying own culture. I don't see why Japan can't promote and preserve its own culture while accepting immigrants. Is coexisting that hard?

I think it's better to have a little less money then have a higher crime rate that migrants would bring.

Re: Japan's Universities Are Failing

#170
post #148

Being a PhD student in Japan (and a non-native English speaker) I agree with many points in the article. Some frustrating things about my own experience: - In my lab, all of the papers written by Japanese students have to be checked by foreign students (which are mostly non-native speakers). The quality of the writing is typically less than mediocre, with a few exceptions. - We have a seminar every week in which the…

I've worked in Japan in a mega Corp R&D division.

There are candidate pools that are "potential hires" with no assignment pre offer, and there are "specialist hires" where you know the team you'll be assigned to. Only accept the latter.

The job hunt process isn't nearly as bad for technical hires as it is for humanities grads.

I completely agree that grad level work should be done in English. I know a few brilliant researchers at Stanford who will likely head back to Japan to take academic posts because their English (and mainly politics of academia) skills just weren't good enough, and their taking the "wiser route out".

I don't know your field, but I hear good things about places like Hitachi Chuou Research.

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