Japan's Universities Are Failing

Post by aerioux » Mon, Mar 06, 2017, 10:11 AM UTC

csa wrote: post #190

aerioux wrote: post #183

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sorry I have a bunch of questions (biased heavily for CS + STEM fields) 1) Do you know anyone from the West who would go to Japan for a professorship? I just asked around my univ (which is top 3 publication-wise) and it seems like if you go there, you basically drop off the face of intl-quality CS work 2) What is the funding model generally (e.g. Gov Grants vs Industry partnerships/grants vs Nonprofits/External Sourc…

Note that I am not in STEM/CS, but I have many friends who are. My answers are based on what they have told me, so I suggest getting a second opinion. Also note that most of this is answered for someone intending to be a professor. Post docs and grad students might have different answers. 1. There is a very high likelihood that you will "drop of the face of the earth" in terms of research if you go there for a long-t…

Thanks for the reply, and the point of view! I definitely need to be able to orient myself better. And this was more of the question "would it be worthwhile to spend a year doing research at a Riken or similar" in terms of growth, scientific viewpoints and output.

Thanks!

Post by fl0wenol » Mon, Mar 06, 2017, 3:14 PM UTC

euske wrote: post #186

I graduated one of the top schools in Japan and went to the US to get a PhD. (But somehow I got patriotic and came back to Japan after that, don't judge me.) In many ways, Japan feels like a gridlocked country. And people (especially young) already know it but can't do anything about it. I'll point out that the heart of the problem is its lifetime employment system, which the entire economy and social system of Japan…

I think the way you fix a situation like this is to create new, informal institutions. Young people have to feel empowered and have pride in building small communities, and by extension, small businesses. There will always be pressure from others to stop screwing around in the dirt, but you have to preserve and have the desire to want to be living with uncertainty. Over decades I think you can chip away at the fossilized foundations of old institutions (big government, big business, the schools that feed into it and the cultural lockdown they have on young people)

Re: Japan's Universities Are Failing

Re: Japan's Universities Are Failing