Navigating Japan's Elite Education System: Insights from Kyoto University

1. The renown Japanese universities:Entering them, then finding a job Science Technique Society, 8 May 2003 Technological Policy - The case of Japan S. D. Hamm Institute of Advanced Energy, Kyoto University

2. Warning • My personal perception • May stress minor facts and omit important ones • Sources limited from my environment • Kyoto University • 2nd best state university in Japan • Drastic differences with other universities • Scientific environment • Generalisation with other field medicine, law, etc… may be wrong • My wife history • Private schools

3. Japanese education system • Only little specialisation before university *Advancement in 2001 48.6%* Ph.D 96.9%* Master 99.98%* +Evening studies

4. Population well educated • After compulsory education

5. Facts (2001) • From kindergarten to end of studies • 21 mio students including 6.1 mio in private system • 1.3 mio full-time teachers, inclu. 0.3 mio in private • Universities • 2.7 mio students, inclu. 2.0 mio in private • 150’000 full-time teachers, inclu. 80’000 in private • More teachers per students in state universities • 669 universities, including 496 private • Need for dissociate university level • Many rankings exist

6. University ranking • Criterion: national results exam index • Average of students results for national exam • Top uni ranking does not change with time • Best public universities • Tokyo, Kyoto, then a group of c.a. 10 (Osaka, Tohoku, etc), then the rest... • Best private universities • Waseda, Keio, then a group of c.a. 10 (Jochi, Doshisha, etc.), then the rest... • Preparatory schools make advertisement • 26 to Tokyo, 60 to Kyoto, etc… (in train) • Appear on TV (in March)

7. Kyoto university emblem • Founded 1897 • *10 faculties, 14 graduate schools, 13 research institutes, 17 centers • *Students: 21’628, about 20% females • Bachelor degree 1999: 2’795 • Master’s degree 1999: 1’876 • Doctors degree 1999: 558 • *Teaching staff: 2’812 • *Non-teaching staff: 2’476 • Scientific Nobel prizes: • 6 out of 9 for Japan, studied in Kyoto university • 1 was nominated visiting professor last year *As of May 1, 2000

8. Elite education system • Need “good” schools from early years • Preparatory school before uni • Evening (Jyuku) • By correspondence (Z-kai) • Private tutor (typically Kyoto-uni student) • In private: • Same “name” until university (Keio) • Sometimes no or less exams to follow up • “Exam” possible at 6 years old • “Selection by tuition fees”

9. Difference state/private schools • State school depends on ministry of education • Private school makes its own rules • The choice for state school is limited geographically • On average private is more expensive • But it may be free for good students (draft), the school can claim its students enter renown uni • Students move private  state, both directions during education • School sport team is a choice parameter

10. Uni: “2” entrance exams • 1) National exam (centre exam), mid January • Calculate results with newspaper answers then select 2 or 3 universities for exam • 2) Selected uni exam, February • Consideration of both exams or only National exam (private) or only the exam specific to faculty (state), change from year to year • In private: results+recommendation+interview • Fail: study a year at Yobiko/home and redo exam • Beginning of uni (and company) 1 April • If problems or scandals related to entrance exam occur they appears in newspapers even on TV

11. Student choice parameters • Renown of university • Matter of study • Expense for tuition • National uni: 520’000 ¥/year all faculties • Private uni: more expensive than national uni, but very variable • Medicine more expensive than Letters • Private uni: 8’000’000 ¥ /year dentist • Close from home (economical reason) • Be in a big town (far from home) • Osaka, Mie, Hyogo less than 100 km • Niigata, Ibaraki 500 km, Kagoshima 600 km

12. University years • After entrance exam no more “hard” selection (unlike EPFL) until graduation • Student may repeat years but low dropout rate • One year before graduation job hunting • After graduation: • Entering a company • Doing a master in science • Two more years for personal research • Advantage: better for CV, can change university • Drawback: 2 more years to pay for study

13. Entering Master Courses • Exams • Good students choose first the lab. (Kyoto-uni) • “Some companies are waiting for failing candidates” (When economy is good) • For company a master in science is good but not a Ph.D (except biochemistry, etc) • A Ph.D candidate is older • Company wants to educate employees • Company does not want specialists • In business field a master is not good for the same reasons • Ph.D students pay and do not receive salary, usually will to be professor

14. Massive employment • Hitachi 600 newcomers in 2003 • Web hunting to human resource • Application through company web site (no CV) • Setting of exam sessions • Written exams for many applicants • IQ, English and major • At Kyoto-u, company presentation at uni • Not announced by university • Mail announcement to web hunter and candidate from the previous year • Then uni dept. arrange the interview, with CV

15. Individual employment • Companies contact renown uni dept • Fixed the number of place • Redirect to professors • Through professor personal contact • A student makes few contacts but up to 20 • In my lab, one by one • Hand-written CV, up to four pages (a lot) • In science, students may get scholarship from company during master • Selection by interview • Make sure they do not go elsewhere

16. Working for Japanese company • Appointment for first week of April • Training with other newcomer • No information about the subsequent weeks • Can be sent everywhere in Japan • For few years, few times • Sometimes family split since children stay in their schools • Japanese scientist (at EPFL) knew just before leaving Lausanne where he will be in Japan

17. Conclusions • Japanese are highly educated • Elite system, high competition at every levels • In university, in master, in company • University reputation is very important • Rigid calendar • Application one year in advance (March-May) • All starts April 1st • Students/candidates choose mostly the uni/company not the job • Depending on the field master is bonus but not Ph.D • Company employees should be flexible

18. Acknowledgements • Yukio H. Ogata, Tetsuo Sakka, Junji Sasano, Kotaro Saito, Hideki Furusawa, Kentaro Kamata, Yuko Yamauchi, Ko-ichi Hirata, Kota Tanaka, Yosuke Kawamura and Keiko Matsushita Hamm • International doctoral program in Energy Science (3 years) at Kyoto-uni