For a number of reasons, while the number of doctoral graduates has been increasing in leading co... more For a number of reasons, while the number of doctoral graduates has been increasing in leading countries, in Japan the number of new entrants to doctoral programs has been decreasing. In order to bring innovation to society and industry, Japan needs to enhance the attractiveness of its doctoral programs with stable and long-term support.  
Internationalization and Employability in Higher Education, 2019
During the post-war period, the central focus of the Japanese government's internationali... more During the post-war period, the central focus of the Japanese government's internationalisation policy was on attracting international students to come and study in Japan. However, with the decline, from the late 2000s, of the number of Japanese students studying abroad, the government (under the Abe administration) started prioritising the promotion of outbound mobility in order to foster a globally minded workforce for Japanese companies, leading to a revitalization of Japanese economy. Until that point, studying abroad had been mainly considered as a private choice, and governmental support for Japanese students to study abroad had been limited. In its effort to promote study abroad, first, the Japanese government set a numerical target of raising the number of Japanese studying abroad to 120,000 by 2020 under the Japan Revitalisation Strategy (Prime Minister of Japan and His Cabinet, 2013). Second, the government increased scholarships available for individual students, to expand the range of study abroad participants, and provided competitive funds for universities to develop outbound mobility programs and support systems in order to broaden the range of study abroad options.
Even though studying abroad seems to have an influence on students’ career development, one of th... more Even though studying abroad seems to have an influence on students’ career development, one of the factors that hinders Japanese students from seeking education abroad is related to career and job-search concerns (e.g., JASSO, 2012). The objective of this study is to understand how the study abroad experience affects career planning among female Japanese college students. In this study, Bronfenbrenner’s human ecology model was used as a theoretical framework to examine how study abroad experience and interactions between personal and contextual factors affected students’ career-related changes. Through the qualitative analysis of the interview data of 10 Japanese female students who were studying at a U.S.-based study center of a Japanese university, this study found that students experienced changes in their career perspectives (reexamination of their English language ability for their career and developing their career-related preferences) through their interactions with people in...
The purpose of this study is to examine the reasons why Japanese visiting scholars visited the Un... more The purpose of this study is to examine the reasons why Japanese visiting scholars visited the United States, their activities and experiences during their visits, their challenges and support for their transition, and personal and contextual factors that affected their transition in different stages. Although short-term international scholar mobility has recently increased, there are few studies on the population of international visiting scholars. In addition, while there is an overall increase in the number of international scholars, the number of Japanese scholars is decreasing. This qualitative study explores the Japanese visiting scholars’ experiences of transition by drawing upon Schlossberg’s adult transition model (e.g., Anderson, Goodman, & Schlossberg, 2011). The findings show that the purpose of visit and activities during the visits varied by individuals, although most activities were individual and professional ones, such as conducting research, networking, and teachin...
Although there is a pressing demand for international experience for early career researchers (EC... more Although there is a pressing demand for international experience for early career researchers (ECRs), the meaning of this experiences arising from their day-to-day work responsibilities is still unclear. Accordingly, using our emic reflections for this autoethnographic study, we—five Japanese ECRs with years of international experiences—collaboratively explored how we made sense of our international experiences, that is, our distinct capital attained from international study and research experiences. We used Identity Trajectory as a conceptual tool to widely capture ECRs’ key experiences and sense-making. Our reflective conversations resulted in five major themes: (1) global personal network, (2) communicative competence, (3) scholarly community culture, (4) scholarly ambition and (5) pedagogical application. We consistently valued our attained capital, but simultaneously recognised dilemmas while engaging in our work. Lack of institutional support was critical, preventing us from u...
Internationalization and Employability in Higher Education, 2019
During the post-war period, the central focus of the Japanese government's internationalisati... more During the post-war period, the central focus of the Japanese government's internationalisation policy was on attracting international students to come and study in Japan. However, with the decline, from the late 2000s, of the number of Japanese students studying abroad, the government (under the Abe administration) started prioritising the promotion of outbound mobility in order to foster a globally minded workforce for Japanese companies, leading to a revitalization of Japanese economy. Until that point, studying abroad had been mainly considered as a private choice, and governmental support for Japanese students to study abroad had been limited. In its effort to promote study abroad, first, the Japanese government set a numerical target of raising the number of Japanese studying abroad to 120,000 by 2020 under the Japan Revitalisation Strategy (Prime Minister of Japan and His Cabinet, 2013). Second, the government increased scholarships available for individual students, to e...
In recent years, there has been a dramatic increase of Japanese students participating in “super-... more In recent years, there has been a dramatic increase of Japanese students participating in “super-short-term” study-abroad programs, lasting from one week up to one month. This reflects a growing global trend among college students, especially in developed countries. This article discusses the background of this trend in Japan as well as emerging challenges.
The number of Japanese students who study in the United States has decreased recent years. Severa... more The number of Japanese students who study in the United States has decreased recent years. Several structural issues that are influencing the current declines are explored: a demographic shift, an increased capacity at domestic universities, an economic stagnation, the season of job-hunting for Japanese college students, and academic requirements. Then, new trends and approaches for the increase are discussed.
Global Opportunities and Challenges for Higher Education Leaders, 2014
Two groundbreaking governmental funding programs attempt to cultivate higher education collaborat... more Two groundbreaking governmental funding programs attempt to cultivate higher education collaboration and strengthen bilateral relations between India and the United States, as well as India and the United Kingdom. The UK India Educational and Research Initiative (UKIERI) and the Obama-Singh 21st Century Knowledge Initiative (OSI) hope to capitalize on transnational partnerships to enhance educational links and address significant global challenges.
For a number of reasons, while the number of doctoral graduates has been increasing in leading co... more For a number of reasons, while the number of doctoral graduates has been increasing in leading countries, in Japan the number of new entrants to doctoral programs has been decreasing. In order to bring innovation to society and industry, Japan needs to enhance the attractiveness of its doctoral programs with stable and long-term support.  
Internationalization and Employability in Higher Education, 2019
During the post-war period, the central focus of the Japanese government's internationali... more During the post-war period, the central focus of the Japanese government's internationalisation policy was on attracting international students to come and study in Japan. However, with the decline, from the late 2000s, of the number of Japanese students studying abroad, the government (under the Abe administration) started prioritising the promotion of outbound mobility in order to foster a globally minded workforce for Japanese companies, leading to a revitalization of Japanese economy. Until that point, studying abroad had been mainly considered as a private choice, and governmental support for Japanese students to study abroad had been limited. In its effort to promote study abroad, first, the Japanese government set a numerical target of raising the number of Japanese studying abroad to 120,000 by 2020 under the Japan Revitalisation Strategy (Prime Minister of Japan and His Cabinet, 2013). Second, the government increased scholarships available for individual students, to expand the range of study abroad participants, and provided competitive funds for universities to develop outbound mobility programs and support systems in order to broaden the range of study abroad options.
Even though studying abroad seems to have an influence on students’ career development, one of th... more Even though studying abroad seems to have an influence on students’ career development, one of the factors that hinders Japanese students from seeking education abroad is related to career and job-search concerns (e.g., JASSO, 2012). The objective of this study is to understand how the study abroad experience affects career planning among female Japanese college students. In this study, Bronfenbrenner’s human ecology model was used as a theoretical framework to examine how study abroad experience and interactions between personal and contextual factors affected students’ career-related changes. Through the qualitative analysis of the interview data of 10 Japanese female students who were studying at a U.S.-based study center of a Japanese university, this study found that students experienced changes in their career perspectives (reexamination of their English language ability for their career and developing their career-related preferences) through their interactions with people in...
The purpose of this study is to examine the reasons why Japanese visiting scholars visited the Un... more The purpose of this study is to examine the reasons why Japanese visiting scholars visited the United States, their activities and experiences during their visits, their challenges and support for their transition, and personal and contextual factors that affected their transition in different stages. Although short-term international scholar mobility has recently increased, there are few studies on the population of international visiting scholars. In addition, while there is an overall increase in the number of international scholars, the number of Japanese scholars is decreasing. This qualitative study explores the Japanese visiting scholars’ experiences of transition by drawing upon Schlossberg’s adult transition model (e.g., Anderson, Goodman, & Schlossberg, 2011). The findings show that the purpose of visit and activities during the visits varied by individuals, although most activities were individual and professional ones, such as conducting research, networking, and teachin...
Although there is a pressing demand for international experience for early career researchers (EC... more Although there is a pressing demand for international experience for early career researchers (ECRs), the meaning of this experiences arising from their day-to-day work responsibilities is still unclear. Accordingly, using our emic reflections for this autoethnographic study, we—five Japanese ECRs with years of international experiences—collaboratively explored how we made sense of our international experiences, that is, our distinct capital attained from international study and research experiences. We used Identity Trajectory as a conceptual tool to widely capture ECRs’ key experiences and sense-making. Our reflective conversations resulted in five major themes: (1) global personal network, (2) communicative competence, (3) scholarly community culture, (4) scholarly ambition and (5) pedagogical application. We consistently valued our attained capital, but simultaneously recognised dilemmas while engaging in our work. Lack of institutional support was critical, preventing us from u...
Internationalization and Employability in Higher Education, 2019
During the post-war period, the central focus of the Japanese government's internationalisati... more During the post-war period, the central focus of the Japanese government's internationalisation policy was on attracting international students to come and study in Japan. However, with the decline, from the late 2000s, of the number of Japanese students studying abroad, the government (under the Abe administration) started prioritising the promotion of outbound mobility in order to foster a globally minded workforce for Japanese companies, leading to a revitalization of Japanese economy. Until that point, studying abroad had been mainly considered as a private choice, and governmental support for Japanese students to study abroad had been limited. In its effort to promote study abroad, first, the Japanese government set a numerical target of raising the number of Japanese studying abroad to 120,000 by 2020 under the Japan Revitalisation Strategy (Prime Minister of Japan and His Cabinet, 2013). Second, the government increased scholarships available for individual students, to e...
In recent years, there has been a dramatic increase of Japanese students participating in “super-... more In recent years, there has been a dramatic increase of Japanese students participating in “super-short-term” study-abroad programs, lasting from one week up to one month. This reflects a growing global trend among college students, especially in developed countries. This article discusses the background of this trend in Japan as well as emerging challenges.
The number of Japanese students who study in the United States has decreased recent years. Severa... more The number of Japanese students who study in the United States has decreased recent years. Several structural issues that are influencing the current declines are explored: a demographic shift, an increased capacity at domestic universities, an economic stagnation, the season of job-hunting for Japanese college students, and academic requirements. Then, new trends and approaches for the increase are discussed.
Global Opportunities and Challenges for Higher Education Leaders, 2014
Two groundbreaking governmental funding programs attempt to cultivate higher education collaborat... more Two groundbreaking governmental funding programs attempt to cultivate higher education collaboration and strengthen bilateral relations between India and the United States, as well as India and the United Kingdom. The UK India Educational and Research Initiative (UKIERI) and the Obama-Singh 21st Century Knowledge Initiative (OSI) hope to capitalize on transnational partnerships to enhance educational links and address significant global challenges.
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Books by Yukiko Shimmi
Papers by Yukiko Shimmi