Reassessing Methods of Allocating Operational Subsidies to National Universities in Japan for the Enhancement of Their Functions

Abstract

On November 26, 2013, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (MEXT) announced the National University Reform Plan (NURP), a program based on the guidelines for enhancing the function of national universities and centered on upgrading and strengthening of university governance systems to restructure the functions of universities. As per the NURP, the importance of realizing the functions of national universities in a more full and adequate fashion has come to be emphasized in public policy.

National universities in Japan will soon enter the third medium-term milestone period. Concomitant with this, universities are being called on to demonstrate their unique particularities further and enhance their academic and research functions.

Based on prior research, this paper analyzes the possibilities and trajectory for a radical rethinking of the subsidy allocation rules for operational subsidies to national universities in the third medium-term milestone period.