Evaluation and Problems of Study Abroad Advisors at Japanese Universities as Academic Advisors

Abstract

Around 2010, the Japanese government started to focus on developing global human resources in cooperation with many universities by further promoting study-abroad programs. For students considering studying abroad, on-campus study-abroad advisors are very reliable resources, but their actual use has not been clarified until now. A questionnaire survey was conducted among 500 men and women between the ages of 20 and 35 who had studied abroad. The survey showed that 18.4% of respondents used the study-abroad advising service while they were in school. However, they did not appreciate the on-campus advisors more than those in the business sector, pointing out the former’s lack of professional knowledge. To improve this situation, it is desirable to implement more specialized trainings for on-campus advisors; the current circumstances are extremely insufficient. In this paper, while acknowledging the economic and time constraints of individual universities implementing training programs individually and independently, the widespread use of academic societies and professional associations is proposed as a more viable alternative.