Abstract
"Mission differentiation," "reinforcement of functions," and "mission redefinition" of universities are some recent keywords in Japanese higher education policy. These words all require universities to reconsider their mission in a changing society and prioritize some functions rather than conducting all-round functions. This policy issue was first raised in the 1990s as the "diversity of universities" and was clearly stated in the report of the Central Education Council in 2005. From then it has been the focus of higher education policy until now. This paper, written in the context of recent Japanese policy, reviews discussions on mission differentiation and diversity of the university in higher education studies and science policy studies in terms of the definition, contexts, and policy methods for enhancement. Finally, analyses of quantitative data and results of qualitative evaluation of national universities are shown to discuss the challenges for indicators and data infrastructure to enhance mission differentiation.
