Career Formation for International Students in Japan

From Case Studies and a Survey of the Actual State of Internship Participation

Abstract

In Japan, the low birth rate and aging of society have led to a decline in the working population and a marked expansion in internships that promote the professional and social autonomy of young people. Business internship programs for undergraduate students before they begin job hunting will doubtlessly have a great effect on career formation, not just for Japanese students, but for international students as well, who are counted on to play a leading role as globally oriented human resources. Universities are aiming for qualitative transformation of their curriculums, in which the active learning made possible by internships will form an integral part.

This paper examines career as a lifelong process of development. First it gives an overall explanation of internships based on government and business surveys. Then it takes up case studies of international students, clarifying how they deepen their knowledge of culture and language in the course of their interactions with the business environment and with the diverse range of people they encounter there, and how this experience feeds in to their quest for their future mode of life.