The Tokyo University of Social Welfare has been found to have lost contact with over 1,600 foreign students, following a sudden surge in its international student intake.
Reasons for losing contact with students include their inability to pay tuition fees, failure to complete Japanese language courses prior to starting their courses, and the institution’s lack of staff support for students.
The Japanese government has banned the university from enrolling new students from abroad onto preliminary courses.
More foreign students, but not enough support
In 2008, the Japanese government pledged to more than double its foreign student intake – from 140,000 to over 300,000 – by 2020, to raise awareness of the often insular country.
However, there are criticisms that there has been insufficient support or infrastructure from universities to support their international recruitment efforts.
