Government raises the bar on scholarships

The Japanese Government is to revise its scholarship system for foreign students coming to Japan for periods of less than 12 months. The move is designed to improve and expand university short-stay programs for international students. Currently, the quota for scholarships is decided by the independent Japan Student Services Organisation according to the number of international students at each university. However from April this year, the Government will decide the quota based on the quality of curricula for international students. Universities will have to submit "study programs" for approval before being allocated a quota. The Government hopes that by raising standards, it will assist Japanese universities in attracting more top-quality students from overseas.