The Organisational Dynamics of University Reform in Japan

For several decades internationalisation has been a cornerstone of both Japanese government higher education policy and approaches to reform at an institutional level, but Japan has still not managed to lose its reputation as a somewhat reclusive member of the global academic community. Consensus on the potential of internationalisation to reinvigorate Japanese higher education is matched by the depth of recognition that universities have, to date, failed to internationalise successfully.

This book offers a new approach to Japan’s internationalisation conundrum by proceeding from the ‘inside out’. It presents an extended case study one university organisation that has been changed through its adoption of a radical program of internationalisation. Through this case study Jeremy Breaden identifies patterns by which internationalisation is situated in administrative discourse and individual action, and determines how these patterns in turn shape organisational practice. The result is a multi-dimensional narrative of organisational change that advances our understanding of both the dynamics of university reform and the concept of internationalisation, one of the most durable yet contentious themes in the study of contemporary Japanese society.

With detailed analysis and an in-depth case study, this book will be of interest to students and scholars of Japanese studies, sociology and anthropology. It will also prove valuable to professionals and policy makers working in higher education, both in Japan and around the world.