The U.S.-Japan Conference on Cultural and Educational Interchange (CULCON)

Last updated

The U.S.-Japan Conference on Cultural and Educational Interchange(CULCON) is a bi-national advisory panel to the U.S. and Japanese governments that serves to elevate and strengthen the vital cultural and educational foundations of the U.S.-Japan relationship.

Contents

Mission

According to its website, CULCON's mission is: “The U.S.-Japan Conference on Cultural and Educational Interchange (CULCON) is a bi-national advisory panel that serves to elevate and strengthen the vital cultural and educational foundations of the U.S.-Japan relationship, and to strengthen connections between U.S. and Japan leadership in those fields. It works to ensure that the best of new ideas for cultural, educational and intellectual activity and exchange are implemented as operational programs.” [1]

History

The U.S.-Japan Conference on Cultural and Educational Interchange (CULCON) is a program of the U.S. Department of State in the United States and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Japan CULCON originated in a series of discussions between President John F. Kennedy [2] and Prime Minister Hayato Ikeda in 1961 [3] as a high-level advisory panel to the two governments for educational and cultural exchanges. This arrangement was formalized by an exchange of memoranda between the two governments in 1968. Beginning in 1978, CULCON became a program of the United States Information Agency. In 1999, with the restructuring of USIA and the Department of State, CULCON returned to the U.S. Department of State, Office of the Undersecretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs. In 1991, permanent secretariats were established in Tokyo and Washington to provide continuity to CULCON activities. In the U.S., the secretariat was established within the Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission, an independent federal agency that supports reciprocal people-to-people understanding and promotes partnerships that advance common interests between Japan and the United States.In Japan, the secretariat was established in the Japan Foundation, Japan's first public institution dedicated to sharing Japanese culture and language with people throughout the world. Since then, U.S. CULCON has become a high-level, dynamic organization that has identified timely issues and responded with a range of creative solutions in areas such as educational exchange, media, digital culture, arts exchange and information access and global leaders. The solutions are a direct result of the gatherings and discussions of CULCON's unique grouping of public and private sector members and the engagement of its Panelists. Most recently, CULCON convened a bi-national Educational Task Force to examine decreasing trends of Japanese students studying abroad in the U.S. The Task Force made recommendations to leaders in both nations to double the number of study abroad students in each country by 2020. [4]

CULCON Education Task Force

In January 2013, CULCON members from Japan and the United States met in Hawaii to examine downward trends in bilateral student exchanges and to create a bi-national Task Force that would make recommendations concerning the data in order to increase student exchanges. [5] The Task Force convened to examine an alarming decrease in the number of Japanese students in the United States and to make recommendations to leaders in both nations towards an ambitious goal: to double the number of study abroad students in each country by 2020.Over the past 15 years, there has been a 57 percent drop [6] in the number of Japanese students studying in the United States, from over 47,000 students in 1997–1998 to fewer than 20,000 in 2011–2012. During the same period, Japan fell from being the number-one country of origin for foreign students on U.S. campuses to seventh place. In the same period, U.S. citizens studying in Japan tripled, reaching 6,000, largely as a result of CULCON efforts established in the 1990s. To examine these trends and their economic implications for both countries, CULCON convened a task force of specialists from a variety of fields and perspectives, including the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of State, as well as the Japanese Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In May 2013 the CULCON Education Task Force issued a Report and Recommendations. Report addresses country specific recommendations as well as bi-national cooperative actions. The Task Force encourages for-profit and nonprofit private sector, the higher education community and the governments for both countries to take specific measures to improve English proficiency of Japanese students, for example, and a recommendation to reform the Japanese academic calendar would enable more Japanese students to study abroad and to internationalize Japanese universities. The Report also examines ways the Japanese hiring practices could be reformed to allow more students to study abroad. Collective actions for both countries include providing additional funding to students to compensate for the high costs of studying abroad.

In addition to recommending these institutional changes, the Task Force Report highlights both governments’ role in creating an environment that will encourage overseas exchange. In June 2014, the Report was presented in Tokyo to Prime Minister Abe and in Washington D.C. to Undersecretary Tara Sonenshine. Around the same time, Prime Minister Abe announced a series of structural reforms to underpin economic growth. Key themes of the policy include improving English language instruction, included replacing 1500 lecturers in eight Japanese universities with foreign professors, doubling the number of foreign professors who are in Japan now; lifting eight Japanese institutions into the global top 100 in the next ten years (currently, Tokyo University in 27th in the world and Kyoto University is 52nd); using the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) to raise the standard of English in bureaucrats and students alike. The plan would mandate that individuals reach or exceed a threshold in scores on the TOEFL to gain college admission and to qualify for government jobs; and finally, collaborate with overseas counterparts to offer joint degrees to encourage studying abroad and learning English. Abe has also asserted that he would like to make English a required course starting from elementary schools and has expressed interest in reducing the financial burden to students in order to allow them to travel and study abroad. Many of the aforementioned reforms are directly correlated with the Recommendations made by the CULCON Education Task Force. [7]

Related Research Articles

Bilingual education Education conducted in two languages

Bilingual education involves teaching academic content in two languages, in a native and secondary language with varying amounts of each language used in accordance with the program model. Bilingual education refers to the utilization of two languages as means of instruction for students and considered part of or the entire school curriculum, as distinct from simply teaching a second language as a subject.

International student Foreigner temporarily re-located for the purpose of tertiary study

International students, or foreign students, according to the OECD are "those who received their prior education in another country and are not residents of their current country of study." In 2018, there were over 5.6 million international students, up from 1.6 million in 2000. By 2020, the U.S, U.K., Canada and Australia received approximately 50% of international students. The United States counted almost 1.1 million, the United Kingdom had more than 550,000, whilst there were 503,270 and 463,643 international students in Canada and Australia respectively.

The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright–Hays Program, is one of several United States Cultural Exchange Programs with the goal to improve intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy, and intercultural competence between the American people of the United States and other countries through the exchange of persons, knowledge, and skills. Via the program, competitively-selected American citizens including students, scholars, teachers, professionals, scientists and artists may receive scholarships or grants to study, conduct research, teach, or exercise their talents abroad; and citizens of other countries may qualify to do the same in the United States. The program was founded by United States Senator J. William Fulbright in 1946 and is considered to be one of the most widely recognized and prestigious scholarships in the world. The program provides approximately 8,000 grants annually – roughly 1,600 to U.S. students, 1,200 to U.S. scholars, 4,000 to foreign students, 900 to foreign visiting scholars, and several hundred to teachers and professionals.

Secondary education in Japan Overview of secondary education in Japan

Secondary education in Japan is split into junior high schools, which cover the seventh through ninth grade, and senior high schools, which mostly cover grades ten through twelve.

The East–West Center (EWC), or the Center for Cultural and Technical Interchange Between East and West, is an education and research organization established by the U.S. Congress in 1960 to strengthen relations and understanding among the peoples and nations of Asia, the Pacific, and the United States. It is headquartered in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology

The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, also known as MEXT, Monka-shō, is one of the eleven Ministries of Japan that composes part of the executive branch of the Government of Japan. Their goal is to improve the development of Japan in relation with the international community. They are responsible for funding research under their jurisdiction, some of which includes: children's health in relation to home environment, delta-sigma modulations utilizing graphs, gender equality in sciences, and other general research for the future.

Student exchange program Program in which secondary school or university students study abroad

A student exchange program is a program in which students from a secondary school or university study abroad at one of their institution's partner institutions.

Education in North Korea Education in North Korea

Education in North Korea is universal and state-funded schooling by the government. The self-reported national literacy rate for citizens at age of 15 and older is 100 percent (approx.). Children go through one year of kindergarten, four years of primary education, six years of secondary education, and then on to university.

Studying abroad in the United States is for a mobile global education and intercultural awareness building opportunities. Studying abroad is determined in the United States by political rationales of national security and foreign policy. The number of students studying abroad represents only about 1% of all students enrolled at institutions of higher education in the United States.

Israel–Japan relations Diplomatic relations between the State of Israel and Japan

Israeli–Japanese relations began on May 15, 1952, when Japan recognized Israel and an Israeli legation opened in Tokyo. In 1954 Japan's ambassador to Turkey assumed the additional role of minister to Israel. In 1955 a Japanese legation with a Minister Plenipotentiary opened in Tel Aviv. In 1963, relations were upgraded to Embassy level, and have remained on that level since then. Japan's trade relations with Arab League members and most Muslim-majority countries have taken a precedence over those with Israel. However, due to the declining price of oil in early 2015, as well as internal political shifting in Japan, the two nations are seeking increased research, economic and cultural ties, particularly in the area of tech start-ups and defense. Recently ties between Israel and Japan have strengthened significantly, with many mutual investments between the two nations. Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe visited Israel twice – once in 2015 and a second time in 2018.

Kokushikan University

Kokushikan University is a private university in Setagaya, Tokyo, Japan.

Institute of International Education Non-profit organisation in the USA

The Institute of International Education (IIE) is a 501(c) organization which focuses on International Student Exchange and Aid, Foreign Affairs, and International Peace and Security. IIE creates programs of study and training for students, educators and professionals from various sectors. The organization says its mission is to "build more peaceful and equitable societies by advancing scholarship, building economies and promoting access to opportunity".

Dokkyo University

Dokkyo University is a private university in Sōka, Saitama, Japan, which is a liberal, co-educational institution noted for its language education programs and international exchanges. The university was founded in 1964, its roots can be traced back as early as 1881. Undergraduate admissions are selective, with an admission rate ranging from 30–40%.

Japanese language education in Vietnam first became widespread during the Empire of Vietnam, which was set up as a puppet state after Japan's 1941 World War II invasion of French Indochina. However, after Japan's 1945 surrender and withdrawal from Vietnam, there was little further education in the language until the 1970s. A 2006 survey showed 1,037 teachers teaching 29,982 students at 110 different institutions, an increase of 66% in the number of students since the previous year's survey.

United States cultural exchange programs, particularly those programs with ties to the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) of the United States Department of State, seek to develop cultural understanding between United States citizens and citizens of other countries. Exchange programs do not necessarily exchange one individual for another individual of another country; rather, "exchange" refers to the exchange of cultural understanding created when an individual goes to another country. These programs can be regarded as a form of cultural diplomacy within the spectrum of public diplomacy.

The Nippon Kaigi is Japan’s largest ultranationalist, far-right non-governmental organization and lobby. It was established in 1997 and has approximately 40,000 members. The group is influential in the legislative and executive branches of the Japanese government through its affiliates. Former Prime Minister Shinzō Abe, LDP politician, serves as a special advisor to the group's parliamentary league. Although the official membership is 40,000, it is unofficially affiliated with grassroots lawmakers and local politicians across the country.

German University in Cairo

The German University in Cairo is a private non-profit university in New Cairo City, Egypt. GUC was founded in 2002 by the presidential decree 27/2002 and according to the Egyptian law number 101/1992. The University of Stuttgart, the University of Ulm, the University of Tübingen, the University of Mannheim, the Academy of Fine Arts Leipzig, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the State of Baden-Württemberg, Germany, and the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, Germany, are among the main academic supporters of the GUC.

The Top Global University Project is a funding project by the Japanese government that began in 2014. The project aims to enhance the globalization of the country's public and private universities so that graduates can "walk into positions of global leadership". The project is sometimes referred to as 'TGUP'; it has also been (mis)translated directly in English as "Super Global Universities", and therefore referred to on some university websites as 'SGU' or 'SGUP'.

National Education Commission (1964-1966), popularly known as Kothari Commission, was an ad hoc commission set up by the Government of India to examine all aspects of the educational sector in India, to evolve a general pattern of education and to advise guidelines and policies for the development of education in India. It was formed on 14 July 1964 under the chairmanship of Daulat Singh Kothari, then chairman of the University Grants Commission. The terms of reference of the commission was to formulate the general principles and guidelines for the development of education from primary level to the highest and advise the government on a standardized national pattern of education in India. However, the medical and legal studies were excluded from the purview of the commission. The tenancy of the commission was from 1964 to 1966 and the report was submitted by the commission on 29 June 1966.

William L. Gertz is the Chairman, President and CEO of the American Institute For Foreign Study (AIFS), a cultural exchange and educational travel company with 10 global locations, headquartered in Stamford, CT.

References

  1. ↑ "Culcon". Culcon.jusfc.gov. Retrieved 2014-03-06.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  2. ↑ "カルコン:日米文化教育交流会議＞合同会議＞CULCON XXIII＞the CULCON Report". Jpf.go.jp. 1961-06-22. Retrieved 2014-03-06.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  3. ↑ "CULCON 50th Anniversary Film". YouTube. 2012-04-16. Retrieved 2014-03-06.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  4. ↑ "Cultural Relations - Major Documents". Aboutusa.japan.usembassy.gov. Retrieved 2014-03-06.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  5. ↑ "Submission of the Report of the U.S.-Japan Conference on Cultural and Educational Interchange (CULCON) Education Task Force to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe ｜ Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan". Mofa.go.jp. 2013-06-13. Retrieved 2014-03-06.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  6. ↑ "Embassy News". Embassy of the United States Tokyo, Japan. 2012-10-17. Retrieved 2014-03-06.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  7. ↑ "Report of the CULCON Education Task Force" (PDF). Mext.go.jp. Retrieved 2014-03-06.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)

Bibliography

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.