Daigaku-Keiei / Seisaku-Nyumon (An Introduction to University Management & Policy)

This book is the result of the combined expertise and effort of researchers involved in teaching the University Management & Policy Program of the University of Tokyo’s Graduate School of Education. Several textbooks on university and higher education have been published to date, but this is the first in Japan to contain the words “University Management & Policy” in its title.
 
The University Management & Policy Program consists of a master’s program and a doctoral program, and is tasked with developing people that possess specialized knowledge related to universities and higher education. A diverse array of students including those joining directly after undergraduate studies, university faculty and staff, business managers, policy makers, and personnel from think tanks, finance corporations, media companies, and other private sector organizations, gather together as graduate students.  They take advantage of their respective backgrounds to engage in learning while providing stimulation to each other. This book has been compiled with the aim of imparting the basics of this academic field to those who aspire to participate in higher education programs and those who are interested in learning about university management/policy through an approach that incorporates various perspectives.
 
Having assumed a core role in helping to form a 21st century knowledge-based society, universities must fulfill a wide range of social roles. It has been said that the three missions of universities are teaching, research, and contributing to society. While these basic undertakings remain unchanged, achieving each at a high level and enhancing the synergistic effects between them are important challenges for the modern university. The effective management of universities and the formulation of policies to improve their scale are important for their survival and for increasing Japan’s international presence. These goals have also come to constitute important milestones in creating a more free and prosperous society.
 
In considering these challenges, it is important to acquire a perspective that understands the university from various vantage points. To that end, this book consists of 12 chapters that deal with a variety of topics. Chapters 1 through 3 outline the position that the modern university finds itself in, and then introduces the historical development and contemporary characteristics of university systems/policies. Chapters 4 through 6 focus on the basic structure of the university as an organization and its human resources and finances, which are the backbone of university administration. Chapters 7 through 9 outline its management in terms of the functional aspects of student recruitment and teaching/research. Chapters 10 and 11 utilize the aforementioned discussions to sort through the changes/trends in university administration and policy from an international perspective. Lastly, Chapter 12 explores the future of university administration/policy.
 
All of the authors would be delighted if a great number of readers were to take up this book and join us in considering the future of the university.
 
 

(Written by FUKUDOME Hideto, Professor, Graduate School of Education / 2021)