About the U.S.-Japan Higher Education Engagement Study

In order to better inform the actions of higher education leaders and other stakeholders who endeavor to create robust, sustainable U.S.-Japan partnerships, ACE recognizes there is a need for a broader knowledge on the many forms of collaboration taking place between U.S. and Japanese higher education institutions. While there are many actors involved in U.S. and Japan higher education relations who have been collecting data on specific aspects of U.S.-Japan higher education activity, they have often operated in silos, largely because their organizations have different goals, priorities, and responsibilities. These siloed data have made it difficult for higher education leaders and policymakers in both countries to have a clear picture of the U.S.-Japan higher education landscape.

The ultimate goals of USJP HEES are to improve mutual understanding and cooperation within the U.S.-Japan higher education community and to capitalize on its strengths within the global higher education context.

Methodology

The USJP HEES is the first bilateral effort to collect and organize existing siloed data from U.S. and Japanese higher education institutions and related organizations.

From 2017 to 2020, ACE collected open-access data on only higher education institution-level engagements from U.S. and Japanese higher education institutions, educational associations, and government and other affiliated agencies (see Data Sources). Although USJP HEES concentrates on collaborations at the institutional level, the findings suggest that non-institutional actors play an important facilitator role in the U.S.-Japan higher education relationship (see Additional U.S.-Japan Resources).

In cooperation with the Japan Committee of Universities for International Exchange (JACUIE), ACE jointly created a U.S-Japan bilateral advisory board of esteemed thought leaders in the fields of education, research, and policy to contextualize the U.S. and Japanese data and to offer perspective and recommendations for the final output of data analysis.

Caroline F. Benton, Vice President and Executive Director for Global Affairs, Tsukuba University
Gil Latz, Vice Provost for Global Strategies and International Affairs, Ohio State University
Miki Sugimura, Professor, Faculty of Human Sciences, Sophia University
Kathryn Ibata-Arens, Vincent de Paul Professor and Director of the Global Asian Studies Program, DePaul University
Yuichi Oda, Professor, Institute for Excellence in Educational Innovation, Chiba University
George T. Sipos, Comprehensive Digitalization and International Strategy for Higher Education Expert and Japan Specialist
Koichi Sawasaki, Professor, School of International Relations, University of Shizuoka
Diane Rodriguez-Kiino, Associate Professor of Educational Leadership, California Lutheran University
Takeo Hanawa, Professor of Economics, Senshu University, Fellow of South Oregon State University

The initial release of the USJP HEES is a snapshot of the U.S.-Japan higher education landscape, as it exists now, rather than a historical record.

The USJP HEES is a live database and represents point-in-time data to capture current and evolving U.S.-Japan higher education institutional partnership activities and engagement. Reported data will periodically be updated to reflect revisions received from the U.S.-Japan higher education community.

To submit an update for ACE review, the U.S.-Japan higher education community is encouraged to fill out and submit the online request form, which is available in both English and Japanese.

Sponsors and Partners

Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership

The USJP HEES is sponsored by a grant from the Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership (CGP). CGP was established within the Japan Foundation* in April 1991 with offices in both Tokyo and New York. CGP is dedicated to strengthening the global U.S.-Japan partnership and cultivating the next generation of public intellectuals necessary to sustain this partnership.

To carry out its mission, CGP supports an array of institutions and individuals, including nonprofit organizations, universities, policymakers, scholars, and educators, through grant programs, fellowships, and self-initiated projects. CGP's activities fall into two categories: policy-oriented intellectual exchange, and community-based grassroots exchange and education.

To learn more about CGP, please visit the CGP Tokyo website.

The American Council on Education

The American Council on Education (ACE) is a membership organization that mobilizes the higher education community to shape effective public policy and foster innovative, high-quality practice. As the major coordinating body for all U.S. higher education institutions, ACE represents over 1,700 college and university presidents and related associations, representing about 80 percent of all tertiary student enrollments in the country. ACE facilitates the global exchange of knowledge and practice in collaboration with higher education associations and institutions worldwide. ACE also provides specialized programming on the U.S. higher education system and on opportunities for bilateral partnerships with diverse types of U.S. colleges and universities for leaders in government, the private sector (nonprofit and for profit), and higher education institutions.

The Japan Committee of Universities for International Exchange

The Japan Committee of Universities for International Exchange (JACUIE) is a committee established to create unity over the framework for inter-university exchanges between Japan’s national, public, and private universities and foreign universities. The Japan Association of National Universities (JANU) serves as the secretariat for JACUIE. As major coordinating bodies for their nation's higher education institutions, ACE and JANU, wishing to develop friendly and cooperative relations for the development and internationalization of higher education, entered into an international Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on March 10, 2018.

Based on the aim to further develop international programs, JACUIE is composed of members from the Japan Association of National Universities (JANU), the Japan Association of Public Universities (JAPU), and the Federation of Japanese Private Colleges and Universities Associations (FJPCUA). The Japan Association of National Universities (JANU) was established in 1950 and represents all the 86 national universities in Japan at present. JANU is conducting various activities in order to promote education and research of national universities including international exchange.

To learn more about JACUIE and JANU, please visit the JANU website.

*The Japan Foundation is an Incorporated Administrative Agency of Japan. The mission of the Japan Foundation is to promote international cultural exchange and mutual understanding between Japan and other countries.

For Questions

Email Veronica Onorevole, associate director of Learning and Engagement, at global@acenet.edu.

For Research Updates or Research Service Requests

To submit an update on an active U.S.-Japan higher education partnership, please fill out and submit the online request form, which is available in both English and Japanese.

In addition to the publicly available data from the USJP HEES, customized search and analysis services is also available for institutional members of ACE; members of the Japan Committee of Universities for International Exchange; and the growing network of U.S. and Japanese collegial higher education associations, nongovernmental organizations, and government entities involved with strengthening U.S.-Japan relations.

Explore the Study

Study Resources

USJP HEES categorizes aggregated data shared by intermediary actors who play an important role in academic exchange, research, and workforce development between U.S. and Japanese higher education institutional partnerships.

Study Findings

The USJP HEES website includes data visualizations, fact sheets and infographics based on the analysis of point-in-time data captured from 2017 to 2020.

Study Recommendations

Based on the Study’s findings, USJP HEES offers recommendations for strengthening U.S.-Japan bilateral activities for higher education institutions, policy-makers, businesses and other stakeholders.

Back to USJP HEES Landing Page

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